By Pascal Fletcher
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan troops firing tear gas and plastic bullets Friday stopped opposition protesters from marching to a summit of Third World leaders to demand a recall referendum against President Hugo Chavez.
The clashes broke out as hundreds of National Guard troops backed by armored vehicles barred the path of the demonstration by thousands of opposition supporters advancing toward the summit venue in Caracas.
A Reuters correspondent said he saw National Guard troops fire round after round of tear gas canisters, scattering the demonstrators, who threw stones. Television footage also showed the soldiers firing shotgun pellets.
Several of the protesters were hit by pellets.
Clouds of tear gas wafted across one of Caracas' main avenues, less than a mile (about one kilometer) from the hotel and theater complex where leaders from 19 nations from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean were gathering.
The demonstrators had planned to try to hand over a message to the foreign leaders explaining their campaign to secure a recall vote against populist Chavez. They say he is ruling the world's No. 5 oil exporter like a dictator............
posted on February 27, 2004 12:46:14 PM new
"That would bring Venezuela far closer to Cuba, which maybe shouldn't be a surprise: Mr. Castro, who is Mr. Chavez's closest ally, reportedly has dispatched thousands of officials to Venezuela."
It is sad reamond, you have an excellent handle on legal matters yet you also comment on things with pure ignorance.
[ edited by keiichem on Feb 27, 2004 12:48 PM ]
posted on February 27, 2004 01:02:59 PM new
Get real. Castro hasn't been a threat to any nation except his own since the downfall of the USSR.
The US is trying to destabilize Chavez because of his oil policies.
There are any number of tryants and dictators in Central and South America. We only get seriously involved when we have something at stake, such as oil.
We could have sunk Castro years ago, but Cuba has nothing we really want.
We are paying people to oppose Chavez and riot. We tried it once before, but the people of Venezuala went to the streets to stop us.
posted on February 27, 2004 01:40:31 PM new
Destabilization of a single oil supplying nation has little effect on the US. Proof of this is that Venezeula was our fourth largest suppliler a year agountil strikes effected their production capabilities... we devide the difference between other countries.
On the other hand - destabillization of a single river in the US can have an effect.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
[ edited by Fenix03 on Feb 27, 2004 01:41 PM ]
posted on February 27, 2004 10:17:25 PM new
Reamon i will qoute another poster "I guess if you say so it must be true".
So, we are paying the opposition to lose their future and freedom?. "I guess if you say so it must be true"
Let me call my brother in law and ask him how much he was paid.
Castro a threat no! He knows how to play the game within the parameters. His dealings have nothing to do with ideology it's with $$$$$$$$$ pure and simple.
The oil will not willingly stop flowing to the U.S., to much money involved as well as opening the door to intervention "national interest".
Hey give me sources on your points, other than that it's nothing more than "I guess if you say so it must be true".
CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) -- Venezuela's political crisis grew more heated Monday as President Hugo Chavez threatened anew to rule by decree and opposition parties appealed to the international community to help ensure democracy...........
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Next stop: Washington
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Web posted at: 11:38 p.m. EDT (2338 GMT)
CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) -- Hours after returning from Havana, Venezuelan President-elect Hugo Chavez praised Fidel Castro's Cuba and warned that he might dissolve Congress if it blocks his bid to create a popular assembly with the sole power to rewrite the constitution...........
