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Chavez Laid to Rest

by Stephen Lendman

He died on March 5. Smart money says Obama killed him. His death was very suspicious. A previous article discussed it.

Hopefully forensic evidence will prove what many people believe.

He meant so much to so many. He spoke in language people understood.

He meant what he said. He kept promises made. He championed social democracy. Venezuelans have the real thing.

Progressive Radio News Hour regular James Petras discussed his legacy. He calls him a “21st century renaissance man.”

He was “unique.” He made a difference. He contributed hugely to advancing humanity. He did so “in the spheres of political economy, ethics and international law and in defining relations between political leaders and citizens.”

He cared. He showed it. No one anywhere matched him. He believed popular needs matter more than power. He transformed Venezuela from neoliberal harshness to social democracy.

He was reelected overwhelmingly four times. In 2006, his landslide topped all presidential victories in US history.

Except for the close race in 1812 and 1800 deadlock, Jefferson/Madison Democrat-Republicans dominated US elections. It remained so through 1820.

James Monroe ran virtually unopposed. He won over 80% of the vote. Like Washington, he wasn’t elected. He was coronated.

Competitive elections began in 1824. From then to Chavez’s 2006 near 63% majority, his victory margin exceeded all US presidents. His popularity was overwhelming. It was so for good reason.

He governed democratically. He engaged Venezuelans responsibly. He “invited comments and criticism,” said Petras. He challenged imperial Washington. “You don’t fight terrorism with state terrorism,” he said. These type comments infuriated Washington.

He abhorred violence and war. He championed peaceful conflict resolution. Straightaway in office he began implementing his vision.

He let Venezuelans decide whether to convene a National Constituent Assembly. At issue was drafting a new constitution. Chavez believed in Bolivarian change.

Venezuelans agreed. They approved overwhelmingly. Three months later, National Assembly elections followed. Chavistas won 95% of the seats.

They drafted a Bolivarian constitution. A second referendum followed. Venezuelans again overwhelmingly approved. Historic provisions became law.

No constitution anywhere matches it. It’s a living document. Venezuelans cherish it. It shames America’s.

Articles 83 – 85 mandate quality healthcare. It’s called a “fundamental social right and…responsibility of the state…to guarantee it…to improve the quality of life and common welfare.”

It established national public health. It’s proscribed from being privatized.

Other provisions mandate participatory democracy, quality education to the highest levels, free speech, indigenous rights, housing assistance, social security pensions and more.

Articles 166 – 192 established citizen assemblies. They constitute grassroots participatory democracy. So do thousands of communal councils. Over 30,000 exist. They empower local citizens.

Ordinary people elect their own representatives. They do so throughout the country. What they say matters. They contribute to Bolivarian fairness.

The Law of Communal Councils “represent(s) the means through which the organized masses can take over the direct administration of the policies and projects that are created in response to the needs and aspirations of the communities, in the construction of a fair and just society.”

Social missions were established. Ordinary Venezuelans benefit enormously. Innovative programs include healthcare, education, food, housing, land reform, job training, micro-credit, and more.

Thousands of worker cooperatives exist. Ordinary Venezuelans manage them. Instead of a job, they’re owners. They benefit from profits earned.

At the same time, Chavez championed worker rights. He encouraged trade unionism. America wages war on labor. At issue is destroying decades of hard won rights. Obama’s in the forefront doing so.

Chavez instilled “solidarity and mutual support,” said Petras. He changed Venezuela’s power balance. He shifted it from ruling elites and corrupt politicians to ordinary people.

Petras said his greatest contribution perhaps was believing “that many of the most challenging contemporary political and economic problems can be successfully resolved.”

Nothing is more challenging than transforming longstanding money power-run states to socially democratic ones. Chavez “largely succeeded,” said Petras.

He radically changed Venezuela progressively. His redistributive policies work. He used the nation’s oil wealth responsibly.

He increased social spending over 60%. FY 2013 spending is budgeted to rise another one-third. Income inequality is Latin America’s lowest. Before Chavez, it was the highest.

Poverty fell from 60% to 26%. Extreme poverty decreased from over 16% to 7%.

He grew the economy impressively. Economic growth in 2011 was 4.8%. In 2012, it was 5.6%. Forecasts estimate 6% in 2013.

Nationalized oil, telecommunications, electricity, cement, steel, and other sectors let Venezuela regain economic sovereignty.

Chavez created jobs. Unemployment dropped from 14.5% to 6.4%. Venezuelans receive Latin America’s highest minimum wage.

Women without income and disabled people get 60% of minimum wage support.

Chavez withdrew Venezuela from IMF/World Bank debt peonage. The nation’s debt is about 20% of GDP. America’s exceeds 100%. It rises exponentially annually.

Child mortality fell from 20 per 1,000 to 10. Child malnutrition declined from 21% to less then 3%. Five million children get free meals in school. Life expectancy rose from 72.2 to 74.3.

Around 95% of Venezuelans have access to safe drinking water. Pre-Chavez, it was 82%.

Hundreds of thousands of new homes were built. Commerce, communications, construction, and manufacturing grew impressively. Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves.

