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Inciting Unrest in Venezuela
Dark forces want Chavez ousted.
by Stephen Lendman
Last month, Duke University's Patrick Duddy published a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) paper titled "Political Unrest in Venezuela."
From August 2007 - July 2010, he was Washington's Venezuelan ambassador. He represents imperial, not popular interests.
In September 2008, Venezuela declared him persona non grata. At issue were solidarity issues with Bolivia.
The State Department expelled its US ambassador Gustavo Guzman. It acted after Evo Morales banished Washington's ambassador Philip Goldberg. He did so for good reason. Goldberg "conspir(ed) against democracy" and encouraged internal disruptions.
In June 2009, Duddy's persona non grata status was rescinded. He returned as ambassador. He remained so for another year. He's a career Foreign Service official. He's held various Latin American posts. In all of them, he was up to no good.
His paper was provocative and perhaps suggestive of what's planned. America wants Chavez ousted. It's longstanding policy. It wants oligarch control restored and US regional influence strengthened.
Both countries have been without ambassadors since Duddy left. Obama nominated Larry Palmer to replace him. Following hostile comments he made at his Senate confirmation hearing, Chavez rejected him, saying:
"Obama, how do you expect me to accept this gentleman as ambassador? He disqualified himself. He cannot come as ambassador."
In response, Washington dispatched Venezuelan US ambassador Bernardo Alvarez Herrera.
Throughout most of his tenure since February 1999, Washington/Venezuelan relations remained tense, uneasy, and hostile. In May 2011, sanctions were imposed on state-owned oil company PDVSA. Companies elsewhere were also affected. At issue was doing business with Iran.
Under provisions of the July 2010 Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act, PDVSA is barred from US government contracts, export financing, and export licenses for sensitive technology.
Oil sales weren't affected. Nor were operations of PDVSA's US CITGO subsidiary. America needs Venezuelan oil. Sanctions served only to highlight America's anti-Bolivarian hostility. Company operations weren't impeded.
Chavez believes disruptive tactics may precede and/or follow October 7 electoral results. Polls show he's overwhelmingly favored to win. Nothing short of coup d'etat tactics can stop him. Don't bet they're not planned.
