"By the 1980s, the reign of terror that blazed across Latin America was too much for most people to stomach. From death squads to torture chambers and various massacres, the Latin American generals who trained in the US to spread democracy around the world quickly gained reputations for major human rights abuses. To replace the overt support for dictatorships, a new concept for regime change was born; one that sounds and looks better – democracy promotion."

Reactions to Aristide's Impending Return (tags)

Aristide

Internet revolution in Venezuela and No Going Back (tags)

"There's an Australian journalist and documentary film-maker, John Pilger, who said that, 'What you're seeing is really an unprecedented propaganda campaign that's being waged against the Chavez government' –   FF: It's a media war –   KJ: It really is a media war. And I think if you go to Venezuela and see what the media says, this will become clear immediately. You often hear the claim that there is no freedom of speech and so on, but internally in Venezuela there are more than 50 daily newspapers and about 45 of those newspapers support the opposition and are constantly attacking the government everyday – including having front page headlines calling for the military overthrow of the government... Then you have those 4 newspapers that support the Bolivarian process; and then you have one newspaper that, you know, presents itself as being neutral. So, on the level of the print media, the opposition to the government is overwhelmingly dominant... A lot of the television stations are extremely hostile as well.   The other important aspect to note is that, as a result of the Bolivarian process, you actually have a massive explosion of community media in Venezuela, in particular community radio stations in the Barrios...but also a number of community television stations and other independent media websites and so on. So this is like the first time where a lot of the grassroots groups and Venezuelan poor are actually getting to participate themselves in the production of the their own media; whereas prior to the Chavez government, they didn't have a voice in politics or the media."

Obama Is Preparing for War in South America (tags)

"The first and foremost important achievement during the Chávez administration is the 1999 Constitution, which, although not written nor decreed by Chávez himself, was created through his vision of change for Venezuela. The 1999 Constitution was, in fact, drafted - written - by the people of Venezuela in one of the most participatory examples of nation building, and then was ratified through popular national referendum by 75% of Venezuelans. The 1999 Constitution is one of the most advanced in the world in the area of human rights. It guarantees the rights to housing, education, healthcare, food, indigenous lands, languages, women's rights, worker's rights, living wages and a whole host of other rights that few other countries recognize on a national level. My favorite right in the Venezuelan Constitution is the right to a dignified life. That pretty much sums up all the others. Laws to implement these rights began to surface in 2001, with land reform, oil industry redistribution, tax laws and the creation of more than a dozen social programs - called missions - dedicated to addressing the basic needs of Venezuela's poor majority. In 2003, the first missions were directed at education and healthcare. Within two years, illiteracy was eradicated in the country and Venezuela was certified by UNESCO as a nation free of illiteracy. This was done with the help of a successful Cuban literacy program called "Yo si puedo" (Yes I can). Further educational missions were created to provide free universal education from primary to doctoral levels throughout the country. Today, Venezuela's population is much more educated than before, and adults who previously had no high school education now are encouraged to not only go through a secondary school program, but also university and graduate school.??The healthcare program, called "Barrio Adentro", has not only provided preventive healthcare to all Venezuelans - many who never had access to a doctor before - but also has guaranteed universal, free access to medical attention at the most advanced levels. MRIs, heart surgery, lab work, cancer treatments, are all provided free of cost to anyone (including foreigners) in need. Some of the most modern clinics, diagnostic treatment centers and hospitals have been built in the past five years under this program, placing Venezuela at the forefront of medical technology.??Other programs providing subsidized food and consumer products (Mercal, Pdval), job training (Mission Vuelvan Caras), subsidies to poor, single mothers (Madres del Barrio), attention to indigents and drug addicts (Mission Negra Hipolita) have reduced extreme poverty by 50% and raised Venezuelans standard of living and quality of life. While nothing is perfect, these changes are extraordinary and have transformed Venezuela into a nation far different from what it looked like 10 years ago. In fact, the most important achievement that Hugo Chávez himself is directly responsible for is the level of participation in the political process. Today, millions of Venezuelans previously invisible and excluded are visible and included. Those who were always marginalized and ignored in Venezuela by prior governments today have a voice, are seen and heard, and are actively participating in the building of a new economic, political and social model in their country.??2 MW---On Monday, President Chavez threw a Venezuelan judge in jail on charges of abuse of power for freeing a high-profile banker. Do you think he overstepped his authority as executive or violated the principle of separation of powers? What does this say about Chavez's resolve to fight corruption?"

Paid Lying: What Passes for Major Media Journalism (tags)

state of today's major media

U.S. Still Supports the Coup! (tags)

"Agency bankrolling “good governance” programs to ensure the “rule of law in the country” The taxpayer-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation has continued to move millions of dollars into Honduras since the June 28 coup d'état, but it is not alone, Narco News has now confirmed. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is slated to provide Honduras with nearly $47 million in funding in fiscal 2009, which ends Sept. 30, 2009. Nearly all of that money (some $43 million) is scheduled to be delivered as previously planned to Honduras — which is now under the leadership of a putsch regime that President Obama has already described as “not legal.”

