Venezuela! Te agarro en la bajadita: 8/25 WH levies sanctions on Maduro regime

[Blackout]

The police violate the human rights of black people everyday.

Why don't they focus on their own before looking at other countries.

 

[Kritic]

The police violate the human rights of black people everyday.

Why don't they focus on their own before looking at other countries.

who are you...

 

[Blackout]

who are you...

An African American.

 

[CHL]

Venezuela stages military drill to counter US 'threat'

Nearly 100,000 members of armed forces join 10-day exercise that government says is against looming threat from the US.
15 Mar 2015 02:24 GMT | Politics, Latin America, Venezuela

Thousands of civilians wearing ago paraded in a complementary exercise [Reuters]
Nearly 100,000 members of the Venezuelan armed forces have begun conducting exercises across the Latin American country amid worsening relations with the US.

Soldiers rolled out shoulder-fired missiles, fighter planes and armored trucks on Saturday for the first of 10 days of military exercises that the president of socialist-governed Venezuela said were needed to protect against a looming threat from the US.

The US imposed sanctions earlier this week on several Venezuelan officials accused of human rights violations, and President Nicolas Maduro has said his country will take steps to protect itself from a hostile US government.

Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez inaugurated the exercises at Fort Tiuna in Caracas, the largest military installation in Venezuela. He said US sanctions constitute "an imminent danger for us" and the armed forces must ready themselves to ensure the country's independence.

Venezuelan sailors performed drills in the Caribbean while soldiers defended the oil-producing country's biggest refinery from a simulated attack.

Thousands of civilians wearing the red shirts of the socialist revolution started by the late President Hugo Chavez 15 years ago paraded in a complementary exercise.

Meanwhile, foreign ministers from the 12-nation Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), meeting in Ecuador, have called US President Barack Obama's executive order a threat to Venezuelan sovereignty and to the principle of nonintervention in other countries' internal affairs.

They demanded Washington to revoke the decree.

Opposition leaders in Venezuela expressed doubt about the utility of the UNASUR meeting and called the military exercises an embossment, saying they underlined the increasing crackdown on dissent in a country where several political leaders have been jailed.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/...ary-drill-counter-threat-150315011612062.html

 

[CHL]

Maybe Obama’s Sanctions on Venezuela are Not Really About His “Deep Concern” Over Suppression of Political Rights

The White House on Monday announced the imposition of new sanctions on various Venezuelan officials, pronouncing itself “deeply concerned by the Venezuelan government’s efforts to escalate intimidation of its political opponents”: deeply concerned. President Obama also, reportedly with a straight face, officially declared that Venezuela poses “an extraordinary threat to the national security” of the U.S. — a declaration necessary to legally justify the sanctions.

Today, one of the Obama administration’s closest allies on the planet, Saudi Arabia, sentenced one of that country’s few independent human rights activists, Mohammed al-Bajad, to 10 years in prison on “terrorism” charges. That is completely consistent with that regime’s systematic and extreme repression, which includes gruesome state beheadings at a record-setting rate, floggings and long prison terms for anti-regime bloggers, executions of those with minority religious views, and exploitation of terror laws to imprison even the mildest regime critics.

Absolutely nobody expects the “deeply concerned” President Obama to impose sanctions on the Saudis — nor on any of the other loyal U.S. allies from Egypt to the UAE whose repression is far worse than Venezuela’s. Perhaps those who actually believe U.S. proclamations about imposing sanctions on Venezuela in objection to suppression of political opposition might spend some time thinking about what accounts for that disparity.

That nothing is more insincere than purported U.S. concerns over political repression is too self-evident to debate. Supporting the most repressive regimes on the planet in order to suppress and control their populations is and long has been a staple of U.S. (and British) foreign policy. “Human rights” is the weapon invoked by the U.S. Government and its loyal media to cynically demonize regimes that refuse to follow U.S. dictates, while far worse tyranny is steadfastly overlooked, or expressly cheered, when undertaken by compliant regimes, such as those in Riyadh and Cairo (see this USA Today article, one of many, recently hailing the Saudis as one of the “moderate” countries in the region). This is exactly the tactic that leads neocons to feign concern for Afghan women or the plight of Iranian gays when doing so helps to gin up war-rage against those regimes, while they snuggle up to far worse but far more compliant regimes.

Any rational person who watched the entire top echelon of the U.S. government drop what they were doing to make a pilgrimage to Riyadh to pay homage to the Saudi monarchs (Obama cut short a state visit to India to do so), or who watches the mountain of arms and money flow to the regime in Cairo, would do nothing other than cackle when hearing U.S. officials announce that they are imposing sanctions to punish repression of political opposition. And indeed, that’s what most of the world outside of the U.S. and Europe do when they hear such claims. But from the perspective of U.S. officials, that’s fine, because such pretenses to noble intentions are primarily intended for domestic consumption.

