US won't accept Venezuela election result, says full recount still needed

[Catherina]

Crossposted from LBN. Hat tip to Azurnoir

US won't accept Venezuela election result, says full recount still needed
Source: strib

The Obama administration is refusing to accept the official results of Venezuela's weekend presidential election, which gave victory to the protege of the country's late leftist leader Hugo Chavez.

The State Department said Tuesday that a full recount of the vote and an investigation into alleged irregularities were needed, given the close tally that almost evenly divided the country. On Monday, the U.S. had called for a full recount before results were certified but the election commission went ahead with certification without one.

The State Department said it was "difficult to understand" why the commission certified ruling party candidate Nicolas Maduro as the winner in the absence of a recount, which challenger Henrique Capriles is demanding.

...

http://www.startribune.com/nation/203241981.html

Yo! Confused people in the White House- Venezuela is NOT one of your colonies.

Rather than continually attack a country that did the REVERSE of what the US has done and actual increased social services for their people, show a little humility, a little less slavish devotion to vulture capitalism, and study how you too could improve social services for tax paying American citizens who are sick and tired of paying for your disgusting wars and your filthy Pentagon that's sucking money from the most vulnerable members of our society right now.

[WCGreen]

1. This Imperial mindset of colonialism is a bit outdated now...

Who cares what happens in their elections. It's up to them not the US Government to decide.

[Flatulo]

2. This is very disappointing coming from Mr. Obama's State Department.

It's one thing for a jerk like Rubio to crack out of turn, but if this is official US policy, then I am ashamed of my government.

Who in the name of fuck anointed us to police the world? Jesus, I wish we could mind out own fucking business just once. You don't see Canada or Mexico butting in. Why must we?

I was never a fan of Chavez, but this is nobody's business but the folks down there.

[Catherina]

4. This is why I love my sig line so much

"When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people,
the giant triplets of racism, militarism and economic exploitation are incapable of being conquered....
don't let anybody make you think that God chose America as his divine, messianic force to be a sort of policeman of the whole world " Martin Luther King

taken from Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence
4 April 1967

[newfie11]

3. Wonder if there was some US assisted

Voting hanky panky.
But the US chosen candidate didn't win.

[Demeter]

5. I'm willing to bet money on it

But whether it was "official black op" or officiously "do-gooding" private bigot money, I cannot predict. (maybe both).

[flamingdem]

7. Why say this if there's not an angle, they'll have to get along with Maduro

so what is the point of this behavior if there wasn't some kind of plan involved..

[Demeter]

9. Cuba--50 years and counting

US: champion grudge holder.

[flamingdem]

12. That's true! And in fact many of the same players are involved

I really wonder if Obama pays any attention to what goes on in Latin America, I think this is where we see it is not his interest and the right wing can keep their party going.

[Flatulo]

13. I really think LA is not in Mr.O's radar. Too much

happening in the ME and the Koreas. A real shooting war could break out if Un miscalculates.

[Catherina]

6. It makes one wonder

what may have been attempted. What Capriles may have been banking on. He was so convinced he was going to win before the results were ever announced that an AJE reporter found him looking awfully smug and content.

[flamingdem]

8. They aren't very good at math and needed to do a bit more cheating! nt

[whathehell]

16. I wouldn't be surprised.

I honestly hate it when our government screws around with other countries like this.

Unless they are an actual military style threat to this country, whoever

Venezuela (or any other country, for that matter) elects is none of our damned business.

[mitchtv]

10. well isn't that just too bad

US won't accept the results. Oh Well life's a bitch

[Mika]

11. US policy on the Caribbean and Latin America ...

To sum up, our policy must always be to support
the weaker against the stronger, until we have
obtained the extermination of them both

From: The Breckenridge Memorandum
http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/bmemo.htm

[Bacchus4.0]

14. excellent, don't let them get away with stealing the election

why not just do the recount? Don't support the continuing disaster that is the chavista government.

[Marksman_91]

20. And this is all that Capriles has asked for: that they do a full recount, NOTHING more

He hasn't called for violence or coups, he has not called for people to bear arms against the government, he has only called for peaceful rallies, which some have ended violently because the GN started to open fire on the protesters, with weapons such as tear gas grenades, and pellets. Just today also, two opposition members of the National Assembly were attacked by the Chavista deputies without provocation.

http://www.noticias24.com/venezuela/noticia/163141/la-imagen-diputado-opositor-william-davila-fue-agredido-en-la-asamblea-nacional/



So, tell me, WHO are the more violent ones here?

[bahrbearian]

22. Thats good that Capriles would call for one, but we should stay out of it.

[naaman fletcher]

23. agreed. nt.

[starroute]

15. Obama won last fall with 51.1% - Maduro has 50.8%

Do you see much difference there?

[cvoogt]

17. Let's see

what the Supremes have to say about a recount ..?

[BainsBane]

18. We can't run our own elections

Who is the US to point fingers on elections of all things?