El imperio contraataca en Nuestra América... (tags)

El águila imperial no desea perder más plumas en Nuestra América...

Color Revolutions, Old and New (tags)

Imperial America's ugly agenda

Reviewing F. William Engdahl's "Full Spectrum Dominance" (tags)

must-read on US imperial aims

Targeting Hugo Chavez (tags)

The dominant media assault continues

Industriales de la miseria, los nuevos dueños del Paraguay (tags)

Declarar estado de emergencia es para algunos comedores de carroña de Paraguay un gran negocio, que se traduce en millones de dólares.

CUBA: la USAID en busca de “contratistas“ (tags)

Tras la denominación aparentemente benefactora e inocua de “Agencia Estadounidense para el Desarrollo Internacional”, USAID, se esconde el rostro de una de las organizaciones mejor maquilladas de la gigantesca estructura levantada por el imperio para impulsar su estrategia de Defensa y Seguridad...

Grow Them Young, Pay Them Well - anti-Chavistas, That Is (tags)

Who said crime doesn't pay? Read on.

Peter Hallward's "Damming the Flood" - Part I (tags)

A superb book on recent Haitian history.

Bush and ExxonMobil v. Chavez (tags)

The latest salvo in Bush v. Chavez.

Media collaboration with Haiti coup (tags)

A look at how the Haitian private media, the international media and Reporters Without Borders demonized President Aristide in order to justify his overthrow on Feb. 29, 2004.

EVA GOLINGER'S NEW BOOK - BUSH VS. CHAVEZ (tags)

HOW THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IS TRYING TO UNDERMINE HUGO CHAVEZ

Using American tax dollars to overthrow foreign governments under the guise of "democ (tags)

Foreign governments complain that these democracy-building groups maneuver behind the scenes to help destabilize and topple their governments, including in countries where the official U.S. policy has been to work through diplomatic channels with those same governments.

Columbian and Peruvian Elections Prove Stalin Was Right (tags)

US arranged elections in Columbia and Peru

US PLANNING FOURTH ATTEMPT TO OUST HUGO CHAVEZ (tags)

US PLANS NOW UNDERWAY TO OUST VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ

CLOSING HAITI'S "OPEN VEINS" - RENE PREVAL'S IMPOSSIBLE MISSION (tags)

Exposing the lies and deception in the corporate media

Haiti: AFL-CIO and the Batay Ouvriye (tags)

For many activists, academics, and labor historians in the 1980’s the AFL-CIO became referred to as the AFL-CIA. Founded in 1961 the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD) was the AFL-CIO’s foreign organizing wing for Latin America and the Caribbean. Along with its counterparts in Africa, Asia, and Europe, AIFLD was used to undermine leftist trade movements, support dictators such as the Duvalier’s and back military coups in Chile and Brazil.

10/19 Americas Watch Haiti: Continue Oppression and Killings in Haiti+Video! (tags)

On Friday, September 23, 2005, the Director General of the Haiti National Police Leon Charles, UN Force Commander Lieutanant General Augusto Heleno Ribiero Pereira of Brazil, and the Special Representative of the United Nations Juan Valdes of Chile were convicted of violations of Haitian law and international law including crimes against humanity. This verdict was delivered by the jury of the First Session of the International Tribunal on Haiti. The Tribunal was held in Washington, DC at George Washington University at the Elliott School of International Affairs.

Open Letter to the People of the United States (tags)

We are seeking that you get your leaders to stop financing our sufferings, the demise of our efforts toward democracy and the atrocities being committed against our underprivileged citizens of Cité Soleil, La Saline, Bélair etc.

The Achilles’ Heel(s) of the US War Machine (tags)

- John Doraemi publishes Crimes of the State, at: http://crimesofthestate.blogspot.com/ -

Republicans Cry "Election Fraud" in Ukraine (tags)

Bush's cronies would know election fraud, wouldn't they? However, unlike John Kerry, in Ukraine the anti-Bush forces haven't rolled over and played dead - they're defending their country from a hostile takeover.

debunking the media lies about president Aristide (tags)

by Justin Felux the necklacing lie is going the round again in the New York Times and American Spectator

Wesley Clark: Stalking-Horse for Bush Junior (tags)

It is this obviousness with Bush’s stalking-horse Clark that offends even the weakest minds. The obviousness that the vast majority of all the people, all the time, never even see at all. Lincoln was wrong!

Retired General Wesley Clark: Stalking-Horse for Bush Junior and The Grey Men (tags)

Should Wesley Clark win the primary nomination for president for the Democratic party, America loses and Bush wins; or Clark wins the general election and America loses. America loses and Empire the only winner.

George Bush II’s exit strategy after seizing Iraq’s oil: Seize South America’s oil. (tags)

Bush/Reich/U.S. oil companies/CIA stage coup attempt in Venezuela to oust democratically-elected President Hugo Chávez. U.S. government gains control of media outlets, trying to incite civil war in Venezuela to seize country’s oil revenues.

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