[Marxism] Chilean activists ready for Bush and other leaders

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bush's first foreign trip since the election promises to be a riot. I
trust there will be no anti-Americanism for The Militant to attack.
__________

Charge of War Crimes

But the summit also will highlight the antipathy many Chileans feel
toward Bush, a leader widely seen here as a symbol of America's
unchecked dominion over world affairs.

A number of anti-Bush and anti-globalization protests are planned. On
Wednesday, President Ricardo Lagos' government took the unusual step of
announcing that Bush would have diplomatic immunity during his visit.
The declaration was made after activists filed a court complaint
against Bush, claiming he and other U.S. officials were guilty of war
crimes in Iraq.

"It is not possible that our president is going to meet this criminal
Bush and shake his hand in an official state visit," said Fernando
Ortiz, a top official in the Humanist Party and the leftist PODEMOS
political alliance and one of the activists behind the complaint
against Bush. "Lagos is going to betray the Chilean people."

Under Chilean law, local courts can take measures to enforce compliance
with international treaties to which Chile is a signatory, including
the Geneva Convention and the Convention Against Torture. Ortiz said
the Humanist Party complaint was rejected by a lower court judge but
was on appeal.

"We want [Bush] to be ordered to appear before a judge and answer to
the complaint," Ortiz said. "If he does not show up, the judge should
issue an arrest warrant."
. . .

The largest protest is scheduled for Friday, with organizers hoping to
bring tens of thousands of people out on the streets of Santiago.

"We are betting on a massive response," said Victoria Oyarzun, a
coordinator of the anti-APEC coalition here. She referred to Bush as a
"terrorist" whose invasion of Iraq and handling of the war had outraged
Chileans.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?B27D262D9


_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism