VHeadline editor & publisher Roy S. Carson writes: Quite frankly, I don't know what to think! During his customary Sunday rant on 'Alo Presidente', President Hugo Chavez Frias went to town (again) on his enemies in the political and economic opposition claiming that they have held conspiratorial meetings to plot another coup d'etat against him ... presumably on the basis that they (the opposition) feel they will have any more success than they had in April 2002 when the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED) backed 'Dictator for a Day' Pedro Carmona Estanga's imposition of a dictatorship on behalf of Washington DC.
Yep! It's got to be recognized that there are still sectors of the Venezuelan '"establishment" that are still hopeful that Chavez will be made to "disappear" ... and there are those who have the religious fanaticism to help that great "Christian," the Reverend Pat Robertson, to "eliminate" Chavez from the face of the earth, never mind the suits with the shades from Langley in all their diversity of subterfuge.
But ... what's new about that!
It's part of the geography for Chavez to face imminent annihilation at the hands of an assassin's bullet or a bomb, not to speak of ground to air missiles that can easily zone in on his presidential jet each and every time it takes off and lands at Maiquetia or elsewhere. But does he lie awake 24/7 thinking of the hereafter ... I don't think so!
Nevertheless, compared with the massive retinue of Secret Service, CIA etc., etc., etc., that attend the soon-to-be erstwhile resident of the White House and the cohorts of armor-plated limos, helicopters etc., that shadow Bush's every move, Chavez' hithering and thithering is somewhat less ostentatious and whether or not he wears a bullet-proof vest under his redder-than-red open-necked shirt, he certainly gets a closer look at citizens who have not always previously undergone closer background investigation by the Political & Security Police (DISIP).
Which is therefore strange that President Chavez should wish to give his detractors the air of publicity in his TV show--which most of his political opponents avoid like the plague anyway--other than, perhaps, to hype-up his own political profile ahead of the November 23 local and regional electionss. He must surely know that the most diehard among those who stand against him are loathe to make him a martyr and are doing everything they can to prevent the hotter headed among them from delivering Chavez up for national Sainthood in a parallel universe with El Libertador Simon Bolivar.
But Chavez insists that the omni-present coup plotters--who must already be under 24/7 surveillance by spooks from the Direccion de Intelligencia Militar (DIM)--are using a potential coup d'etat against him as "a political tactic" aimed at disturbing the upcoming elections ... hmmm! And not possibly on the other foot?
Chavez' response to the alleged plotters is a brash "Bring it on!" and warns that, if they try, he'll "demolish" them ... obliterate them off the face of the earth!
In retrospect it was a "made for Fox News" moment to underline Washington's fantasy that "strongman dictator" Hugo Chavez Frias is intent on usurping over George W. Bush's ambition to take over the ruling of the universe from God himself! Nuff said!
Chavez articulates: "If we have to exchange blows, the counter-revolutionaries will be devastated ... here in Venezuela they are still preparing coups ... they just don't learn ... its therefore best for them to go away and forget about it! I am NOT the Chavez of 2002 ... so they had better think well before they do anything stupid!"
Well...
So much for the home front ... but signalling to Washington DC to lay off or else, Chavez has laid his cards on the table revealing that Russia and Venezuela will conduct military exercises in Venezuela.
Perhaps scarcely NOT a coincidence that they're due to take place just a week before the local and regional elections!
Venezuelan director of Strategic Intelligence Naval General Staff, Rear Admiral Salbatore Cammarata Bastidas has just revealed that the "Southern Cross" military operation to take place between November 10 and 14 and that Brazil may also get in on the act although it is not clear why Brazil should be involved in Caribbean exercises since it has a strictly South Atlantic coastline.
Are we on the cusp of seeing Latin America shed its shackles to the United States of America?
Will Latin America initiate new, and more powerful alliances with the Russian Federation and Chinese power-players who, when all is said and done, have a strong capacity and intent to put the Washington Beltway bullies firmly in the box where they belong...
