The problem with the Bush administration'’s policy of making charges against Chavez while declining to substantiate those charges is that it reinforces the belief of many Latin Americans that the U.S. government is lying. It strengthens the hand of Chavez and his Marxist associates across the region, and weakens the credibility of individuals and groups in Venezuela that believe in democracy and freedom.Here's the story about decertification from the Miami Herald.
When it comes to Venezuela, the Bush administration should make its alleged evidence against Chavez public, or else the U.S. should shut up and start looking for ways to get along with Chavez, although we doubt that a rattlesnake and a mouse named Sam can co-exist peacefully. The Bush administration has been Chavez's best friend in the battle for public opinion across Latin America.
If there's one piece of good news, it is that the US waved the requirement to place financial sanctions on Venezuela. This allows us to continue funding pro-democracy groups like Sumate and avoids the scenario envisioned in this Marcela Sanchez column. The funds we're sending to Venezuela are key to showing that the US cares about the Venezuelan people, even if we don't like their leadership. Cutting off those funds would have simply harmed our own goals.
3 comments:
Disagree with you about Sumate. If Sumate wants to be funded they should avoid any taint of money coming from the US. Otherwise Chávez merely paints them as a Yankee tool.
Yes, it may taint them as pro-US, but we want to fund pro-democracy NGO's and Sumate is willing to take that funding and use it properly. They're not trying to win an election (which I doubt they could), they are supposed to be promoting an ideal. As long as they (and we) are honest and transparent about the funding, I have no problem with the US funding pro-democracy groups in Venezuela or elsewhere in the world.
I agree to a point, but from the practical standpoint, especially given the tacit approval of the 2002 coup, it would be better for Sumate to be seen as truly independent.
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