Around 2.5 million acres of land were returned to aboriginal people. About 7.5 million overall were redistributed. Doing so lets tens of thousands of farmers own their own land.

Chavez eradicated illiteracy. Doing so shames America. Around 32 million Americans can’t read. Forty-eight million do so below a fifth grade level. Computer and math skills are sorely lacking.

Inner city schools don’t teach. Two-thirds of students can’t read proficiently. One in four children grow up unable to read.

America is the only OECD country where the current generation is worse off than previous ones. Prioritizing war and corporate favoritism explains why.

Venezuelan democracy is the world’s best. It’s real. It’s unmatched. Its elections are open, free and fair. Venezuelans are automatically enfranchised at birth.

Its Law of Social Responsibility affirms free expression without censorship, respect for human rights, Venezuelan cultural values, a balance between public duties and private rights, and citizen participation in national affairs.

Chavez championed fair trade. ALBA (the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas) reflects it. It’s comprehensive, bold and innovative. It’s mutually beneficial. It’s polar opposite NAFTA, FTAA, and one-way bilateral agreements.

It’s based on complementarity (not competition), solidarity (not domination), cooperation (not exploitation) and respect for each nation’s sovereignty. It’s free from the control of other nations and large corporations.

Venezuela joined with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay in establishing Mercosur. It hopes doing so will strengthen ALBA.

In December 2006, Chavez proposed establishing a Bank of the South (Banco del Sur). Doing so is an alternative to Western debt slavery.

A November 2007 summit launched it. In September 2009, it was established. Its members include Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Uruguay and Paraguay. Plans are to increase initial capitalization.

Member countries pledge to contribute. Full operations are expected to begin later this year. At issue is representing the needs of the South and contributing to its development.

Chavez urged Latin American integration. UNASUR (Union of South American Nations) was another initiative.

Members include Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay (suspended after its 2012 coup), Chile, Guyana, and Suriname.

Petrocaribe lets most Caribbean states buy Venezuelan oil on preferential terms.

Chavez proved challenging neoliberalism works. Petras calls doing so a major 21st century “breakthrough.” His legacy is “multi-faceted. His contributions are original, theoretical and practical.”

They matter. They’re “universally relevant.” They work. Chavismo lives! Bolivarianism’s institutionalized!

Chavez was “a complete political leader,” said Petras. His stature is unmatched. He’s the most important figure of our time. What he achieved won’t die.

Chavistas promise to carry the torch. Preserving and strengthening Bolivarian achievements matter most.

A Final Comment

On March 5, Chavez died. His body lay in half open coffin. It was on display in Caracas’ Fuerte Tiuna Military Academy. Over five million Venezuelans queued for hours.

They came to honor him. They paid their last respects. They said farewell.

On March 15, 10 days of official mourning ended. Hundreds of thousands of red-shirted Chavistas filled Caracas streets.

A formal procession followed. Chavez’s body was transferred to the 4th February Museum of Military History (Barracks on the Mountain). He’ll remain there for now.

It’s where Chavez launched his February 4, 1992 revolt against neoliberal harshness. Years later he succeeded.

Regional leaders paid their last respects. Acting President Nicolas Maduro said:

“Mission accomplished Comandante! Fully accomplished: with pain, with sacrifice, not even sickness stopping him. Nothing stopped him, and no one is going to stop our people.”

Viva Chavez! Millions of Venezuelans resolve never to let his legacy die. They’re courageous. They’ll put their bodies on the line to assure it.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

http://www.dailycensored.com/chavez-laid-to-rest/

by Stephen Lendman

He and Castro matter most. They don’t come any better. They transformed their countries responsibly. Doing so made the impossible possible. They did it against long odds. They won over hearts and minds.

Castro did it his way. Chavez chose a Venezuelan model. He envisioned socialism for the 21st century. He wanted it based on “solidarity, fraternity, love, justice, liberty and equality.”

He wanted it built bottom up. He deplored top down. Popular protagonism over bureaucracy was policy.

He abhorred neoliberal harshness. He called it incompatible with democracy. He wanted another way. His legacy reflects his accomplishments.

Eva Golinger knew Chavez. She called him a “grandiose visionary” “dream maker.”

Venezuelans loved him. So did millions worldwide. They did so for good reason. He cared. He made a difference. His achievements are remarkable. They can’t be ignored.

He was honest, said Golinger. His roots were humble. He grew up in a mud hut. He sold candies on streets. He did so to earn money for his family.

He “dreamed of building a strong, sovereign nation, independent of foreign influence….He dreamed of improving the lives of his people….”

He wanted poverty eradicated. He wanted a better life for Venezuelans. He called it el buenvivir (the good life).

He made dreams come true. He achieved remarkable changes. They’re more than just numbers. He transformed one of Latin America’s most unequal countries into its most equitable. At the same time, he achieved impressive economic growth.

He did so in 14 years. He spoke truth to power. He did it because it matters.

He cared about Venezuela’s most disadvantaged. He lifted them from poverty. He provided education, healthcare, affordable food, housing, and hope.

“He recognized the rights of the disabled, of indigenous peoples, all genders and sexualities. He broke down barriers of racism and classism and declared himself a socialist feminist.”

