[Marxism] Chavez praises Cuba role in Venezuela as Bush listens (or pretends to)

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Praises Cuba at Summit of the
Americas


Monterrey, January 13 (RHC)-- Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has
praised
the assistance Cuba gives his country in the areas of education and
health
care.

During a speech delivered at the Summit of the Americas in Monterrey,
Mexico
-- and with U.S. President George W. Bush looking on -- the Venezuelan
leader said that thanks to Cuba's help, one million people have
learned to
read and write over the past six months. He also noted that Cuban
medical
assistance offers treatment to more than 10 million of Venezuela's 23
million people.

Hugo Chávez told participants at the regional meeting in Monterrey
that the
free trade, neo-liberal model was not the way out of poverty and
despair for
the people of Latin America. The Venezuelan president addressed the
assembly
where 32 regional heads of state are taking part.

Just two days before the meeting got underway in Mexico, Chávez warned
that
recent statements by U.S. officials urging him to submit to a
constitutional
referendum were "preparing the ground" for either a military coup or
an
assassin's bullet. He said that Venezuela's opposition had failed to
gather
enough signatures to call for a referendum in April or May. Electoral
authorities are due to start checking signatures next week to see if
they
are valid and fulfill the 2.4 million required.

The Venezuelan president also took aim at critics in the Bush
administration, accusing National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice of
having publicly supported a right-wing coup in April 2002 that briefly
overthrew the democratically-elected president. He also rejected
criticism
of Venezuela's friendly relations with Cuba, telling Washington to
"stop
sticking its nose" in the internal affairs of his country.



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