As for Obama’s decree that Venezuela now poses an “extraordinary threat to the national security” of the United States, is there anyone, anywhere, that wants to defend the reasonability of that claim? Think about what it says about our discourse that Obama officials know they can issue such insultingly false tripe with no consequences.

But what’s not too obvious to point out is what the U.S is actually doing in Venezuela. It’s truly remarkable how the very same people who demand U.S. actions against the democratically elected government in Caracas are the ones who most aggressively mock Venezuelan leaders when they point out that the U.S. is working to undermine their government.

The worst media offender in this regard is The New York Times, which explicitly celebrated the 2002 U.S.-supported coup of Hugo Chavez as a victory for democracy, but which now regularly derides the notion that the U.S. would ever do something as untoward as undermine the Venezuelan government. Watch this short video from Monday where the always-excellent Matt Lee of Associated Press questions a State Department spokesperson this week after she said it was “ludicrous” to think that the U.S. would ever do such a thing:

The real question is this: if concern over suppression of political rights is not the real reason the U.S. is imposing new sanctions on Venezuela (perish the thought!), what is? Among the most insightful commentators on U.S. policy in Latin America is Mark Weisbrot of Just Foreign Policy. Read his excellent article for Al Jazeera on the recent Obama decree on Venezuela.

In essence, Venezuela is one of the very few countries with significant oil reserves which does not submit to U.S. dictates, and this simply cannot be permitted (such countries are always at the top of the U.S. government and media list of Countries To Be Demonized). Beyond that, the popularity of Chavez and the relative improvement of Venezuela’s poor under his redistributionist policies petrifies neoliberal institutions for its ability to serve as an example; just as the Cuban economy was choked by decades of U.S. sanctions and then held up by the U.S. as a failure of Communism, subverting the Venezuelan economy is crucial to destroying this success.

As Weisbrot notes, every country in the hemisphere except for the U.S. and Canada have united to oppose U.S. sanctions on Venezuela. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) issued a statement in February in response to the prior round of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela that “reiterates its strong repudiation of the application of unilateral coercive measures that are contrary to international law.” This week, the chief of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) issued a statement announcing that “UNASUR rejects any external or internal attempt at interference that seeks to disrupt the democratic process in Venezuela.” Weisbrot compares Obama’s decree this week on Venezuela to President Reagan’s quite similar 1985 decree that Nicaragua was a national security threat to the U.S., and notes: “The Obama administration is more isolated today in Latin America than even George W. Bush’s administration was.”

If Obama and supporters want the government of Venezuela to be punished and/or toppled because they refuse to comply with U.S. dictates, they should at least be honest about their beliefs so that their true character can be seen. Pretending that any of this has to do with the U.S. Government’s anger over suppression of political opponents — when their closest allies are the world champions at that — should be too insulting of everyone’s intelligence to even be an option.

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/...uela-really-deep-concern-human-rights-abuses/

 

[Domingo Halliburton]

People are going to look back and say Venezuela squandered the greatest natural resource we have on earth right now. Maduro is a bigger clown than Chavez.

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

So what does this mean in the bigger picture.... Regime Change?

50 said switch the style up

 

[CHL]

50 said switch the style up

Nah that was banks

 

[Gains]

People are going to look back and say Venezuela squandered the greatest natural resource we have on earth right now. Maduro is a bigger clown than Chavez.

better that it be in Gringo hands

 

[88m3]

I support regime change in Venezuela... there's a few places in Latin America that could use some help.

We reshaped the Middle East now it's time to take on a project closer to home.

 

[CHL]

Venezuelan parliament approves decree powers for Maduro

The so-called "anti-imperialist" law gives President Nicolas Maduro power to legislate by decree in face of US threat.
16 Mar 2015 01:59 GMT | Politics

Thousands of people have rallied in solidarity with the president as Venezuela launched military drill [Reuters]
The Venezuelan parliament has approved a law giving President Nicolas Maduro the power to legislate by decree for nine months in the face of what the president described as threats by the US government.

The so-called "anti-imperialist" law will be in effect from the time it is published in Venezuela's Official Gazette until December 31.

Maduro requested the expanded powers in response to new US sanctions on Venezuelan officials accused of human rights violations.

Critics of Venezuela's government have called the move a power grab.

On Saturday, nearly 100,000 members of the armed forces began military exercises across the South American country. Thousands of people rallied in solidarity with the president as the 10-day military drill kicked off.

Washington slapped seven Venezuelan officials with sanctions as US President Barack Obama signed an executive order calling Caracas a security threat. The officials will be denied US visas and have their US assets frozen.