“He not only made his own dreams come true, but he inspired us all to achieve our fullest potential.”

“I am just a soldier,” he said. America wanted him dead. Bush failed several times to remove him. Obama likely killed him.

Toppling foreign leaders by coups or assassinations is longstanding US policy. William Blum’s done some of the best research. His books include “Rogue State.” They’re must reading.

He documented dozens of successful and failed post-WW II US interventions. They include:

• toppling Iran’s Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953; it was the CIA’s first successful coup after an initial failure;

• ousting Guatemala’s Jacobo Arbenz in 1954;

• failing to kill China’s Chou En-Lai in 1955;

• failing hundreds times to kill Fidel Castro;

• failing to kill France’s Charles de Gaulle;

• plotting Gaddafi’s assassination for decades;

• killing him in 2011; and

• very likely killing Chavez.

Obama wanted him dead.

Extrajudicial killings are indefensible. They’re morally abhorrent. They’re illegal under international and US laws.

Article 23b of the 1907 Hague Regulations prohibits “assassination, proscription, or outlawry of an enemy, or putting a price upon an enemy’s head, as well as offering a reward for any enemy ‘dead or alive.’ ”

In 1980, the Sixth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders condemned “the practice of killing and executing political opponents or suspected offenders carried out by armed forces, law enforcement or other governmental agencies or by paramilitary or political groups.”

On December 15, 1980, the General Assembly adopted resolution 35/172.

It urged “member states to abide by the provisions of Articles 6, 14 and 15 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights.”

They address right to life issues. They include safeguards guaranteeing fair and impartial judicial proceedings.

The first provision of the 1989 UN Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions states:

“Governments shall prohibit by law all extra-legal, arbitrary and summary executions and shall ensure that any such executions are recognized as offenses under their criminal laws, and are punishable by appropriate penalties which take into account the seriousness of such offenses.”

“Exceptional circumstances, including a state of war or threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency may not be invoked as a justification of such executions.”

They “shall not be carried out under any circumstances including, but not limited to, situations of internal armed conflict, excessive or illegal use of force by a public official or other person acting in an official capacity or by a person acting at the instigation, or with the consent or acquiescence of such person, and situations in which deaths occur in custody.”

“This prohibition shall prevail over decrees issued by governmental authority.”

The International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute prohibits extrajudicial killings.

In 1976, Gerald Ford’s Executive Order (EO) 11905 said:

“No employee of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, political assassination.”

In 1981, Ronald Reagan’s EO 12333 said:

“No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination.”

Post-9/11, Bush reinstituted them. Targeted assassinations again became official policy. US presidents lawlessly kill. They have diktat authority to do so. They take full advantage.

Assassinating foreign leaders and others is official US policy. Obama’s kill list reflects it. Anyone can be targeted for any reason or none at all. Independent head of state are especially vulnerable.

Obama takes full advantage. He murdered Gaddafi. He likely killed Chavez.

On March 6, RIA Novosti headlined “Chavez Death Could be US Plot – Russian Communist Leader,” saying:

Russia’s Communist party leader Gennady Zyuganov believes Washington may have killed Chavez. Suspicious cancers affected half a dozen Latin American leaders.

“How did it happen that six leaders of Latin American countries which had criticized US policies and tried to create an influential alliance in order to be independent and sovereign states, fell ill simultaneously with the same disease,” asked Zyuganov?

“In my view, this was far from a coincidence.” He urged an internationally controlled investigation.

Interim Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is suspicious. He suspects an “imperialist” plot. “The old enemies of our fatherland looked for way to harm (Chavez’s) health,” he said.

Washington wanted Chavez dead. Kurt Nimmo addressed the issue. Previous attempts failed.

Blum asked: “How do we know that the CIA was behind the” failed April two-day coup?

“Same way we know that the sun will rise tomorrow morning.”

CIA assassins never rest. Chavez knew he was marked for death. He believed it. He said so numerous times.

Michel Chossudovsky asked if he was “the object of a targeted assassination by the Obama administration?”

“In this context, the CIA would receive orders to assassinate foreign leaders directly from the US President.”

“There are secret lists of names as confirmed by US government sources.”

“The orders carried out by the CIA to kill a foreign leader emanate from the US president.”

Civil rights groups want answers. An FOIA request was filed.

The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, ANSWER Coalition, and Liberation Newspaper want records and documents that “relate to or reference or discuss any information regarding or plans to poison or otherwise assassinate” Chavez.

They seek “(a)ll records and documents, including but not limited to, emails, letters, cables or other communications, memoranda, notes, minutes, photographs, audio recordings, video recordings, digital recordings, intelligence assessments, communications, records or other data that relate to or reference or discuss any information regarding or plans to poison or otherwise assassinate the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, who has just died.”

“This request in made in light of the US government’s acknowledged history of knowledge and possession of information regarding, and/or participation in, attempts to assassinate foreign leaders.”

People have an “urgent and compelling” right to know. At best, heavily redacted documents will follow.

Regardless of what’s gotten, what known suggests direct US involvement. Bush and Obama want Chavez ousted. They wanted him dead.

He’s gone but not forgotten. His legacy lives. Friday state funeral ceremonies were held. Dozens of high-level international delegations attended.

