Invite Hugo Chavez To Ottawa Already!

Now is the time for Canada to invite Chavez because the U.S. administration is working hard to isolate Venezuela and may be trying to assassinate its president. Last week State Department sub-secretary Robert Zoellick reiterated Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's comment calling Chavez a "negative force" in Latin America. Porter Goss, the new Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, said that Chavez "is consolidating his power by using technically legal tactics to target his opponents and meddling in the region." Goss also said the CIA considers Venezuela the leading cause of concern in Latin America. (As usual the corporate media barks when ordered, with Fox News running a three-part series titled "The Iron Fist of Hugo Chávez"; and on February 12th the Miami Herald ran a front-page story declaring, "Chavez arms for war with the U.S.") The recent spat between Columbia and Venezuela over the blatantly illegal kidnapping of FARC associate Rodrigo Granda had Made In the USA written all over it. (Contrary to stories about Venezuela's harboring wanted "terrorists," Interpol did not submit a request for Granda until January 9, 2005, nearly one month after he was kidnapped on Venezuelan soil.) While thus far there is no evidence of direct US involvement in this undermining of Venezuelan sovereignty, the Bush ambassador to Columbia stoked the fires saying his country supports Columbia "100 per cent" in the dispute. Also, it is unlikely that Columbia, which receives nearly $1 billion annually from the USA, would bribe Venezuelan officials without Bush administration support. The "Granda affair" follows on the heels of the well-coordinated assassination of Venezuelan prosecutor Daniel Anderson and the capture of 90 Columbian paramilitaries involved in a possible assassination attempt against Chavez. The US plan seems to be attacking Venezuela through Columbia. full article: http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2005-03/18engler.cfm [Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on March 21, 2005]