Diplomatic Jousting Over Venezuela's Bid for UN Security Council Seat Heats Up - by Stephen Lendman
US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is stepping up a late US diplomatic high-pressure blitz to convince nations she's meeting and speaking with not to support Venezuela's bid for the UN Security Council seat for a two year term beginning in 2007 at the secret vote that will take place for it on October 16. On Monday, September 25, she met with CARICOM foreign ministers in New York painfully twisting every arm present. No other nation plays hardball politics like the US that no longer "walks softly" but carries a bigger "stick" than ever and freely uses it. So far, from known reports, CARICOM is holding firm and most nations in it have announced their support for the Chavez-led government. It remains to be seen if that conviction will hold in the face of relentless US pressure.
Venezuela's Foreign Minister Nicolas Madura affirmed the support he believes his nation has for this high profile seat that will give Venezuela a significant voice in the world body. The US desperately doesn't want it to have it because with it, Venezuela will be able to speak out forthrightly supporting the rights of ordinary people everywhere and denouncing the Bush administration's oppressive policies against them. If Venezuela is elected, that's bad news when you're in the "empire-building" business, throwing your weight around everywhere, and wanting to silence all dissent. It's what Secretary Rice meant when she said Venezuela's election in October "would mean the end of consensus on the Security Council." She's right. At least one of its members would serve honorably, and that's what she fears.
Minister Madura said US lobbying efforts against Venezuela's bid have "gone very badly so far and stressed his country would oppose the Bush administration's "imperialist vision" if elected to the Council in October. He also took issue with Secretary Rice's suggestion that Venezuela's anti-US stance would make the 15 member Security Council unworkable. Minister Madura showed character and the noble spirit of the Bolivarian Revolution he represents when he added: "Facing the empire, we are saying, yes, we are going to build a new consensus, not of war, not of abuse. We are going to build the consensus of the peoples of the South."
Standing against Venezuela is Guatemala that the US supports despite its decades-long history of oppression and brutality against its majority indigenous people (still ongoing) that killed over 200,000 of them over the past half century. US administrations supported Guatemala throughout that period and approved of or winked at all the crimes that country's leaders committed. It's clear it now supports a continuation of those practices because it's committing so many of them around the world today itself. For the Bush administration, plunder and oppression are good. Equity and justice for the people that the Venezuelan government supports is bad. It will soon be up to the world community to decide which of these two alternative visions it supports.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blogspot at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
I am a 72 year old, retired, progressive small businessman concerned about all the major national and world issues, committed to speak out and write about them.
Earth to Condi: When you're in a hole, stop digging
Doesn't the US realize that the more they try to stop Venezuela getting its seat, the more they prove the truth of Chavez's blunt words? Why should other nations yield to US strongarm tactics, after we sent John Bolton to the UN to insult everyone and treat them like underlings? Chavez is a truly great world leader, and greatly admired by many, who has been heroic in his efforts to secure peace and international cooperation in the world, as he has bettered the lives of his citizens.
Every battle the US has fought to try to destabilize, overthrow, and sideline Chavez has backfired in their faces, increasing Hugo's popularity and winning him more friends. He has the moral high ground, now. The US has the moral low ground, and for good reason. The networks here all showed Chavez calling Bush "the Devil" but they didn't cover anything else he said -- it made too much sense!
by
katbarb (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 2 comments)
on Saturday, September 30, 2006 at 4:17:07 PM
Guatemala's military dictatorship was installed by the CIA , overthrowing a democratically elected government in the process, in the very early 50's. They are a bloodthirsty and horrific practitioner of torture and mayhem against their own people and thus a perfect ally for Bush.
While Hugo Chavez is a somewhat flawed leader he is a far better and more moral man than Georgie and might freshen a jaded and stale Security Council by joining that group. Whoever he appointed to sit would be a socialist of course and thus anathema to the USA.
I rejoice at this ebbing of the influence of the US in South America and , in fact, in the entire world, and say plainly it is about time.
by
ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2377 comments)
on Saturday, September 30, 2006 at 7:20:24 PM
There's one clear issue about Venezuela that will drive US policy to want to control the country no matter how many times before tried and failed - OIL. Venezuela is floating on an ocean of it. US waging resource wars in ME and may soon do the same in Africa. The interest in Dafur again is about OIL and it's never discussed. Chavez knows he's a target but he has one solid trump card in his hand - millions of Venezuelans who won't tolerate a return to the past. They'll fight for him and their own interest. Another trump card is US hopelessly bogged down in ME and can't fight everywhere at once.
by
Stephen Lendman (268 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 76 comments)
on Sunday, October 1, 2006 at 12:55:53 PM
4 comments
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