The Venezuela Reader

  2005: President Bush Rejected Venezuela’s offer of Aid for Victims of Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina Struck the US Gulf Coast on August 29,2005. Levees on the Mississippi River were breached and 80% of New Orleans was flooded.500,000 people were displaced from their homes. The Federal response was slow and disorganized. Many countries offered aid. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice after consulting with the White House made it clear that the US would accept all offerings of foreign assistance. [1] Dutch and Mexican soldiers distributed aid; food aid was sent from Germany; Russia and Switzerland provided generators, tents and meals. On August 31, Venezuela sent an official note to the US Embassy in Caracas offering immediate aid. The offer was accepted by US Ambassador William Brownfield. The US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Roger Noriega, confirmed the offer and welcomed it.[2] The Venezuelan offer included: $ 1 million for the Louisiana...

  2004: Venezuela Stopped Sending Troops for Training at the US-run School of the Americas The School of the Americas (SOA) was based at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. Established in 1946, the SOA trained Latin American military officers. By 2000, 60,000 Latin American officers had graduated from the training program. The SOA training program included Spanish-language manuals describing the use of torture in the interrogation of prisoners and the assassination of people suspected of anti-government activities.[1] ·        In 1989, six Jesuit priests were murdered in El Salvador. A UN report concluded that 19 of the 27 killers were SOA graduates. ·        The organizer of the murder of Archbishop Romero in El Salvador was a SOA graduate. ·        SOA graduates from Chile were responsible for killings under Pinochet. •         “Americans can now r...

  2009: Venezuela Recognized the State of Palestine and Broke Relations with Israel The Gaza War was a three-week armed conflict between Gaza Strip Palestinian paramilitary groups and the Israeli Defense Forces that began on December 27, 2008 and ended on January 18, 2009. The conflict resulted in the deaths of more than 1,300 Palestinians, including 400 children, and 14 Israelis [3] On January 6, 2009, President Hugo Chavez called Israel’s offensive in Gaza a Palestinian “Holocaust” and said that the Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, should be tried at the International Criminal Court [1]. Chavez condemned the prohibition against water, food and the International Red Cross entering the Gaza Strip. On January 6, Venezuela expelled the Israeli ambassador and his staff from Caracas [3] A week later, Venezuela broke off all diplomatic relations with Israel. On January 28, Israel ordered Venezuelan diplomats to leave. Venezuela urged the UN Security Council to put measures...

  2006: President Hugo Chavez was Named the Third Most Influential Person in the World                      U.S. President George Bush was 4th Time Magazine’s May 8, 2006’s Special Issue named the 100 most influential people in the World in terms of: “ the 100 men and women whose power, talent or moral example is transforming our world.”  #3 Hugo Chavez “The rise of Venezuela's left-wing President, Hugo Chavez, is a lesson in what can happen when the U.S. disses an entire continent. After 9/11, when most Latin American nations refused to endorse the U.S. invasion of Iraq, President Bush testily turned his back on the region — but not before he was widely accused of backing a failed 2002 coup against Chavez, Bush's loudest critic south of the border. Washington denies the charge, but the perception of U.S. bullying won Chavez international sympathy. His anti-U.S. Bolivarian Revolution has been roaring ever since....

  2004:Venezuela and Cuba Establish a Free Eye-Care Program                                   Four Million People in 34 Countries Have Their Sight Restored     Launched in 2004, Mission Milagro (Miracle) began as a bilateral program between Cuba and Venezuela when it became evident to teachers working in Venezuela’s literacy campaign that many prospective students couldn’t see, thereby remaining beyond the program’s reach [1] The first Mission Milagro surgeries were performed in July 2004. Venezuelan patients were flown to Havana with a family member, received surgical treatment and accommodated at a hotel. In addition to the surgery and medicines, all transportation, food and lodging for both the patient and their escort were free of charge. By the end of 2004, 14,000 Venezuelans had their sight restored in this first phase of the program [1]. The second phase began in 2005 w...

  2010: President Obama Failed to Name an Ambassador Acceptable to Venezuela At the start of 2010, Bernardo Alvarez Herrara was Venezuela’s Ambassador to the United States and Patrick Duddy was US Ambassador to Venezuela. Duddy’s term of service ended on July 16, 2010.President Obama nominated Dr Larry Palmer to be the new ambassador to Venezuela. Palmer held a Ph.D in Education and had held various diplomatic posts throughout the 1980s and 1990s.Palmer had been the US Ambassador to Honduras 2002-2005. In 2010 he was President of the Inter-American Foundation. Hugo Chavez gave his initial approval of Palmer’s nomination [1]. Palmer testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 27 and there were no major problems in his testimony. Palmer was subsequently asked to respond in writing to questions from Senator Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Palmer’s answers to these questions were presumed to be for the senators an...