Around 33 heads of state were present. In alphabetical order they include:

Antigua and Barbuda: Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer

Aruba: Prime Minister Michiel Godfried Eman

Belarus: President Alexander Lukashenko

Bolivia: President Evo Morales

Brazil: President Dilma Rousseff

Chile: President Sebastian Pinera

Colombia: Juan Manuel Santos

Cuba: Raul Castro

Curacao: Prime Minister Daniel Hodge

Dominica: Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit

Dominican Republic: President Danilo Medina

Ecuador: President Rafael Correa

El Salvador: President Mauricio Funes

Guyana: President Donald Ramotar

Haiti: President Michel Martelly and Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe

Honduras: President Porfirio Lobo

Iran: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Jamaica: Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller

Mexico: President Enrique Pena Nieto

Nicaragua: President Daniel Ortega

Panama: President Ricardo Martinelli

Peru: President Ollanta Humala

St. Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Denzil Douglas

St. Lucia: Prime Minister Kenny Anthony

St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves

Suriname: President Desi Bouterse

Trinidad and Tobago: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar

Uruguay: President Jose Mujica

Argentina President Christina Fernandez was one of the first high-profile mourners to arrive. On Thursday, she flew home to Buenos Aires.

Spurious reports suggested Chavez’s last words were “I don’t want to die. Please don’t let me die.”

US media headlined it. So did Democracy Now‘s Amy Goodman. Presidential guard General Jose Ornella was quoted.

Allegedly he said Chavez “couldn’t speak but he said it with his lips.”

Reuters reported otherwise. It said “Chavez slipped into a coma on Monday before dying the following day of respiratory failure.” An unnamed source said cancer spread to his lungs.

Venezuelans mourn. Chavez lay in state. Over two million filed past him. Many weep. Some salute. Others cross themselves. Their love and admiration are palpable.

Raul Castro said Chavez “left undefeated.” He was elected overwhelmingly four times.

“He was invincible. He left victorious, and no one can take that away. It is fixed in history.”

He represented a threat of a good example. He was the rarest of rare leaders. He was a people’s president. He broke the chains that bind.

Latin America no longer is America’s backyard. Venezuelans won’t ever go back. Believe it. Bolivariarism is institutionalized. It’s part of the national culture. It’s here to stay.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

http://www.dailycensored.com/chavez-visionary-leader-extraordinaire/

by Stephen Lendman

He’s gone. His two-year cancer struggle ended. It claimed him. He’s sorely missed.

He was one of Latin America’s most notable leaders. His charisma was special. It was real. His spirit lives.

An era ended with his passing. He was the world’s leading anti-imperialist hero. He spoke truth to power. He did so courageously. He risked his life doing it.

Obama may have ordered him killed. Very likely he did. Believe it. Chavez did. He had good reason to do so. He said it openly. Castro warned him. He explained how imperial Washington works.

Its rap sheet makes serial killers look saintly by comparison. State-sponsored murder is official policy. So is ravaging humanity ruthlessly.

Washington does it for wealth, power and dominance. It spurns rule of law principles, democratic values and popular needs.

Chavez was polar opposite. He championed democracy. He established the real thing. He defended civil and human rights.

He operated no secret prisons. He didn’t invade his neighbors. He engaged them cooperatively. He valued unity and world solidarity. He abhorred torture. He advocated peace, not war.

He abolished neoliberal harshness. He championed populism. Venezuelans loved him for doing so. They elected him overwhelmingly four times.

They rallied supportively for him publicly. They did so often. At times, millions turned out.

He established free, open and fair elections. Jimmy Carter calls them the world’s best. He said so for good reason. They shame America’s sham process.

He valued Venezuela’s independence. He fought hard to keep it. He refused to surrender to Washington.

His used Venezuela’s oil wealth responsibly. He lifted millions from poverty. He created economic growth and jobs. He provided essential social services. Major ones are institutionalized.

He’s loved and admired worldwide. He’s hated for his virtues. He made promises and kept them.

He cared about ordinary people. He showed it. His legacy won’t be forgotten.

Chavismo lives! Bolivarianism is real. It’s part of Venezuela’s culture. It represents democratic equity and justice.

Venezuelans have the real thing. It reflects Simon Bolivar’s vision. He defeated the Spanish. He liberated half of South America. He advocated using national wealth responsibly, fairly and equitably.

He strove to overcome the imperial curse. It “plague(d) Latin America with misery in the name of liberty,” he said.

Chavez was his modern-day incarnation. Chavismo reflects Bolivarian principles. He established them. They’re hardwired. They won’t change. Venezuelans deplore their ugly past. They won’t go back.

Chavez was the rarest of political leaders. He was the exception proving the rule. He cared more about people than power. He had much more to do.

New leadership will advance his progressive agenda. Maduro’s up to the challenge. He’ll surprise people. So did Chavez.

Doing the right thing takes time. Great struggles aren’t won easily or quickly. Transforming generations of oligarch rule is a longterm project. United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) leaders prioritize it.

Dark forces oppose them. Profiteers want things their way. Washington’s openly hostile. People power challenges its menace. Chavez did so courageously.