[bvar22]

19. The White House, INC just can't believe that they...

Last edited Tue Apr 16, 2013, 10:06 PM - Edit history (1)

...couldn't buy the election for the NeoLiberal (Capriles) whose platform AGENDA was "Privatize" everything, and reverse all the Social Changes implemented by the Chavez Administration.



It is disgusting that a country such as the USA that delivers so much Lip Service to words like "democracy" and "freedom",
is not more supportive of the REAL democracies emerging in Latin America.
Instead, our political leaders, Democrat & Republican alike are in full agreement.
Together they demonize the transparent popular democracies,
and support the few remaining Right Wing Police States, like Colombia.

Go figure.


When the Working Class and The Poor realize WE have MORE in common with each other
than we have in common with the RICH Elite 1% that control our government,
then WE can have "change" too.

Our neighbors in Latin America have given us the Blue Print for Ballot Box revolutions!



VIVA Democracy!
I hope we get some here soon!

[naaman fletcher]

24. What a bunch of lies

whose platform was "Privatize" everything, and reverse all the Social Changes implemented by the Chavez Administration.

That is an absolute lie. Now, you can make the argument that what you wrote is what he REALLY wants to do despite his platform, but to call that his platform is simply a lie.

[bvar22]

25. Capriles IS a "NeoLiberal" who wants to return control of Venezuela's Oil to the Global Corps.

The neoliberal media is abuzz about Henrique Capriles Radonski throwing his hat in the ring in the upcoming April 14th special election to replace President Chavez in Venezuela. He will be running against Chavez’ handpicked interim replacement, former Vice President Nicolas Maduro.

Capriles is an interesting choice for the globalists for many reasons. He just lost an election to Chavez in Oct. of 2012 and it wasn’t even close. The people of Venezuela came to understand Capriles for what he was, Washington’s man in their country.

Capriles is a Business Firster of the first order. His parents were super rich, bringing Kraft Food into Venezuela in the late ’50s in the early days of neoliberalism. His mother owned a cinema chain and they were both heavily into the media business. In short, Capriles represents the old oligarchical system that was installed in Venezuela that Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian Revolution routed when he won his first election.

http://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-liberal/2013/03/neoliberals-back-henrique-capriles-radonski-again-in-venezuelas-presidential-election-why-have-they-elected-to-punt-on-first-down-2456856.html

[naaman fletcher]

27. You are avoiding the question

I made no statement about what he is or is not.

We are discussing his platform. You made a specific statement about his platform that is untrue.

He might be lying about his attentions and what he really is, but that was not his platform.

[bvar22]

29. If I went up there ^, and changed the word "platform" to "agenda",

....would you be happy.

[naaman fletcher]

30. Yes

I might disagree with it, I'm really not sure, but it would be an opinion as opposed to an inaccurate factual statement.

[bvar22]

31. Done.

And you are correct.
That was NOT his "platform",
but a quick examination of his backers and financiers exposes his "agenda".

[bahrbearian]

21. I'd like to know what Jimmy Carter has to say.

[bvar22]

26. I would too!

One of the last politicians I have ever trusted.

[dipsydoodle]

28. Venezuela accuses opposition of plotting coup, seven dead

(Reuters) - Venezuelan President-elect Nicolas Maduro accused the opposition on Tuesday of planning a coup against him after seven government supporters were killed in clashes over his disputed election victory.

>

Opposition demonstrations outside electoral authority offices around the country passed off peacefully on Tuesday, in contrast to Monday night when youths in Caracas and other cities blocked streets, burned tires and fought with police.

The authorities said the seven deaths included two people shot by opposition sympathizers while celebrating Maduro's win in a middle-class area of the capital, and one person killed in an attack on a government-run clinic.

"This is the responsibility of those who have called for violence, who have ignored the constitution and the institutions," a furious Maduro said in a speech to the nation.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/04/16/uk-venezuela-election-idUKBRE93C0B220130416

Nicolás Maduro accuses opposition of coup plot as poll protests turn deadly.

Venezuela's president-elect, Nicolás Maduro, has announced that five people had been killed during violent protests across the country following the dispute election that gave him a 1.6-percentage point victory.

Claiming electoral fraud, the opposition candidate, Henrique Capriles, has asked for a recount, a request Maduro had originally accepted during a televised speech on Sunday but then dismissed on Tuesday along with high-ranking officials and the head of the electoral commission (CNE), Tibisay Lucena.

Lucena, whose house has been allegedly attacked by protesters, said 54% of the electronic vote had been audited and that the automated system was bullet-proof. Throughout Tuesday, Capriles supporters flocked to the streets to contest the result.

>

Maduro described the opposition's protest as part of a well-orchestrated coup attempt, likening the street protests to similar events that took place 11 years ago during a short-lived coup that ousted Hugo Chávez for two days. "This is the a foretold chronicle of another coup attempt by the extreme right," Maduro said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/16/nicolas-maduro-accuses-opposition-coup-protest

[Daniel537]

32. Lol, what else is new?

At least we're not attempting to carry out a full-blown coup, yet. I guess that's "change".