  2015-2023:The International Narcotics Control Board Reported Positive Results for Venezuela The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) is the independent and quasi-judicial monitoring body for the implementation of the United Nations international drug control conventions. The INCB monitors and supports governments’ compliance with international drug control treaties. The INCB is headquartered in Vienna. The INCB carried out a mission to Venezuela in December 2014, headed by the INCB President.   The objective of the mission was to review the progress made by Venezuela in the implementation of the three international control conventions. The INCB’s evaluation of Venezuela’s drug control programs were reported in its 2015, 2017, and 2023 Annual Reports: ·        “The Government’s cooperation with INCB has been good, as has its compliance with the international drug control conventions. The Board notes that the government remains commi...

  2013:Venezuela was Recognized by the FAO for Reducing Malnutrition In June 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recognized Venezuela as one of the 18 countries that had achieved exceptional progress toward reducing the prevalence of malnutrition [1]. FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva said: “These countries are leading the way to a better future. They are proof that with strong political will, coordination and cooperation, it is possible to achieve rapid and lasting reductions in hunger.” [1] Venezuela had over the previous decade invested $142 billion in food programs, including subsidizing the sale of food staples at government grocery stores (MERCAL) in low-income areas, operating 6000 soup kitchens and providing four million students with daily breakfast, lunch and snacks at nearly 22,000 schools [2].   1. Venezuela Recognized for Exceptional Progress toward Reducing Malnutrition, Venezuelanalysis, June 16, 2013. 2....

   2019:President Trump Praised the Terrorist Oscar Perez                                                                         He Led an Attack on Government Buildings in Caracas  On June 27,2017 a police officer, Oscar Perez, carried out a helicopter attack on Government Buildings in Caracas. The occupants of the helicopter opened fire on the Minister of Interior Building where a reception for eighty journalists was being held on the roof. Then it flew to the Supreme Court of Justice Building where they threw four grenades [1]. Perez broadcast an appeal for the police and military to join in and overthrow the government. President Maduro called it “an act of terror.” While Perez eluded security forces for almost seven months, he made at least one appearance at an opposition rally wh...

   2005:  President Chavez Accused the DEA of Spying and Suspended Cooperation   The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operated in Venezuela in the 1990s under agreements signed with the Venezuelan government. DEA agents were given diplomatic immunity, they could carry weapons, fly reconnaissance missions above Venezuela and, on their own, make arrests. The DEA had a floor of offices in the building that housed Venezuela’s anti-drug trafficking agency and no Venezuelans were allowed in. Hugo Chavez was elected President of Venezuela in 1998. In 1999, he suspended DEA’s authority to fly reconnaissance missions over the Country. Chavez stated explicitly that he would not allow what he regarded as a violation of his country’s sovereignty.[1] Venezuela continued to cooperate with DEA and was certified by President Bush1999-2004 for adhering to its obligations under international narcotics control agreements. Drug seizures doubled after Chavez’s election. In Au...

  2021: U.S. Failure to Present Evidence of Drug Trafficking Cost a Venezuelan Newspaper $13.6 million Diosdado Cabello is a leading member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. He served as Governor of Miranda 2004-2008, Minister of Public Works 2009-2010 and was elected to the National Assembly in 2010. He was elected President of the National Assembly in 2012. On May 18, 2015, the Wall Street Journal published an article about a drug investigation :     “Venezuelan Officials Suspected of Turning Country into Global Cocaine Hub” “U.S probe targets No.2 official Diosdado Cabello” •         “U.S. prosecutors are investigating several high-ranking Venezuelan officials, including the President of the country’s Congress, on suspicion that they have turned the country into a global hub for cocaine trafficking, according to more than a dozen people familiar with the probes. An elite unit of the Drug Enforcement Administration i...