James Petras said “(n)o President in the history of Venezuela (or the Americas did) more to create a sense of national identity.”

“He has defended the country with valor and integrity. He has preserved and advanced democratic institutions against US and client attempts to destabilize and destroy the constitutional order.”

He “created an extensive social welfare net which has raised millions from poverty, eliminated illiteracy and provided a universal free public health system.”

He “successfully engaged in consequential international economic aid programs, providing oil at reduced cost to poor countries in Central America and the Caribbean.”

New challenging struggles remain. Dark forces never rest. They plot new anti-populist schemes. Transitioning to equitable governance is treacherous. Doing so faces formidable obstacles.

Chavez tread carefully doing it. He accomplished wonders in 14 years. Petras urged him to do more. Control the commanding heights, he said. Above all he stressed banking and finance. Money power matters most.

Chavez did much already. Under Article 156(11) of Venezuela’s Bolivarian Constitution, National Money Power controls:

“Regulation of central banking, the monetary system, foreign currency, the financial and capital market system and the issuance and mintage of currency.”

Under Section Three: National Monetary System, Article 318:

“The monetary competence of National Authority shall necessarily be exercised exclusively by the Venezuelan Central Bank (BCV).”

Its “fundamental objective….is to achieve price stability and preserve the internal and foreign exchange value of the monetary unit.”

“The Venezuelan Central Bank is a public-law juridical person with autonomy to formulate and implement policies within its sphere of competence.”

Article 319 says it “shall be governed by the principle of public responsibility.”

“Failure to do so “shall result in removal of the Board of Directors.”

It “shall be subject to oversight by the Office of the General Comptroller of the Republic…”

Under Venezuela’s 2010 Organic Law on the Domestic Financial System, banks, insurance companies, brokerage firms, and other financial institutions “have the obligation of collaborating with sectors of the productive, popular communal economy through healthy financial intermediation, inspired by the spirit of productive transformation.”

In other words, their mandate includes funding traditional economic sectors. They’re also responsible for social and communal production entities and related organizations.

Advancing collective savings is required. So is promoting alternative communal investments.

Venezuelan law mandates its central bank to adapt its “legal, administrative and functional structure to the goals of the production model, and the Central Bank may not be detached from the actual needs of the economy.”

Its operations must “meet the objectives of a socialist state.” It’s the law of the land in a mostly private economy.

Millions of Venezuelans mourn Chavez’s passing. His body lies in state. It’s in Caracas’ Military School. It’s in a half-open casket.

A Friday state funeral is planned. Heads of state will attend. So will numerous other dignitaries. Expect many there. Venezuelans chant “Chavez lives. The struggle goes on.”

Venezuela declared seven days of mourning. Other countries declared three. They include Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Iran and Belarus. Perhaps others will join them.

At the request of Cuba’s UN ambassador, the Human Rights Council declared one minute of silence. It did so on March 6.

A Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) declaration expressed “profound solidarity with the people and government of the sister Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and particularly with the family and friends of comandante Chavez.”

“It’s difficult to accept this painful event. His passing moves all of us. An exceptional, extraordinary, respected, and admired man at a world level has stopped physically existing.”

In March 2006, I wrote Chavez an open letter. It was long and detailed. It expressed support. I explained who I am. I told him why I care.

I said what he already knew. Dark forces targeted him for removal. I told him to take precautions. He didn’t need me to explain.

“I champion all you’ve done and tell people who’ll listen if you ever tire of ruling Venezuela,” we need you in America.

“Your spirit and glorious revolution” inspire me. Keep it flourishing, growing and spreading, I urged.

I support you openly, I said. I hope you’ll “survive and succeed unimpeded.” God bless. Most sincerely. Steve Lendman.

Notable Chavez Quotes

“When imperialism feels weak,” he said, “it resorts to brute force.”

“The attacks on Venezuela are a sign of weakness, ideological weakness.”

“Nowadays almost nobody defends neoliberalism.”

At the January 2005 World Social Forum, he said:

“It is impossible within the framework of the capitalist system to solve the grave problems of poverty of the majority of the world’s population.”

“We must transcend capitalism. But we cannot resort to state capitalism, which would be the same perversion as the Soviet Union.”

“We must reclaim socialism as a thesis, a project, and a path…a new type of socialism, a humanist one, that puts humans and not machines or the state ahead of everything.”

“Just look at the internal repression inside the United States, the Patriot Act, which is a repressive law against U.S. citizens.”

“They have put in jail a group of journalists for not revealing their sources. They won’t allow them to take pictures of the bodies of the dead soldiers, many of them Latinos, coming from Iraq. Those are signs of Goliath’s weaknesses.”

“The south also exists.”

“The future of the north depends on the south.”

“If we don’t make that better world possible, if we fail, and through the rifles of the US marines, and through Mr. Bush’s murderous bombs, if there is no coincidence and organization necessary in the south to resist the offensive of neo-imperialism, and the Bush doctrine is imposed upon the world, the world will be destroyed.”

“Everyday I become more convinced, there is no doubt in my mind, as many intellectuals have said, that it is necessary to transcend capitalism.”

“But capitalism can not be transcended through capitalism itself.”

