New WikiLeaks cable reveals US embassy strategy to destabilize Chavez government

[dipsydoodle]

In a secret US cable published online by WikiLeaks, former ambassador to Venezuela, William Brownfield, outlines a comprehensive plan to infiltrate and destabilize former President Hugo Chavez' government.

Dispatched in November of 2006 by Brownfield -- now an Assistant Secretary of State -- the document outlined his embassy’s five core objectives in Venezuela since 2004, which included: “penetrating Chavez’ political base,” “dividing Chavismo,” “protecting vital US business” and “isolating Chavez internationally.”

The memo, which appears to be totally un-redacted, is plain in its language of involvement in these core objectives by the US embassy, as well as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), two of the most prestigious agencies working abroad on behalf of the US.

According to Brownfield, who prepared the cable specifically for US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the “majority” of both USAID and OTI activities in Venezuela were concerned with assisting the embassy in accomplishing its core objectives of infiltrating and subduing Chavez’ political party.

http://rt.com/news/wikileaks-venezuela-us-chavez-358/

Full copy of memo here : http://www.cablegatesearch.net/cable.php?id=06CARACAS3356&version=1314919461

[marmar]

1. “protecting vital US business”

What did Mr. Butler say about "gangsters for capitalism"?

[malaise]

2. Duh!

Who knew?

[leveymg]

3. "Brownfield -- now an Assistant Secretary of State" Career spook-diplomat.

Wiki: William R. Brownfield (born 1952) is the current Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs as of January 10, 2011.[1] He has previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Chile, Venezuela, and Colombia.
Contents

1 Biography
1.1 Chávez attacks
2 Personal life
3 References
4 External links

Biography

A career Foreign Service Officer, William Brownfield was United States Ambassador to Colombia. He arrived in Colombia on August 31, 2007 and was accredited by Colombian President Álvaro Uribe on September 12, 2007. On August 3, 2010, the United States confirmed Peter Michael McKinley as the new ambassador to Colombia.

Prior to arriving in Colombia, Brownfield was Ambassador to Venezuela, and before that Chile.

Ambassador Brownfield's first assignment after joining the Foreign Service in 1979 was in Maracaibo, Venezuela. His other overseas postings include service as Counselor for Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva, and assignments in Argentina and El Salvador. He was temporarily assigned as Political Adviser to the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command in Panama 1989-1990.

In Washington, Ambassador Brownfield's assignments have included Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere (WHA), Director for Policy in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Executive Assistant in the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Member of the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff, and Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs.

[bemildred]

6. Guys like Brownfield ARE the PROBLEM in our relations with Latin America.

How many of these assholes have we seen? Selling out the public interest for their corporate masters.

[leveymg]

7. Note his postings -- El Sal, Venez, Argentina, Panama -- and what was happening there at the time.

Diplomatic cover for death squads, disappearances, invasions, and regimes changes, followed by clean up operations - apologetics and "war crimes" definition policing in Geneva.

I wonder if anyone has ever had the temerity to actually ask him about what he was actually doing in those places?

[bemildred]

11. Yeah, he's the "Shock Doctrine" guy and the "Death Squad" guy.

One of Negroponte's successors. But you have to know how to translate the statements he makes.

[lunatica]

4. We have proof for a change

Wikileaks is great!

[struggle4progress]

10. We had proof that day in 2002 when Otto Reich rolled around DC informing

the diplomatic community that W was supporting the coup that had removed Chavez

[Dryvinwhileblind]

5. Now what ARE the odds?

Dick phuggin Tracy, phlem at eleven, all the proof in the world, and it STILL won't change a damn thing, what?.

[Octafish]

8. What John Kenneth Galbraith said.

The State Department is an uncontrollably funny institution.

[frylock]

9. shocking

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