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Re: Venezeula's "Chilean-like" General Strike by Louis Proyect 12 April 2002 13:01 UTC |
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(Posted to Marxism list by Anthony from Bogota) Please post: Colombia/Venezuela Update Hugo Chaves was just overthrown by a military coup d'etat, according to the Colombian news media. I am sorry I haven not written more, and more frequently about the rapidly developing situation in Colombia and Venezuela. The crises in the two countries - parts of Gran Colombia afterall - are becoming more and more entertwined by the minute. The crisis in Venezuela, is in my opinion, a key part of the world oil crisis, and of the USA's struggle against Latin American indepence, and against European imperialism. It is also very closely related to the crisis of Colombia. In my opinion the CIA had been orchestrating - for a long time - an effort to dump Chaves. This effort involved four basic elements: 1) efforts to organize an 'officers movement' against Chaves. 2) Efforts to mobilise 'democratic'; public opinoni against Chaves, especially through the privately owned bourgeois press. 3) efforts to pit the aristocracy of labor, especially the oil workers against Chaves. 4) efforts to isolate Chaves internationally. Chaves was a leader of the populist and nationalist military in Latin America. A Peron type. He was an opponent of the pro-imperiliast military cliques, which have been dominant in Latin American politics, but not always among the rank and file of Latin American soldiers. For a long time chaves was able to deflect and hold at bay the efforts to get rid of him. Control of Venezuela's oil revenues gave him tremendous leverage. The breaking point came when the Colombian army alleged that the FARC had retreated from the despeje to safe havens in Venezuela. Chaves denied these allegations in very strong terms. But his generals, active duty generals, told the press that the FARC did have bases in Venezuela. This was the first time that active duty generals, in the inner circle, had defied Chaves. The house came tumbling down. Chaves's wife - who left him in a scandal a month or so ago - fled the country in the presidential jet. Soon after the coup was announced. Where Hugo Chaves is is unknown. Whether he is alive is not known. Venezuela and Colombia - and really all of Latin America - are at a dark turning point. The bourgeoisie here - emboldened by imperialism's total abondonment of 'peace processes- is marching backward to military dictatorship and worse. But they are not united, and indeed are badly disuinted and confused. In fact, they are very weak. Where their march will lead to, is anybody's guess. Latin America is in deep crisis. One aspect of that crisis is that the 'neoliberal' solution has so obviously and completely failed -e.g. Argentina, and Ecuador, that the imperialists and the local capitlaists have no real idea of what political and economic strategy to try next. They are in an internal crisis. Globalization has failed before they even created a free trade area throughout the Americas. Politically this has led to a rebirth of sorts of nationalism, and of social democracy, in Brazil and the Southern cone. This rebirth in my humble opinion, is strongly supported by the European Union, which would like to attach South America to its trade zone, and detach it from the US's trade zone. What the nationalists and social democrats in Latin America dream of, is a Latin American free trade zone, independent of the US, and linked by alliance to Europe. such a trade zone could even become a reality if the PT (workers Party) wins the Presidential election in Brazil, and the 'nationalist' Peronists take over in Argentina (momentarily prevented, but who knows for how long). This possibility is the real fear of US imperialism in Latin America. All of this is connected to Colombia and Venezuela. The coup against Hugo Chaves, the elected president of Venezuela, an ardent supporter of a South American union, indepedent of the USA, and linked to Europe and OPEC, is certainly a major blow againt Latin American independence, and against Europe. Keep in mind that Venezuela is the most important supplier of oil to the USA, and that Colombia supplies 10% of US oil imports. Chavez had allied Venezuela with the 'nationalist in OPEC, Iraq and Iran. All of this is closely related to the presidential elections here in Colombia - where Alvaro Uribe Velez who has close connections to the paramilitaries - is almost certainly going to be elected. (Please see my post about the recent Colombian congressional elections.) Velez in power here, with increased military aid from the USA, and with more US troops (openly or in Colombian uniforms) is an incendiary formula. Velez is the US candidate. He is for more war, less social reform, and more police state powers for the military. He would like to be the Fujimori of Colombia. With Chaves gone in Venezuela, the FARC will almost certtainly lose what was a more or less neutral safe haven in Venezuela. The option of a 'military solution' in Colmbia - soemthing like what is now happening in Palestine - could become the near future agenda. Last week there were hundreds of raids on the homes of leftists in Bogota - allegedly because they were suspected of having connections with the FARC - in fact, simply because they were connected with the Communist Party, or were belived to be connected with the Communist Party. The shit is hitting the fan. What will happen next is anyone's guess. But there is one thing that I believe to be true - bourgeois reaction does not have popular support, but neither does Chaves, and neither does the FARC. What is playing itself out is mostly a drama of armed minorities. The masses have not entered the pciture - and may not enter the picture - in this episode. Stay tuned. All the best, Anthony Louis Proyect Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org
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