Hugo Chavez mocks Venezuela coup, Fidel Castro death forecast

[demoleft]

Source: reuters

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez scoffed on Wednesday at U.S. magazine Newsweek's predictions that he would be toppled by a military coup and his Cuban mentor Fidel Castro would die in 2010.

In a lengthy televised New Year's address, Chavez, who has taken Castro's position as Latin America's leading critic of U.S. power, described Newsweek as "the empire's magazine."
...
The fiery Chavez, who has been in power for a decade, said the only way there would be an uprising against him would be if the internal opposition brought an army from abroad.

"Our counter-attack would be tough, I warn them," he said, drawing applause from an audience of ministers and supporters.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091230/ts_nm/us_venezuela_chavez_castro

---

"drawing applause from an audience of ministers and supporters" - no doubt.

[Flaneur]

1. Well, Castro IS old. A successful coup, though? Good luck with that.

[Flaneur]

2. I wonder how many DUers would support a coup against Chavez?

[demoleft]

4. not few, i'd say. n/t

[Pavulon]

5. When there is no transition of power

coups tend to happen. Hugo led one himself. I am betting he never leaves office or is shot by his replacement. Not support.

[Flaneur]

7. Sorry, Chavez is duly elected with popular support.

If there is a coup attempt, it will be an anti-democratic thrust backed by the oligarchy. If the opposition is unhappy with Chavez, it will have to figure out some way to appeal to the masses so it can beat him at the polls.

Coups are not a natural process. They don't "tend to happen." Somebody makes them happen.

[nyy1998]

8. "it will have to figure out some way to appeal to the masses"

It would certainly help if there was a truly free media in Venezuela. Maybe they'll show why Chavez is a hypocrite since he'll bash the US publicly but still sells us oil.

[Better Today]

10. Truly free media, . . . you mean like we have here?

[malaise]

15. Kind of like Fox right? n/t

[nyy1998]

18. Lest we forget MSNBC and CNN?

And I don't recall Arianna Huffington getting arrested for bashing Bush(or seeing a government takeover of the Huffington Post) the past few years?

[RaleighNCDUer]

32. I also don't recall Arianna Huffington openly espousing a political

coup against the government, giving media and financial aid to coup plotters, and declaring the coup was successful while it was still in progress - and in progress of being defeated.

In virtually ANY other South American country, or most countries in the world, those guys would have been shot or wound up in prison - losing the renewal of their broadcast license was a remarkably restrained response.

[JVS]

17. We bash Iran a lot, are we hypocrites for buying their oil?

Are the Iranians hypocrites for selling oil and getting all our sweet, sweet money?

[niceypoo]

20. Do we have a free media in the US?

Is a corporate controlled media any more legitimate than a government controlled media?

Film at 11

[EFerrari]

22. There is a free media in Venezuela. Their media isn't owned

by five entities like ours is.

[anigbrowl]

24. So are a lot of dictators

you seem to be conveniently forgetting the fact that Chavez is an ex-coupster himself.

[Greyhound]

25. Please name one of this "lot of dictators" that have ben popularly elected in internationally

supervised elections.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. His current term, his last, ends in 2012, IIRC.

He wanted the constitution amended to allow no term limits, but was rebuffed.

If he is still in office in 2013, THEN you can call him a dictator.

[Ghost in the Machine]

23. Chávez Wins Removal of Term Limits

Chávez Wins Removal of Term Limits

By Juan Forero
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, February 16, 2009

CARACAS, Venezuela, Feb. 15 -- Fourteen months after his first attempt failed, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez won a referendum Sunday to eliminate term limits, paving the way for him to rule far into the 21st century to carry out his socialist transformation of this oil-rich country.

With more than 90 percent of the votes counted, the National Electoral Council announced Sunday night that the government had won handily, garnering more than 6 million votes, or 54.3 percent of the vote. Now in the third year of a six-year term, Chávez, 54, can run for office in 2012 and beyond, if he continues winning elections.

Fireworks went off across Caracas at news of the result, and supporters of the president flowed into the street to celebrate, blowing whistles and waving flags. Flanked by his top deputies and his grandchildren, Chávez addressed a crowd from a balcony at the Miraflores presidential palace.

"I asked you not to fail me, and that I would not fail you," Chávez said. "I knew that you would not fail me. I ratify to you that I will not fail you, the people of Venezuela, the hopes of the people."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/15/AR2009021500136.html


I guess this means that "If he is still in office in 2013, THEN you can call him a dictator duly elected President of his Country." There, I fixed it for you...


Peace,

Ghost

[RaleighNCDUer]

31. Whoops. Thanks.

I find it a little disturbing how so many things I know I was aware of I am forgetting. For some reason, all i remembered was the first referendum, which failed.

So, "If he is still in office in 2013, you can still call him a duly elected President of his Country."

[roody]

9. All the ones that support the coup in Honduras.

[JVS]

16. It depends on if Obama supports it.

[Better Today]

3. Well he's right about the coup, it won't happen unless outside forces

infiltrate Venezuela.

As for Newsweek's predictions, WTF are they doing trying to promote through "prediction" a military coup over a legally elected president?

[demoleft]

6. just selling more, i suppose. n/t

[EFerrari]

21. The hostility towards democratic leaders in Latin America

has ramped up under this new administration where BushCo mostly ignored it for the Middle East.

I don't understand it and it's very concerning.

[LaPera]

11. Fuck Republican right-wing has predicted Castro's death for 52 years & he just spits in their face

Well, Castro is getting up there in years and all the assholes & corporate fascist can do is HOPE Castro dies soon....because they sure as fuck haven't been able to kill him after trying for 52 years, this New Years!

[Vidar]

13. Castro's survived 52 years of our assassination & coup attempts & Hugo's a damned fine student.

I hope they both continue to frustrate our corporate oligarchs.

[proteus_lives]

19. Glad you support Castro's dictatorship.

I thought liberals were suppose to against dictators?

[Forkboy]

26. I thought liberals were supposed to understand the words they toss around.

Guess we were both in for a surprise.

[proteus_lives]

28. What am I missing?

Can Cubans vote for someone without the last name of Castro?

[Forkboy]

29. My apologies, you're missing nothing.

Read too fast and thought you were speaking of Chavez. Mea culpa, and my sincere apologies. Time to heed my own damn advice.

[proteus_lives]

30. No worries.

I've done the same thing myself, many a time.

Have a happy New Year!

[PufPuf23]

14. There is a good chance that the oil rich state of Zulia

adjacent to Colombia could attempt or even succend in separation from Venezuala; this is a challenge to Chavez (and pro-the sanme mindsets destroying personal security and corporate seeded mindset in the USA).

[tritsofme]

27. I could think of worse ways for the new year to go...