<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
<font size="-1">
<div class="entry-date">Weekend Edition April 25-27, 2014<br>
<small><b><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/04/25/the-dirty-hand-of-the-national-endowment-for-democracy-in-venezuela/">http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/04/25/the-dirty-hand-of-the-national-endowment-for-democracy-in-venezuela/</a></b></small><br>
<br>
<div style="float: right;"><br>
<div id="_atssh"
style="visibility: hidden; height: 1px; width: 1px; position: absolute; z-index: 100000;"><iframe
src="http://ct1.addthis.com/static/r07/sh156.html#"
style="border: 0px none ; height: 1px; width: 1px; position: absolute; z-index: 100000; left: 0px; top: 0px;"
title="AddThis utility frame" id="_atssh425"></iframe></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="subheadlinestyle"><big><big><b>Agents of Destabilization</b></big></big></div>
<h1 class="article-title">The Dirty Hand of the National Endowment for
Democracy in Venezuela</h1>
<div class="mainauthorstyle"><big><big>by EVA GOLINGER</big></big></div>
<div class="main-text"><big><big> </big></big>
<p><big><big>Anti-government protests in Venezuela that seek regime
change have been led by several individuals and organizations with
close ties to the US government. <a
href="http://maxblumenthal.com/2014/02/who-is-leopoldo-lopez/"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://maxblumenthal.com']);">Leopoldo
Lopez</a> and Maria Corina Machado- two of the public leaders behind
the violent protests that started in February – have long histories as
collaborators, grantees and agents of Washington. The National
Endowment for Democracy “NED” and the US Agency for International
Development (USAID) have channeled <a
href="http://www.aporrea.org/tiburon/n162603.html"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.aporrea.org']);">multi-million
dollar funding</a> to Lopez’s political parties Primero Justicia and
Voluntad Popular, and Machado’s NGO Sumate and her electoral campaigns.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>These Washington agencies have also filtered more than $14
million to opposition groups in Venezuela between <a
href="http://www.state.gov/f/releases/iab/fy2013cbj/"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.state.gov']);">2013</a>
and <a href="http://www.state.gov/f/releases/iab/fy2014cbj/"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.state.gov']);">2014</a>,
including funding for their <a
href="http://www.ned.org/where-we-work/latin-america-and-caribbean/venezuela"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.ned.org']);">political
campaigns</a> in 2013 and for the current anti-government protests in
2014. This continues the pattern of financing from the US government to
anti-Chavez groups in Venezuela since 2001, when <a
href="http://www.grupotortuga.com/Documentos-desclasificados"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.grupotortuga.com']);">millions
of dollars</a> were given to organizations from so-called “civil
society” to execute a coup d’etat against President Chavez in April
2002. After their failure days later, USAID opened an <a
href="http://www.wikileaks-forum.com/cablegate/7/update-on-the-usaidoti-venezuela-program/18327/"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.wikileaks-forum.com']);">Office
of Transition Initiatives (OTI)</a> in Caracas to, together with the
NED, inject more than <a
href="http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/5441"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://venezuelanalysis.com']);">$100
million in efforts</a> to undermine the Chavez government and reinforce
the opposition during the following 8 years.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>At the beginning of 2011, after being publically exposed
for its grave violations of Venezuelan law and sovereignty, the <a
href="http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/5995"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://venezuelanalysis.com']);">OTI
closed its doors inVenezuela</a> and USAID operations were transferred
to its offices in the US. The flow of money to anti-government groups
didn’t stop, despite the enactment by Venezuela’s National Assembly of
the <a
href="http://www.correodelorinoco.gob.ve/impacto/presidente-chavez-promulga-ley-defensa-soberania-politica-y-autodeterminacion-nacional/"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.correodelorinoco.gob.ve']);">Law
of Political Sovereignty and NationalSelf-Determination</a> at the end
of 2010, which outright prohibits foreign funding of political groups
in the country. US agencies and the Venezuelan groups that receive
their money continue to violate the law with impunity. In the Obama
Administration’s Foreign Operations Budgets, between $5-6 million have
been included to fund opposition groups in Venezuela through USAID
since 2012.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>The NED, a “foundation” created by Congress in 1983 to
essentially do the <a
href="http://www.iefd.org/articles/trojan_horse.php"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.iefd.org']);">CIA’s
work overtly</a>, has been one of the principal financiers of
destabilization in Venezuela<br>
throughout the Chavez administration and now against President Maduro.
