[Marxism] Chavez addresses rally against Colombian paramilitaries, US role

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Proclaiming a new anti-imperialist phase of the revolution, Chavez
called for strengthening the army and involving the whole population in
the military defense of the country.
Fred Feldman




Venezuelans Marched for Peace and Against Paramilitary and Imperialist

Intervention

Monday, May 17, 2004 Print format

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By: Martin Sanchez - Venezuelanalysis.com



TO SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE INCLUDING PICTURES OF THE MASS MOBILISATION:


http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1273



Caracas, Venezuela. May 17, 2004 (Venezuelanalysis.com)- A week after a

Colombian right-wing paramilitary group was captured at a farm on the

outskirts of Caracas; thousands of Venezuelans took the streets of the

country's capital to protest the presence of the foreign rebels and to

protest an alleged US intervention in the country's internal affairs.



Thousands marched against the presence of foreign right-wing
paramilitary

groups seeking to overthrow Venezuela's democratic government.

Credit: Venpres

Most of the members of the paramilitary group of 120 have been
apprehended.

According to testimony by some of the detainees, the group was training
in

preparation for attacks on Venezuelan military bases and for a coup
d'etat

against the government of President Hugo Chavez.

The demonstrators marched from the eastern edge of Caracas to the city's


downtown carrying Venezuelan flags, and signs protesting the presence of
the

foreign rebels.

During his speech at the demonstration, Chavez said his government will

request help from Colombian authorities to contact the relatives of
several

minors who were among the detainees, in order to return them. "We can't

throw these kids in jail," said Chavez.

"We cannot make the mistake of downplaying what has happened in
Venezuela in

recent days. We cannot let ourselves be influenced by the disinformation


campaign put out by the media," said Chavez. Politicians from opposition


parties, and the mostly oppositionist commercial media, continue arguing


that the arrest of the paramilitaries is a hoax by the government used
as an

excuse to arrest opposition leaders and derail a possible recall
referendum

on the President.

Last Friday, Chavez held a press conference with foreign correspondents
in

which he showed pictures of the alleged leaders of the paramilitary
group.

"The paramilitary incursion is a historic incident with worldwide
resonance

which only the local private media have tried to minimize," said the

President.





The President spoke out against Capitalism, and criticized the fact that


after the Cold War many on the left stopped talking about Capitalism,

replacing it with the word Neoliberalism. Both terms refer to "the same

assassin, perverse and stinky empire". During his presidency, Chavez
himself

has spoken out against Neoliberalism, while claiming to lead a
revolution to

build "Capitalism with a human face". He has only recently started to

criticize Capitalism directly.

The South American leader has intensified his criticism of US foreign
policy

after documents obtained through the US Freedom of Information Act,
revealed

that funds from the US government are being directed towards Venezuelan

groups who are actively working to oust him.

Chavez criticized the US government directly calling it "an invader and

assassin imperialist force which marginalizes the United Nations in
order to

humiliate the dignity of millions of human beings." The President says
that

the Bush administration is behind efforts to oust him, and he once again


accused the US government of being behind the coup d'etat that briefly

removed him from power in April of 2002.

Chavez said that paramilitary activity is "the brain child of the
Colombian

oligarchy", and criticized the fact the some Venezuelans who oppose his

government organized and supported the paramilitary incursion. He said
that

six active members of the Armed Forces have been detained in connection
with

the paramilitaries.



The President said that the goal of the rebels was to assassinate him.
He

said that the paramilitary incursion was part of an international
campaign

to eliminate him. He said that given the level of support he has among

Venezuelans, his assassination would lead to a civil war and would
generate

"a strong response from the people of Latin America and the Caribbean".

"Anti-imperialist phase"

According to Chavez, "the Bolivarian Revolution has entered into an

anti-imperialist phase". As part of a new defense plan, Chavez announced


that his government will strengthen the armed forces, and call upon all

Venezuelans to be part of the active defense of the country. "Each and
every

Venezuelan man and woman must consider themselves a soldier," said
Chavez.


The Minister of Communication and Information, Jesse Chacon, said that
the

demonstration is the response by "a society which has matured, and has

understood that democracy is made struggling out in the streets." Chacon


asked those who disagree with the "Bolivarian Revolution" to reflect and


realize that such revolution is an all-inclusive project "for all

Venezuelans".

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