Narconews: Vicente Fox vs Hugo Chávez

Since his appearance at the latest Summit of the Americas in Argentina, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has drawn the ire of rightwing, U.S.-oriented politicians throughout Latin America embarrassed by his strong words. New pieces in Narco News look at conflicts that have seen local political elites in Mexico and Bolivia scramble for the Bush administration's approval.

First, Copublisher Erich Moncada responds to the high-profile tensions between Chávez and Vincente Fox, president of Moncada's native Mexico. Moncada writes:

"It is truly embarrassing that so many of my friends and acquaintances hear talk of Chávez and Venezuela and completely ignore the contemporary political history of that South American nation — the constant attempts at coups d'état and other actions by the U.S. against a people and its democratically-elected government. This stands in contrast to the impressive knowledge that the Venezuelans have of Mexican culture and history. Take for instance the coverage of the November 19 demonstration in Caracas from Radio Nacional de Venezuela. It was replete with allusions to President Juárez, to Francisco Villa and Emiliano Zapata, as well as to our national symbols and popular songs.

"It would seem then that they are the real Mexicans, not us. They are trying to wake us from our lethargy to take positions, because, for better or worse, next year there will be elections in both our country and in Venezuela. At stake will be two distinct visions of government: one that seeks to continue the current model of exploitation, and another that at least tries to moderate the brutal poverty in which more than half of Mexico suffers."

Read the full column here, in The Narco News Bulletin:

http://www.narconews.com/Issue39/article1495.html

Joining Fox in his attacks on Chávez this month is Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, a former Bolivian president who is widely considered the U.S. favorite in that country's upcoming elections. Luis Gómez writes today in his reporters' notebook that:

"It all started when don Tuto Quiroga decided to write a few letters to the Venezuelan president as part of his campaign, protesting what Quiroga considers interference in Bolivian politics. In a tone more doleful than firm, Quiroga has sent Hugo Chávez four missives. In the first, the candidate from the Democratic and Social Power ticket (abbreviated in Spanish as 'Podemos,' which also means 'we can') makes a series of political observations and a few criticisms, especially because Venezuela supported a Chilean for leader of the Organization of American States (OAS). That, according to Tuto, is contradictory to Chávez's declared support for Bolivia in its maritime dispute with Chile.

"In the second and third letters, the former Bolivian president keeps on singing his sea shanty about the Chileans; he also insists on Bolivian 'sovereignty,' because according to Quiroga, Hugo Chávez was threatening this with his declarations and biases (it's no secret to anyone that the Venezuelan president is a friend of Evo Morales). But things really get ugly in the third letter, because Quiroga concludes, without giving any proof, that Chávez has had power or influence in 'activating' the mobilizations that have shook Bolivia in past months: "It remains relevant that some international media have attributed to him a decisive influence in 'deactivating' the crisis that recently afflicted Bolivia. If someone has the power to 'deactivate,' one could infer that he also had something to do with the mobilizations' 'activation.'""

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2005/11/29/222437/39

From somewhere in a country called América,

Dan Feder
Managing Editor
The Narco News Bulletin
http://www.narconews.com

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