[News] Permanent Aggression: War on the horizon in Latin America

[Anti-Imperialist News]

http://www.chavezcode.com/

March 12th 2010, by Eva Golinger - Correo del Orinoco International



<http://www.chavezcode.com/2010/03/permanent-aggression-war-on-horizon-in.html>PERMANENT 
AGGRESSION: War on the horizon in Latin America

The Empire will stop at nothing to find 
mechanisms and techniques to achieve its final 
objective, and we cannot disregard the 
possibility of a military conflict in the near 
future. If the US places Venezuela on the 
“terrorist list” this year, we could be on the verge of a regional war.

Latin America has suffered constant aggressions 
executed by Washington during the past two 
hundred years. Strategies and tactics of covert 
and overt warfare have been applied against 
different nations in the region, ranging from 
coup d’etats, assassinations, disappearances, 
torture, brutal dictatorships, atrocities, 
political persecution, economic sabotage, 
psychological operations, media warfare, 
biological warfare, subversion, 
counterinsurgency, paramiliary infiltration, 
diplomatic terrorism, blockades, electoral 
intervention to military invasions. Regardless of 
who’s in the White House – democrat or republican 
– when it comes to Latin America, the Empire’s policies remain the same.

In the twenty-first century, Venezuela has been 
one of the principle targets of these constant 
aggressions. Since the April 2002 coup, there has 
been a dangerous escalation in attacks and 
destabilization attempts against the Bolivarian 
Revolution. Although many fell beneath the 
seductive smile and poetic words of Barack Obama, 
it’s not necessary to look beyond the past year 
to see the intensification of Washington’s 
aggressions against Venezuela. The largest 
military expansion in history in the region – 
through the US occupation of Colombia – the 
reactivation of the Fourth Fleet of the US Navy, 
as well as an increased US military presence in 
the Caribbean, Panama and Central America 
throughout the past year, can be interpreted as 
preparation for a conflict scenario in the region.

ESCALATION IN AGGRESSIONS
The hostile declarations from various Washington 
representatives during the past few weeks, 
accusing Venezuela of failure to combat narcotics 
operations, violating human rights, “not 
contributing to democracy and regional 
stability”, and of being the “regional anti-US 
leader”, form part of a coordinated campaign that 
seeks to justify a direct aggression against 
Venezuela. Soon, Washington will publish its 
annual list of “state sponsors of terrorism”, and 
if Venezuela is placed on the list this year, the 
region could be on the brink of an unprecedented military conflict.

Evidence seems to indicate a move in that 
direction. A US Air Force document justifying the 
need to increase military presence in Colombia 
affirmed that Washington is preparing for 
“expeditionary warfare” in South America.

The 2009 Air Force document, sent to Congress 
last May (but later modified in November after it 
was used to demonstrate the true intentions 
behind the military agreement between the US and 
Colombia), explained, ““Development of this CSL 
(Cooperative Security Location) will further the 
strategic partnership forged between the US and 
Colombia and is in the interest of both nations
A 
presence will also increase our capability to 
conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and 
Reconnaissance (ISR), improve global reach, 
support logistics requirements, improve 
partnerships, improve theater security 
cooperation and expand expeditionary warfare capability”.

ON THE VERGE OF WAR
The first official report outlining the defense 
and intelligence priorities of the Obama 
administration dedicated substantial attention to 
Venezuela. The Annual Threat Assessment of the US 
Intelligence Community – which has mentioned 
Venezuela in years past, but not nearly with the 
same emphasis and extension – particularly 
signaled out President Chavez as a major “threat” 
to US interests. “Venezuelan President Hugo 
Chavez has established himself as one of the US’s 
foremost international detractors, denouncing 
liberal democracy and market capitalism and 
opposing US policies and interests in the 
region”, said the intelligence document, placing 
Venezuela in the same category as Iran, North Korea and Al Qa’ida.

Days after the report was published, the State 
Department presented its 2011 budget to Congress. 
In addition to an increase in financing through 
USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy 
(NED) to fund opposition groups in Venezuela – 
more than $15 million USD – there was also a $48 
million USD request for the Organization of 
American States (OAS) to “deploy special 
‘democracy promoter’ teams to countries where 
democracy is under threat from the growing 
presence of alternative concepts such as the 
‘participatory democracy’ promoted by Venezuela and Bolivia”.

One week later, the Inter-American Human Rights 
Commission of the OAS – funded by Washington – 
emitted a whopping 322-page report slamming 
Venezuela for human rights violations, repression 
of the press and undermining democracy. Despite 
the fact that it was a report – and a Commission 
– dedicated to the topic of human rights, the 
detailed study barely mentioned the immense 
achievements of the Chavez government in 
advancing human rights; advances which have been 
recognized and applauded over the past five years 
by the Unted Nations. The evidence used by the 
OAS to elaborate the report came from opposition 
testimonies and biased media outlets, a clear 
demonstration of dangerous subjectivity.

Simultaneous to these accusations, a Spanish 
court accused the Venezuelan government last week 
of supporting and collaborating with the FARC and 
ETA – organizations considered terrorist by both 
the US and Spain – provoking an international 
scandal. President Chavez reiterated that his 
government has absolutely no ties with any 
terrorist group in the world. “This is a 
government of peace”, declared Chavez, after 
explaining that the presence of ETA members in 
Venezuela is due to an agreement made over 20 
years ago by the government of Carlos Andres 
Perez in order to aid Spain in a peace treaty 
with the Basque separatist group.

THE EMPIRE HAS NO COLOR
Last week, on tour in Latin America, US Secretary 
of State Hillary Clinton couldn’t stop attacking 
Venezuela during her different declarations made 
before international media. She expressed her 
“great concern” for democracy and human rights in 
Venezuela, accusing President Chavez of not 
“contributing in a constructive manner” to 
regional progress. In a cynical tone, Clinton 
advised President Chavez to “look further south” 
for inspiration, instead of towards Cuba.

Clinton’s regional trip was part of a strategy 
announced by the Obama administration last year, 
to create a divide between the so-called 
“progressive left” and the “radical left” in 
Latin America. It’s no coincidence that her first 
tour of the region coincided with the 
announcement of a new Latin American and 
Caribbean Community of States, which excludes the 
presence of the US and Canada.

THE COMING CONFLICT
A military conflict is not initiated from one day 
to the next. It’s a process that involves first 
influencing public perception and opinion – 
demonizing the target leader or government in 
order to justify aggression. Subsequently, armed 
forces are strategically deployed in the region 
in order to guarantee an effective military 
action. Tactics, such as subversion and 
counterinsurgency, are utilized in order to 
debilitate and destabilize the target nation from 
within, increasing its vulnerability and weakening its defenses.

This plan has been active against Venezuela for 
several years. The consolidation of regional 
unity and Latin American integration threatens US 
possibilities of regaining domination and control 
in the hemisphere. And the advances of the 
Bolivarian Revolution have impeded its 
“self-destruction”, provoked by internal 
subversion funded and directed by US agencies. 
However, the Empire will not cease its attempts 
to achieve its final objective, and a potential 
military conflict in the region remains on the horizon.





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