According to NED’s 2013 annual report, the agency channeled more than
$2.3 million to Venezuelan opposition groups and projects. Within that
figure, <a
href="http://www.ned.org/where-we-work/latin-america-and-caribbean/venezuela"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.ned.org']);">$1,787,300</a>
went directly to anti-government groups within Venezuela, while another
<a
href="http://www.ned.org/where-we-work/latin-america-and-caribbean/latin-america-and-caribbean-regional"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.ned.org']);">$590,000</a>
was distributed to regional organizations that work with and fund the
Venezuelan opposition. More than $300,000 was directed towards efforts
to develop a new generation of youth leaders to oppose Maduro’s
government politically.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>One of the groups funded by NED to specifically work with
youth is FORMA (<a href="http://www.forma.org.ve/"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.forma.org.ve']);">http://www.forma.org.ve</a>),
an organization led by Cesar Briceño and tied to Venezuelan banker
Oscar Garcia Mendoza. Garcia Mendoza runs the Banco Venezolano de
Credito, a Venezuelan bank that has served as the filter for the flow
of dollars from NED and USAID to opposition groups in Venezuela,
including Sumate, CEDICE, Sin Mordaza, Observatorio Venezolano de
Prisiones and FORMA, amongst others.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>Another significant part of NED funds in Venezuela from
2013-2014 was given to groups and initiatives that work in media and
run the campaign to discredit the government of President Maduro. Some
of the more active media organizations outwardly opposed to Maduro and
receiving NED funds include Espacio Publico, Instituto Prensa y
Sociedad (IPYS), Sin Mordaza and <a
href="http://www.contrainjerencia.com/?p=86125"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.contrainjerencia.com']);">GALI</a>.
Throughout the past year, an unprecedented media war has been waged
against the Venezuelan government and President Maduro directly, which
has intensified during the past few months of protests.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>In direct violation of Venezuelan law, NED also funded the
opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Table (MUD), via the US
International Republican Institute (IRI), with $100,000 to “share
lessons learned with [anti-government groups] in Nicaragua, Argentina
and Bolivia…and allow for the adaption of the Venezuelan experience in
these countries”. Regarding this initiative, the NED 2013 <a
href="http://www.ned.org/where-we-work/latin-america-and-caribbean/latin-america-and-caribbean-regional"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.ned.org']);">annual
report</a> specifically states its aim: “To develop the ability of
political and civil society actors from Nicaragua, Argentina and
Bolivia to work on national, issue-based agendas for their respective
countries using lessons learned and best practices from successful
Venezuelan counterparts. The Institute will facilitate an exchange of
experiences between the Venezuelan Democratic Unity Roundtable and
counterparts in Bolivia, Nicaragua and Argentina. IRI will bring these
actors together through a series of tailored activities that will allow
for the adaptation of the Venezuelan experience in these countries.”</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>IRI has helped to build right-wing opposition parties
Primero Justicia and Voluntad Popular, and has worked with the
anti-government coaltion in Venezuela since before the 2002 coup d’etat
against Chavez. In fact, IRI’s president at that time, George Folsom,
outwardly applauded the coup and celebrated IRI’s role in a <a
href="https://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/03/17-0"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.commondreams.org']);">pressrelease</a>
claiming, “The Institute has served as a bridge between the nation’s
political parties and all civil society groups to help Venezuelans
forge a new democratic future…”</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>Detailed in a <a
href="http://www.chavezcode.com/2010/06/exclusiva-informe-de-la-ned-agencias.html"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.chavezcode.com']);">report</a>
published by the Spanish institute FRIDE in 2010, international
agencies that fund the Venezuelan opposition violate currency control
laws in order to get their dollars to the recipients. Also confirmed in
the FRIDE report was the fact that the majority of international
agencies, with the exception of the European Commission, are bringing
in foreign money and changing it on the black market, in clear
violation of Venezuelan law. In some cases, as the FRIDE analysis
reports, the agencies open bank accounts abroad for the Venezuelan
groups or they bring them the money in hard cash. The US Embassy in
Caracas could also use the diplomatic pouch to bring large quantities
of unaccounted dollars and euros into the country that are later handed
over illegally to anti-government groups in Venezuela.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big>What is clear is that the US government continues to feed
efforts to destabilize Venezuela in clear violation of law. Stronger
legal measures and enforcement may be necessary to ensure the
sovereignty and defense of Venezuela’s democracy.</big></big></p>
<big><big></big></big>
<p><big><big><em><strong>Eva Golinger</strong> is the author of <a
href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00359FEMM/counterpunchmaga"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.amazon.com']);">The
Chavez Code</a>. She can be reached through her <a
href="http://www.chavezcode.com/"
onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.chavezcode.com']);">blog</a>.</em></big></big></p>
</div>
</font>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863.9977
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.freedomarchives.org">www.freedomarchives.org</a>
</div>
</body>
</html>