Permanent Aggression: War on the
horizon in Latin America
by Eva Gollinger
www.chavezcode.com/, March 11,
2010
Latin America has suffered constant aggressions
executed by Washington during the past two hundred years. Strategies
and tactics of covert and overt warfare have been applied against
different nations in the region, ranging from coup d'etats, assassinations,
disappearances, torture, brutal dictatorships, atrocities, political
persecution, economic sabotage, psychological operations, media
warfare, biological warfare, subversion, counterinsurgency, paramiliary
infiltration, diplomatic terrorism, blockades, electoral intervention
to military invasions. Regardless of who's in the White House
- democrat or republican - when it comes to Latin America, the
Empire's policies remain the same.
In the twenty-first century, Venezuela
has been one of the principle targets of these constant aggressions.
Since the April 2002 coup, there has been a dangerous escalation
in attacks and destabilization attempts against the Bolivarian
Revolution. Although many fell beneath the seductive smile and
poetic words of Barack Obama, it's not necessary to look beyond
the past year to see the intensification of Washington's aggressions
against Venezuela. The largest military expansion in history in
the region - through the US occupation of Colombia - the reactivation
of the Fourth Fleet of the US Navy, as well as an increased US
military presence in the Caribbean, Panama and Central America
throughout the past year, can be interpreted as preparation for
a conflict scenario in the region.
ESCALATION IN AGGRESSIONS
The hostile declarations from various Washington representatives
during the past few weeks, accusing Venezuela of failure to combat
narcotics operations, violating human rights, "not contributing
to democracy and regional stability", and of being the "regional
anti-US leader", form part of a coordinated campaign that
seeks to justify a direct aggression against Venezuela. Soon,
Washington will publish its annual list of "state sponsors
of terrorism", and if Venezuela is placed on the list this
year, the region could be on the brink of an unprecedented military
conflict.
Evidence seems to indicate a move in that
direction. A US Air Force document justifying the need to increase
military presence in Colombia affirmed that Washington is preparing
for "expeditionary warfare" in South America.
The 2009 Air Force document, sent to Congress
last May (but later modified in November after it was used to
demonstrate the true intentions behind the military agreement
between the US and Colombia), explained, ""Development
of this CSL (Cooperative Security Location) will further the strategic
partnership forged between the US and Colombia and is in the interest
of both nationsA presence will also increase our capability to
conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), improve
global reach, support logistics requirements, improve partnerships,
improve theater security cooperation and expand expeditionary
warfare capability".
ON THE VERGE OF WAR
The first official report outlining the defense and intelligence
priorities of the Obama administration dedicated substantial attention
to Venezuela. The Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence
Community - which has mentioned Venezuela in years past, but not
nearly with the same emphasis and extension - particularly signaled
out President Chavez as a major "threat" to US interests.
"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has established himself
as one of the US's foremost international detractors, denouncing
liberal democracy and market capitalism and opposing US policies
and interests in the region", said the intelligence document,
placing Venezuela in the same category as Iran, North Korea and
Al Qa'ida.
Days after the report was published, the
State Department presented its 2011 budget to Congress. In addition
to an increase in financing through USAID and the National Endowment
for Democracy (NED) to fund opposition groups in Venezuela - more
than $15 million USD - there was also a $48 million USD request
for the Organization of American States (OAS) to "deploy
special 'democracy promoter' teams to countries where democracy
is under threat from the growing presence of alternative concepts
such as the 'participatory democracy' promoted by Venezuela and
Bolivia".
One week later, the Inter-American Human
Rights Commission of the OAS - funded by Washington - emitted
a whopping 322-page report slamming Venezuela for human rights
violations, repression of the press and undermining democracy.
Despite the fact that it was a report - and a Commission - dedicated
to the topic of human rights, the detailed study barely mentioned
the immense achievements of the Chavez government in advancing
human rights; advances which have been recognized and applauded
over the past five years by the Unted Nations. The evidence used
by the OAS to elaborate the report came from opposition testimonies
and biased media outlets, a clear demonstration of dangerous subjectivity.
Simultaneous to these accusations, a Spanish
court accused the Venezuelan government last week of supporting
and collaborating with the FARC and ETA - organizations considered
terrorist by both the US and Spain - provoking an international
scandal. President Chavez reiterated that his government has absolutely
no ties with any terrorist group in the world. "This is a
government of peace", declared Chavez, after explaining that
the presence of ETA members in Venezuela is due to an agreement
made over 20 years ago by the government of Carlos Andres Perez
in order to aid Spain in a peace treaty with the Basque separatist
group.
THE EMPIRE HAS NO COLOR
Last week, on tour in Latin America, US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton couldn't stop attacking Venezuela during her different
declarations made before international media. She expressed her
"great concern" for democracy and human rights in Venezuela,
accusing President Chavez of not "contributing in a constructive
manner" to regional progress. In a cynical tone, Clinton
advised President Chavez to "look further south" for
inspiration, instead of towards Cuba.
Clinton's regional trip was part of a
strategy announced by the Obama administration last year, to create
a divide between the so-called "progressive left" and
the "radical left" in Latin America. It's no coincidence
that her first tour of the region coincided with the announcement
of a new Latin American and Caribbean Community of States, which
excludes the presence of the US and Canada.
THE COMING CONFLICT
A military conflict is not initiated from one day to the next.
It's a process that involves first influencing public perception
and opinion - demonizing the target leader or government in order
to justify aggression. Subsequently, armed forces are strategically
deployed in the region in order to guarantee an effective military
action. Tactics, such as subversion and counterinsurgency, are
utilized in order to debilitate and destabilize the target nation
from within, increasing its vulnerability and weakening its defenses.
This plan has been active against Venezuela
for several years. The consolidation of regional unity and Latin
American integration threatens US possibilities of regaining domination
and control in the hemisphere. And the advances of the Bolivarian
Revolution have impeded its "self-destruction", provoked
by internal subversion funded and directed by US agencies. However,
the Empire will not cease its attempts to achieve its final objective,
and a potential military conflict in the region remains on the
horizon.
Eva
Gollinger page
Latin
America watch
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