3-08-06, 9:07 am
VENEZUELAN President Hugo Chavez's firm rebuff to those plotting to dismember his country in the interests of energy transnational corporations reflects, doubtless, the sentiments of the Venezuelan people.
Their government's ability to invest in education, health and economic development has been enhanced by Venezuela's appreciable oil and gas reserves.
But these riches are not simply a means of assisting national development. They are also a magnet for greedy overseas interests and their hangers-on in Venezuela.
US energy corporations are used to Washington using military force, both overt and covert, to overthrow Third World governments which adopt the view that their national resources ought to benefit their own people rather than foreign companies.
Rare is the Latin American state that has not witnessed US marines landing on its territory to make it safe for US corporations to run tropical fruit plantations or extract essential minerals.
Venezuela has learned a positive lesson from the people of Cuba, who have displayed their readiness over the past 47 years to arm themselves and defend their independence against any invader.
That Venezuela's president remains in office and that the Bolivarian revolution, with which he is associated, is still on course speaks volumes for the popular support that he has been able to count on.
Imperialism and its local surrogates have attempted to overthrow President Chavez by means of a coup d' etat, a general strike cum lockout and an economic crisis engendered by sabotaging the state-owned oil industry and by forcing up food prices beyond the capacity of the government's poor supporters to pay.
Venezuela has countered these violations of its people's rights by a two-pronged counter-attack.
The first is to improve living standards and human rights at home by setting up retail outlets for essential supplies that undercut the prices demanded by the monopolists and by taking steps to improve education and public health.
The second is to work to unite the entire region in opposition to imperialism's machinations, often addressing the people over the heads of their leaders.
Central to this has been the alliance with Cuba, which Tony Blair has criticised, lecturing both states on adhering to the standards of the 'international community,' which is political shorthand for the White House and its cheerleaders, especially our Prime Minister.
A growing number of Labour MPs refuse to subscribe to this Made in Washington view of the world, with over 80 already backing an early day motion urging a different direction.
If Mr Blair wants to find out more about how a relatively small country can survive with an independent outlook, he could do worse than give a hearing to Cuban deputy foreign minister Eumelio Caballero Rodriguez when he speaks, with Labour MPs Colin Burgon and Ian Gibson, at the House of Commons tonight.
From Morning Star