“It must be done through socialism, true socialism, with equality and justice.”

“I’m also convinced that it is possible to do it under democracy, but not in the type of democracy being imposed by Washington.

“We have to re-invent socialism. It can’t be the kind of socialism that we saw in the Soviet Union, but it will emerge as we develop new systems that are built on cooperation, not competition.”

“Privatization is a neoliberal and imperialist plan. Health can’t be privatized because it is a fundamental human right, nor can education, water, electricity and other public services.”

“They can’t be surrendered to private capital that denies the people from their rights.”

“The grand destroyer of the world, and the greatest threat….is represented by US imperialism.”

“Let the dogs of the empire bark. That’s their job. Ours is to battle to achieve the true liberation of our people.”

He called George Bush a “donkey.” “Mr. Danger.” “Coward.” “Assassin.” “Genocid(ist).”

He called him a “drunk,” a “sick man, a psychologically ill man.”

At the UN in 2006, he called Bush the “Devil. The Devil is right here at home. The Devil, the Devil himself, is right in the house.”

“And the Devil came here yesterday….Right here. And it smells of sulphur still today.”

He “came here talking as if he owned the world. Truly. As the owner of the world.”

In 2010, he told Hillary Clinton to resign. “It’s the least you can do. Resign, along with those other spies and delinquents working in the State Department.”

In 2011, he said Gaddafi “will be remembered as a great fighter, a revolutionary and martyr. They assassinated him. It is another outrage.”

After his October 2012 reelection, he said he’d deepen socialism. He’d do so in the next six years. Many problems need addressing, he stressed. He promised to keep working to alleviate them.

Two weeks before his death, he returned home from Cuba. He told supporters “We have arrived again in Venezuela. Thank God. Thanks to my beloved country.”

On March 5, he passed. Chavismo lives!

Viva Chavez! Viva Chavismo! Viva Bolivarianism! Viva Venezuela! Valor y fuerza (Courage and strength)! Hasta la victoria siempre (Onward to victory)!

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

http://www.dailycensored.com/chavez-a-personal-tribute/

by Stephen Lendman

He’s home. He arrived on February 18 at 2:30AM Caracas time. He announced his arrival via Twitter.

“I have returned to the Venezuelan homeland,” he said. “Thank God!! Thank you beloved people! I will continue the treatment here.”

Separately he thanked Fidel and Raul Castro. He praise Cuba’s superb medical providers. “We will live and we will overcome,” he said.

Fidel Castro wished him well on departure. He said in part:

“Dear Hugo:

I am extremely satisfied that you have been able to return to that piece of American land which you love so much, and to our brother people who support you so much.

A long and agonizing wait, as well as your astonishing capacity for physical resistance and the total dedication of a team of doctors, as has been the case over the last 10 years, were necessary to achieve this objective.

You learned a lot about life, Hugo, in those difficult days of suffering and sacrifice.

Now that we will not have the privilege of receiving news of you on a daily basis, we will go back to the method of correspondence which we have used for many years.

We will always live to fight for justice for human beings, consciously and humbly, without fear of the years, months, days or hours that we might have left to live in the most critical era of the history of our humanity.

Our people, who are also your people, will know tomorrow of your return to Venezuelan via this message.

Everything had to be done with much discretion, so as not to give an opportunity to the fascist groups to plan any of their cynical actions against the Bolivarian revolutionary process.

Global supporters “followed the ‘health and news of Chavez.”

Until victory always!

A firm hug!

Fidel Castro Ruz

On arrival, Venezuelan Communication Minister Ernesto Villegas said reports about his recovery were true. Media scoundrels claimed otherwise.

On state television, Villegas said “He’s back. He’s back. He’s back. The ominous voices are defeated. Those who were calling into question the information emitted by the national government with respect to Chavez’s health” were wrong.

“A terrible machinery was activated to delegitimize, to call into question all of the information that was being given, including by echoing the most atrocious” lies.

Chavez “ordered all times the country was (to be kept) informed on the progress of his treatment.” Thirty official updates were provided. They were done so accurately. Chavez wanted it that way.

Vice President Nicolas stood in for him in his absence. He called on Venezuelans to celebrate his return. They need no prompting to do so. They often rally supportively.

During his convalescent period, various reports pronounced him dead or dying. On February 15, photos were released for the first time.

They showed him smiling with his daughters. He was reading Cuba’s official newspaper, Granma.

On December 11, he underwent complex cancer surgery. He did so for the fourth time in 18 months. Recovery has been slow and difficult. Complications were overcome.

He still requires special treatment. He got world class care at Havana’s Medical Surgical Research Center (CIMEQ). He’ll continue it at Venezuela’s Carlos Arvelo Military Hospital.

His January 10 inauguration was postponed. He was scheduled to take his oath of office before Venezuela’s National Assembly.

He’ll do it later before the Supreme Tribunal of Justice. It unanimously approved his doing so. Constitutional law was observed.

At issue now is returning to full health. Venezuelan pray he’ll do so soon. They reelected him overwhelmingly last October. They won’t tolerate dark forces returning.

He turned neoliberal harshness into Bolivarian success. With or without him, it’s institutionalized. It’s part of Venezuela’s culture.

