[mgj-discuss] Protest US policy in Venezuela TOMORROW!

[Todd Tucker]

****************** PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY TO LOCAL LISTS 
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DENOUNCE US POLICY ON VENEZUELA
Where: 17th and Constitution, NW -- Organization of American States
When: Tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 13) at 9 AM
Bring: Pots and Pans to Bang for justice!

Area activists will bang pots and pans outside of the headquarters of the 
Organization of American States (OAS) 17th St. and Constitution Ave., NW 
tomorrow, Friday, December 13, at 9 a.m. to protest possible US 
intervention in Venezuela.  The congregants will have signs and chants that 
denounce the Bush Administration’s failure to state unequivocally its 
opposition to violent and unconstitutional overthrow of the democratically 
elected government of Venezuela.  This comes at a time when the OAS 
leadership is meeting to consider proposals to alter its policy in the country.

BACKGROUND

Venezuela is currently experiencing the longest sustained general strike in 
its history.  This strike has been coordinated by the richest sectors of 
Venezuelan society, some of which temporarily violently overthrew the 
democratically elected government of President Hugo Chávez in an April 11 
coup this year, and some of which have publicly called for similar 
unconstitutional measures in the current conflict.

On April 11, the head of the Chamber of Commerce was installed as head of 
the coup government, which was soon after recognized by the US 
government.  In fact, US diplomats met several times with opposition 
leaders in the months leading up to the coup, suggesting knowledge of 
subsequent events.  Furthermore, US government monies were sent to 
opposition groups in the year preceding the coup.  The State Department’s 
Office of the Inspector General, in its evaluation of US involvement in the 
April coup, wrote that these actions may have “been seen [by the coup 
plotters] as lending support to their efforts, notwithstanding our 
ritualistic denunciations of undemocratic and unconstitutional means.”

The December 13 protest at the OAS will denounce the Bush Administration’s 
silence on the issue of coup-plotters, which would seem to lend support to 
their violent and unconstitutional efforts.  The Bush administration and 
the OAS must declare that there would be no normal commercial and 
diplomatic relations with a coup-installed government, and that they will 
not use intervention in the affairs of the democratically elected 
government of Venezuela.

For more information on Venezuela, go to 
http://www.zmag.org/venezuela_watch.htm
Hasta la Victrola Siempre.

Todd Tucker
(202) 302-2817
tucker at cepr.net