  2005-2016:The Venezuelan Government Always Approved Requests from the U.S. Coast Guard to Board Vessels to Search for Drugs In 1991 the Venezuelan and U.S. governments signed a bilateral maritime counterdrug agreement that authorized U.S. officials to board Venezuelan flagged vessels suspected of trafficking drugs in international waters, as long as the Venezuelan government permitted the search. [1] Officials from the U.S. Coast Guard reported that the Venezuelan government had not denied any Coast Guard request to board a vessel.[2] In the years 2005-2009, Venezuela granted the US Coast Guard permission to board eight Venezuelan-flagged vessels to search for drugs.[2] In 2016, the Venezuelan government cooperated with the US Coast Guard in six documented maritime drug-interdiction cases, compared to ten cases in 2015, two cases in 2014, ten cases in 2013, and five cases in 2012. [3]  The procedures apply only to flagged vessels. If a vessel is stateless, the proces...

  2012: $10 Billion: Hugo Chavez’s Win, EXXON’s Rex Tillerson’s Loss In the 1990’s Venezuela announced incentives for oil companies to develop the Orinoco Oil Belt. Royalty payments were reduced from 16.7% to 1%. The operations were to be joint ventures with PDVSA with the oil companies having a majority (51%) share.[1] Four projects were established by Chevron (US), BP(British), Total (France), Statoil (Norway) and EXXON (US). By 2007, the four projects were producing about 620,000 BPD of crude oil [1]. The projects were very profitable with Chevron estimating its margin at $24 per barrel [2] The Venezuelan government decided that the companies no longer needed “incentives” to develop the Orinoco fields. The companies were given until June 27,2007 to agree to new terms. The joint ventures were to be converted to 60% ownership by PDVSA from 51% ownership by the companies.[2] Royalty payments were to be increased to 33% from 1%. Chevron, Stahtoil, BP and Total signed agreements....

             2008-2012 Venezuelan Authorities Captured 102 Drug Lords                                                                       21 Were Extradited to the United States Between 2008 and 2012, 102 important drug-trafficking bosses were captured in Venezuela.21 of them were extradited to the US and 36 to Columbia in accordance with their requests. The US government sent letters congratulating the Venezuelan authorities for capturing and deporting the drug lords. Daniel “El Loco” Barrera, was arrested by the Venezuelan National Guard in 2012. Barrera (a Columbian) was charged with producing up to 400 tons of cocaine per year. An article in the New York Times described how the arrest was a complex cooperative effort:[1] •         “...

  2014: Opposition Rioters Beheaded a Motorcyclist In February 2014, Popular Will party leader Leopoldo Lopez and National Assembly member Maria Machado encouraged street action to bring about the “exit” of Nicolas Maduro as President of Venezuela. Daily riots broke out in municipalities controlled by opposition mayors. One concern of the rioters was the threat from motorcycle gangs who supported the government. On February 20, 2014, retired Brigadier General Angel Vivas tweeted: “In order to neutralize criminal hordes on motorbikes, one must place nylon string or galvanized wire across the street.” [1] On February 21, 2014, 29-year-old Elvis Rafael Duran was beheaded in the Sucre municipality of Caracas after riding his motorcycle into an unseen barbed wire barricade [2]. On February 22,2014, President Maduro ordered the arrest of Vivas, stating: “I have ordered the arrest of retired General Angel Vivas who ordered the placement of this wire.” [3] Fearful of a shootout wit...

  2013: Defying the United States, President Maduro Offered Asylum to Edward Snowden Edward Snowden was a National Security Agency (NSA) contractor. In June 2013 Snowden released thousands of NSA         classified documents to the press. The US filed espionage charges against him. Snowden was stranded at the Moscow airport. He sought asylum in Latin America. The US applied diplomatic pressure on countries to not offer asylum to Snowden: ·         “The United States is conducting a diplomatic full-court press to block Snowden from finding refuge in Latin America. Vice President Biden took the unusual step of telephoning President Correa of Ecuador to urge him not to give asylum to Snowden. And all across the region American embassies have communicated Washington’s message that helping Mr Snowden ‘would put relations in a very bad place for a long time to come .”[1] Bolivian President Evo Morales attended a ...

2021: UN Expert, Alena Douhan, Urged the United States to Drop Sanctions on Venezuela Dr Alena Douhan is a professor of International Law at the Belarusian State University. She took up the function of the UN Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures and Human Rights in March 2020. Douhan visited Venezuela from February 1 to February 12, 2021 at the invitation of the government. The purpose of the trip was to assess the impact of unilateral sanctions on human rights by Venezuelans. ·         “The Special Rapporteur met with the President and Vice-President, senior members of the Government, the judiciary and the legislature, and the heads of the various public services. She met representatives of political parties, trade unions, the private sector and the church. She had consultations with international organizations, national humanitarian organizations and other non-governmental organizations working in areas relating to health, educatio...