In a statement, White House called on Venezuela to release all political prisoners, including "dozens of students".

The leaders of South America's leftist governments have come out in support of Venezuela, while Washington has denied Maduro's claim that it is seeking to undermine his government and urged him to focus on Venezuela's domestic problems, including food shortages and soaring inflation.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/...ves-decree-powers-maduro-150316013439256.html

 

[rapbeats]

Oh, fukk right off with this nonsense. What threat does Venezuela pose?

read the article again

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Why Obama gave Venezuelan socialists exactly what they wanted

• LINETTE LOPEZ
  

• MAR. 17, 2015, 2:44 PM
• 4,564
  
• 5

• FACEBOOK
• LINKEDIN
• TWITTER
• EMAIL
• 
  Why Latin American governments don’t want to fight with Venezuela
  
  Venezuela is sliding closer to autocracy
  
  Venezuelans are passing around this letter Fidel Castro allegedly sent to their president about Obama
  
  
  Last week, President Obama designated 7 members of the Venezuela's socialist political elite as threats to the US and placed sanctions on those individuals.
  
  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is having a field day with the designations.
  
  The country's legislature just passed a bill that allows him to rule by decree for the next 9 months — which includes a nationwide election cycle this fall.
  
  Maduro is playing on Venezuelans' deep hatred for US intervention of any kind to unite a country in which his approval rating has fallen to around 30%. He and his supporters are framing Obama's sanctions on these 7 individuals as an attack on Venezuela as a whole.
  
  In an open letter published in the New York Times on Tuesday, Maduro implied that Obama was trying to "govern Venezuela by decree," though no new sanctions have been placed on the country.
  
  "It is a tyrannical and imperial order and it pushes us back to the darkest days of our relationship between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean," he wrote.
  
  The 7 officials in question are all a part of the country's security apparatus, which for the last year has busied itself quelling opposition protests.
  
  via @Kelly_EvansMaduro's letter in the New York Times
  
  One of them, Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez, was just promoted to Interior Minister for his "prominent role" in shutting down protests, despite the fact that he's been accused of human rights abuses.
  
  Indeed, last year when protests all over Venezuela started getting violent and opposition leaders were imprisoned, the Obama administration's reason for staying silent was to prevent a situation like this — one in which the Maduro regime could turn Obama's words into a rallying cry.
  
  The notion that the US can and does act with impunity in the region is accepted across political affiliations in the country.
  
  Maduro also argued in the Times that Venezuela has always been a "responsible and trustful" energy provider, especially through its state oil company, CITGO.
  
  However, years of fiscal mismanagement combined with declining oil prices make that claim hard to sustain. The country's economy is in trouble. The inflation rate is over 60% ad goods are scarce.
  
  So why did Obama decide to say something now? Because Venezuela is in a different position than it has been during recent fights with the US.
  
  Pantheon Macroeconomics
  
  On top of overwhelming dissatisfaction with the Maduro administration, the Venezuelan people are experiencing an economy on the brink of collapse. During the reign of late president Hugo Chavez the regime had a playbook for unhappy times like these — shore up the base with gifts and social programs.
  
  Now the government no longer has the resources to quell opposition by giving constituents anything from televisions to washing machines.
  
  Oil, which has taken a nosedive over the last few months, makes up 95% of the country's exports, and to balance Venezuela's budget, oil's breakeven price needs to sit at around $117.50. The price of crude oil (WTI) — CITGO's main product — is currently $43.56.
  
  
  
  REUTERS/Miraflores Palace/HandoutMaduro greets oil workers during a visit to a facility at the oil rich Orinoco belt at the state of Monagas.
  
  
  
  Brookings Institute analysts Harold Trinkunas wrote that this means the country has two options — seek a loan from the International Monetary Fund or default.
  
  A default would cut off Venezuela from international credit markets, but that is nearly the case under present circumstances anyway due to Venezuela’s low creditworthiness. If it defaults, Venezuela might continue to make good on its oil shipments to pay for its loans from China, if only to keep at least one potential source for emergency financing available. To minimize the amount of international assets that might be seized by creditors in the event of a default, Venezuela would be likely to shift its exports onto leased tankers. It would also be likely to require buyers to take delivery of product while it is still in its home ports. CITGO, which is wholly owned by the Venezuelan government, would be at risk in this scenario, but the Venezuelan government is already considering selling or mortgaging it for a short-term financial boost. Even a partial default, though, would mean further economic hardship for Venezuelans, greater scarcity and deeper economic contraction.
  
  So far, Venezuela has been able to hang on and pay creditors by restructuring debt. However the country has already spent $5.9 billion in new financing it raised, according to Bloomberg. Wall Street traders put the odds of the country defaulting at 50%. At that point the government will have to make a choice — pay investors or keep the government running.
  