It’s polar opposite America’s permanent war policy, ravaging the world for global dominance, police state harshness, force-fed austerity, growing human need, and government beholden solely to business and privileged elitism.

Chavez champions human rights. He has no secret prisons. He doesn’t invade his neighbors. He abhors torture.

He engages other nations cooperatively. He seeks unity and world solidarity. He supports free, open and fair elections.

Jimmy Carter calls them “the best in the world.” It shames America’s process. Duopoly power runs things. Republicans and Democrats are two sides of the same coin.

Venezuelans get real democracy. They want things no other way. Their votes count. Chavez institutionalized it. They pray for his full recovery. They want him back in full health.

Chavismo reflects Bolivarian fairness. He did so much for so many. He’s too important to lose.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

by Stephen Lendman

Since taking office in February 1999, Chavez has been Washington’s number one Latin American enemy.

He worries US officials for good reason. He’s a powerful threat. He represents a good example. Venezuela’s social democracy shames America’s. Bolivarianism works.

So does its political system. Elections are open, free and fair. US electoral politics lack legitimacy. Democracy is moribund. Candidates are pre-selected. Big money owns them. Key outcomes are predetermined. Duopoly power runs everything.

On October 7, Venezuelans again head to the polls. Chavez seeks reelection. He remains overwhelmingly popular. Washington dreads the idea of having him around for another six years.

Anti-Chavista rhetoric and accusations are heating up. So far it hasn’t matched former New York Times Caracas correspondent Simon Romero.

On August 22, 2010, he headlined “Venezuela, More Deadly Than Iraq, Wonders Why.” He outrageously reported more 2009 violent deaths under Chavez than in Iraq’s war-torn cities. He claimed “Venezuelans have absorbed such grim statistics for years.”

No respectable publication should run these type columns. Venezuela is no war zone. Until becoming The Times Brazil correspondent, Romero misreported there for years.

After succeeding him in Caracas, so does William Neuman. More on him below.

A Times profile said Chavez replaced Castro as America’s main regional bete noire. He’s Washington’s “leading (Latin American) opponent….”

Spurious accusations followed. Among others they include drug trafficking, collaborating with Colombian “rebels,” human rights violations, alleged electoral fraud, state-sponsored and other forms of violence, authoritarianism, communication “hegemony,” and petro-diplomacy for selling oil to America’s enemies.

Each year, the State Department publishes human rights reports for over 190 countries. Its latest on Venezuela continues America’s war on Chavez.

Spurious accusations include:

• electoral irregularities;

• partisan state-owned media misreporting;

• concentrated executive power;

• economic and property rights restrictions;

• human rights abuses;

• impeding free expression;

• criminalizing dissent;

• harassing and intimidating private media;

• politically motivated killings and summary executions;

• lack of judicial independence;

• failure to provide due process rights;

• torture and other abuses;

• corruption;

• political prisoners;

• violence against women;

• anti-Semitism; and

• human trafficking.

These and similar charges are baseless. They describe America, not Venezuela. They misportray a socially democratic state.

It shames its northern neighbor. They’re constitutional, political, economic, and social worlds apart. Americans can’t imagine rights afforded all Venezuelans.

They’re constitutionally guaranteed. More on them below.

Heated Anti-Chavez Rhetoric

Donald Rumsfeld once compared him to Hitler. Diplomatic terrorism continues. Washington funds opposition groups and candidates. Destabilizing Venezuela and ousting Chavez is policy.

He’s accused of not cooperating with America’s war on terror. He’s vilified for opposing its imperium. Obama criticizes his human rights record and relations with US enemies. Iran, Cuba and others are named.

Chavez said Obama turned America “into a disaster.” He called him a “clown.” He once referred to Bush as “the devil.”

Some US officials call Chavez a threat to American security. He’s labeled a dictator, strongman, commandante, and anti-American tyrant. Media scoundrels target him often.

William Neuman’s latest article headlined “Venezuela Is Cocaine Hub Despite Its Claims,” saying:

“Colombian guerrilla(s)” turned “Venezuela’s vast western plains….into one of the world’s busiest transit hubs for the movement of cocaine to the United States….”

It shows “the government’s triumphant claims are vastly overstated.” Colombian traffickers operate “with surprising latitude….”

“For years, (Washington) has been working with ‘friendly governments’ in Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and (elsewhere) in Latin America, spending billions of dollars to disrupt the flow of drugs northward.”

Fact check

These countries facilitate drug trafficking. Colombia and Mexico especially are heavily involved. Chavez impressively fights back. An Anti-Drug Fund spends millions of dollars annually. Community prevention projects were established. Eradicating illicit drugs is policy.

Venezuela signed numerous international cooperation agreements. Accusations about facilitating the transit of drugs are spurious. Venezuelan officials call it a form of US aggression.

Combatting drugs includes “the widest policy of international cooperation….”

In contrast, Venezuelan authorities call the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) “an international drug trafficking cartel” for good reason.

For decades, the CIA trafficked heavily in drugs. It still does, perhaps more than ever. In his book “Dark Alliance,” Gary Webb exposed it. So did Peter Dale Scott in his books. They include “Drugs, Oil and War.” Earlier he wrote:

“Since at least 1950 there has been a global CIA-drug connection operating more or less continuously.”

