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  • Chavez revokes US agent immunity

    Chavez revokes US agent immunity

    Caracas has withdrawn the diplomatic immunity of US anti-drugs officials working in Venezuela.

    It follows a move by the US State Department to revoke the visas of six Venezuelan officials in Washington.

    Both countries are locked in a row after President Hugo Chavez accused the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of spying on his government.

    Washington denies the charge, accusing Caracas of failing to co-operate in the fight against drug-trafficking.

    'Strike back'

    Venezuelan Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel said his country would apply "strict reciprocity" in the allocation of visas to US officials.

    "For every attack, there will be a reaction, for every strike, a strike back...and the revoking of visas will mean reciprocal action," he said.

    "We are no longer going to accept civilian employees of the [DEA] being assigned to the US embassy, because that gives them the benefit of immunity," he said.

    Correspondents say the dispute will add to the already tense diplomatic relations between Caracas and Washington.

    Earlier this week, President Chavez, a fierce critic of the Bush administration, said he was suspending co-operation with the DEA.

    "The DEA has used the pretext of fighting drug trafficking... to spy on Venezuela's government," he said last Sunday.

    Venezuelan prosecutors have been investigating the activities of DEA agents working in the South American country.

    Venezuela is an important transport route for cocaine from neighbouring Colombia, which produces 80% of the world's supply.

    link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4147546.stm

    Is Chavez paranoid or those he wants to make some money of drugs?...

  • #2
    while not being an enormous fan of friend Chavez and what passes for his 'government' does anyone really think that the DEA doesn't spy on the venezualan government?

    do they have no confidential sources within the venezualan army/drugs authorities/intelligence services?

    if so, they should be sacked for being the most ineffective law enforcement organisation in the history of the world
    before criticizing someone, walk a mile in their shoes.................... then when you do criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

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    • #3
      Does anyone really think they had immunity before?
      No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
      I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
      even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
      He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

      Comment


      • #4
        Hugo it seems is havign troubles in his own military. He has fired some top guys due to issues with the tenders for new equipment such as the MiG-29M, Mi-17 and AK-103. Right now he is ordering this stuff in an attempt to tweek America's nose. Some Generals didn't agree with the choices and lost their jobs.

        So it makes one wonder about how long he will stay in charge. Problem is I doubt we want to remove a democracy...
        To sit down with these men and deal with them as the representatives of an enlightened and civilized people is to deride ones own dignity and to invite the disaster of their treachery - General Matthew Ridgway

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        • #5
          Gotta love the Fidel wannabe. The guy's a quack, pure and simple.
          Sooner rather than later his people are going to get tired of his antics and give him the boot.
          F/A-18E/F Super Hornet: The Honda Accord of fighters.

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          • #6
            As a Venezuelan myself I tell you now, no they won't. That's only wishful thinking.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by troung
              So it makes one wonder about how long he will stay in charge. Problem is I doubt we want to remove a democracy...
              If it's replaced with a dictatorship that is more receptive to our wishes... Just because the government was elected, doesn't mean we can't fight it.

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              • #8
                Anti-Chavez march turns violent

                Six people have been injured in clashes between opponents and supporters of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez.

                The fighting broke out as opponents marched in the capital Caracas to demand electoral reform ahead of December's parliamentary elections.

                Bottles, rocks, fireworks and tear gas were thrown in the worst violence between the two sides for months.

                Venezuela has been relatively calm since President Chavez won a referendum on his rule in August 2004.

                But his opponents claim the vote was tainted by fraud, and believe the national electoral board is made up of his supporters - charges the board deny.

                'Hit hard'

                Hundreds of people marched on the capital on Saturday to call for officials on the National Election Council to be replaced before December's poll.

                They marched towards the National Assembly in downtown Caracas chanting anti-Chavez slogans and waving Venezuelan flags.

                One man's banner read: "We need a New National Elections Council, Now!"

                But as they neared the city centre skirmishes broke out with supporters of the president.

                "A woman hit me hard in the head from behind with a stick," said 50-year-old opposition supporter Marisela Riera.

                "The metropolitan police were beside me and did nothing."

                The wounded were whisked away by emergency crews on motorbikes, Reuters news agency reported.

                link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4192066.stm

                We will see who wins. I think Venezuelans should and will make this judgment between themselves.

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                • #9
                  heh, maybe one of his own people will off him and Pat boy will get his wish.

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                  • #10
                    Another form of toppling govts?

                    More discreet. ;)


                    "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

                    I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

                    HAKUNA MATATA

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Leader
                      heh, maybe one of his own people will off him and Pat boy will get his wish.
                      It was tried. One of Chavez's security detail shot him once with a 9 mm after shooting two of the Cuban guards. The round did not penetrate; however, Chavez had to cancel "Halo, Presidente." The media did not report because of fear, but if you do your homework, you'll find out.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Franco Lolan
                        It was tried. One of Chavez's security detail shot him once with a 9 mm after shooting two of the Cuban guards. The round did not penetrate
                        That's a shame. Whoever should have picked a more qualified assassin. How do you not kill the guy when your his body guard?

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                        • #13
                          I have no idea. I was rather dismayed when I heard the news through back channel lines. I think he erred in shooting at the guards next to him first. In my uninformed opinion, aiming for Chavez'z head would have been a more apt decision, and picking a weapon with a higher caliber.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Franco Lolan
                            It was tried. One of Chavez's security detail shot him once with a 9 mm after shooting two of the Cuban guards. The round did not penetrate; however, Chavez had to cancel "Halo, Presidente." The media did not report because of fear, but if you do your homework, you'll find out.
                            I tried, but I'm not good enough

                            Could you please post a link ? I'd be most curious

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by SloMax
                              We will see who wins. I think Venezuelans should and will make this judgment between themselves.
                              I wonder if US government will keep follow this normal logic or fall to a seduction to come and decide for Venezuelans who must be their president..... like they did already in Chilie.....

                              This would be a big mistake. While treating a hostile but democratically elected president it is important to remember that if US takes out this president the part of populatin who supported him for some reason will hate US....

                              US was intervenning many times into Iran before the islamic revolution - this made them most hated there..... meddling into Venezuelans domestic issues a sure way to repeat this mistake.

                              ps. Chavez is politician as many others... why he puts strict his bad relations with US as his flag? Because this helps him get votes.... Think why people hate US and how this can be resolved. If it is matter of past actions then take you time or appoligize for them, if the hate is matter of current situation look how to resulve it.
                              Last edited by Garry; 30 Aug 05,, 17:31.

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