  And time is running out.
  
  
  
  UBS
  
  
  

 

[TRFG]

I support regime change in Venezuela... there's a few places in Latin America that could use some help.

We reshaped the Middle East now it's time to take on a project closer to home.

 

[Domingo Halliburton]

Why Obama gave Venezuelan socialists exactly what they wanted

• LINETTE LOPEZ
  

• MAR. 17, 2015, 2:44 PM
• 4,564
  
• 5

• FACEBOOK
• LINKEDIN
• TWITTER
• EMAIL
• 
  Why Latin American governments don’t want to fight with Venezuela
  
  Venezuela is sliding closer to autocracy
  
  Venezuelans are passing around this letter Fidel Castro allegedly sent to their president about Obama
  
  
  Last week, President Obama designated 7 members of the Venezuela's socialist political elite as threats to the US and placed sanctions on those individuals.
  
  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is having a field day with the designations.
  
  The country's legislature just passed a bill that allows him to rule by decree for the next 9 months — which includes a nationwide election cycle this fall.
  
  Maduro is playing on Venezuelans' deep hatred for US intervention of any kind to unite a country in which his approval rating has fallen to around 30%. He and his supporters are framing Obama's sanctions on these 7 individuals as an attack on Venezuela as a whole.
  
  In an open letter published in the New York Times on Tuesday, Maduro implied that Obama was trying to "govern Venezuela by decree," though no new sanctions have been placed on the country.
  
  "It is a tyrannical and imperial order and it pushes us back to the darkest days of our relationship between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean," he wrote.
  
  The 7 officials in question are all a part of the country's security apparatus, which for the last year has busied itself quelling opposition protests.
  
  via @Kelly_EvansMaduro's letter in the New York Times
  
  One of them, Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez, was just promoted to Interior Minister for his "prominent role" in shutting down protests, despite the fact that he's been accused of human rights abuses.
  
  Indeed, last year when protests all over Venezuela started getting violent and opposition leaders were imprisoned, the Obama administration's reason for staying silent was to prevent a situation like this — one in which the Maduro regime could turn Obama's words into a rallying cry.
  
  The notion that the US can and does act with impunity in the region is accepted across political affiliations in the country.
  
  Maduro also argued in the Times that Venezuela has always been a "responsible and trustful" energy provider, especially through its state oil company, CITGO.
  
  However, years of fiscal mismanagement combined with declining oil prices make that claim hard to sustain. The country's economy is in trouble. The inflation rate is over 60% ad goods are scarce.
  
  So why did Obama decide to say something now? Because Venezuela is in a different position than it has been during recent fights with the US.
  
  Pantheon Macroeconomics
  
  On top of overwhelming dissatisfaction with the Maduro administration, the Venezuelan people are experiencing an economy on the brink of collapse. During the reign of late president Hugo Chavez the regime had a playbook for unhappy times like these — shore up the base with gifts and social programs.
  
  Now the government no longer has the resources to quell opposition by giving constituents anything from televisions to washing machines.
  
  Oil, which has taken a nosedive over the last few months, makes up 95% of the country's exports, and to balance Venezuela's budget, oil's breakeven price needs to sit at around $117.50. The price of crude oil (WTI) — CITGO's main product — is currently $43.56.
  
  
  
  REUTERS/Miraflores Palace/HandoutMaduro greets oil workers during a visit to a facility at the oil rich Orinoco belt at the state of Monagas.
  
  
  
  Brookings Institute analysts Harold Trinkunas wrote that this means the country has two options — seek a loan from the International Monetary Fund or default.
  
  A default would cut off Venezuela from international credit markets, but that is nearly the case under present circumstances anyway due to Venezuela’s low creditworthiness. If it defaults, Venezuela might continue to make good on its oil shipments to pay for its loans from China, if only to keep at least one potential source for emergency financing available. To minimize the amount of international assets that might be seized by creditors in the event of a default, Venezuela would be likely to shift its exports onto leased tankers. It would also be likely to require buyers to take delivery of product while it is still in its home ports. CITGO, which is wholly owned by the Venezuelan government, would be at risk in this scenario, but the Venezuelan government is already considering selling or mortgaging it for a short-term financial boost. Even a partial default, though, would mean further economic hardship for Venezuelans, greater scarcity and deeper economic contraction.
  
  So far, Venezuela has been able to hang on and pay creditors by restructuring debt. However the country has already spent $5.9 billion in new financing it raised, according to Bloomberg. Wall Street traders put the odds of the country defaulting at 50%. At that point the government will have to make a choice — pay investors or keep the government running.
  
  And time is running out.
  
  
  
  UBS
  
  
  

I hope there isn't regime change...keep the cheap gas coming and we need these a$$holes to keep producing.