It relates to numerous “deep events” like JFK’s assassination, the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident, Iran-Contra, and CIA’s involvement with the mob.

“The global drug connection is not just a lateral connection between CIA field operatives and their drug-trafficking contacts. It is more significantly a global financial complex of hot money uniting prominent business, financial and government as well as underworld figures.”

It’s “indirect empire (subverts) existing government.” Wall Street and other major banks launder drug profits. Amounts involved are enormous. Estimates exceed $500 billion annually.

Venezuela spends millions annually fighting trafficking. Washington facilitates it.

NYT contributor Francisco Toro often vilifies Chavez. On July 19, he headlined “Chavez, Communication Hegemon,” saying:

He targets private media with “extremist propaganda…” He “use(s) the power of the state to keep dissenting voices off the air for good.”

Dominant Venezuelan media operate freely. They criticize Chavez harshly. Free expression is constitutionally guaranteed. In America, it’s fast eroding.

On July 12, Toro headlined “The Contradictions of Chavez’s Politics,” saying:

In October, “Chavez faces his most serious (electoral) test.” In fact, he holds an overwhelming near two-to-one lead in recent polls. He’s virtually sure to be reelected. Venezuelans won’t tolerate returning to the bad old days.

Toro claims the election “is a dead heat.” He called Chavez “autocrat(ic and) jittery.” He “disdain(s),” democracy, he said.

His opponent Henrique Capriles Radonski is Washington’s man in Caracas. He represents money power, neoliberal extremism, and pre-Chavez harshness.

Toro called him “an energetic, young governor who’s worked hard to establish himself as a post-ideological solutions guy.”

Venezuelans overwhelmingly reject him for good reason. They want no part of extremist right-wing governance. They want Bolivarianism preserved. They value constitutional provisions mandating it.

Its Preamble “establish(ed) a democratic, participatory and self-reliant, multiethnic and multicultural society in a just, federal and decentralized State that embodies the values of freedom, independence, peace, solidarity, the common good, the nation’s territorial integrity, comity and the rule of law for this and future generations.”

It also “guarantees the right to life, work, learning, education, social justice and equality, without discrimination or subordination of any kind; promotes peaceful cooperation among nations and further strengthens Latin American integration in accordance with the principle of nonintervention and national self-determination of the people, the universal and indivisible guarantee of human rights, the democratization of imitational society, nuclear disarmament, ecological balance and environmental resources as the common and inalienable heritage of humanity….”

Before Chavez, Venezuela was authoritarian, neoliberal and harsh. Poverty and deprivation were extreme. Previous governments paid lip service to fundamental rights and needs. Now they’re mandated by law.

They’re impressive by any standard. They include free healthcare, education, and other essential services. State resources provide them. America’s go largely for militarism, imperial wars, banker handouts, and other benefits for corporate favorites.

Imperial priorities and profiteering come at the expense of growing poverty, unemployment, homelessness, hunger, and other unmet needs.

Police state harshness enforces the message on non-believers. Scoundrel media substitute misinformation for real news, information, commentary and analysis.

Venezuela’s Constitution Article 58 mandates “timely, true, and impartial” information “without censorship, in accordance with the principles of this constitution.”

All Venezuelans are enfranchised equally from birth. Article 56 states they “have the right to be registered free of charge with the Civil Registry Office after birth, and to obtain public documents constituting evidence of the biological identity, in accordance with law.”

In America, voting rights vary by state. Millions of citizens are wrongly declared ineligible. Others are fraudulently stricken from polls. Black and Latino voters are marginalized.

Electoral fraud is rampant. Free, fair, and open elections don’t exist. Corporate owned/programmed electronic voting machines control the process. Ordinary people are shut out.

Venezuela established participatory democracy. Citizen assemblies were created. Constitutional provisions mandate fundamental freedoms, prohibit discrimination, and guarantee indigenous rights.

Four types of direct democracy national referenda were established. Americans have none outside occasional largely non-binding state and local ones. Venezuela’s include:

(1) consultative: for popular, non-binding votes on “national transcendent” issues like trade agreements.

(2) recall: binding on all elected officials up to the president.

(3) approving: binding to approve laws, constitutional amendments, and treaties relating to national sovereignty.

(4) rescinding: to rescind or change existing laws.

Referenda can be initiated by the National Assembly, the President, or by petition from 10 – 20% of registered voters. Different procedural requirements apply for each.

Other mandated rights include social, family, cultural, educational, economic, environmental, and Citizen Power organs.

They’re charged with “preventing, investigating and punishing actions that undermine public ethics and administrative morals, to assure lawful sound management of public property….(to help) create citizenship, together with solidarity, freedom, democracy, social responsibility, work” and more.

Other provisions cover issues important to all Venezuelans. They’re directly involved in how their government is run.

Americans have no say whatever. The contrast is stark and dramatic. Both nations are constitutional worlds apart. Daily life shows it.

Venezuelans won’t tolerate US-style government. Why should anyone have to put up with it?

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled “How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War”

http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour