Venezuela's challenge


Highlighted Story: "Venezuela's Internal affairs: a challenge to the US Policy Makers" By Luis FleischmanHugo Chavez's ambitious foreign policy is and continues to be a threat to US interests as well as to the peace and stability of the region. As we, at the America's Report, have extensively reported, Chavez seeks not only to consolidate absolute power at home but also expand his ideological agenda abroad which consists of duplicating his regime in neighboring countries. After two Colombian military operations that uncovered Chavez' long-suspected support for the FARC, the Venezuelan leader is trying to give the impression of being a "changed man" fearing that in the local elections that will take place on November 23, the Chavistas may lose. To avoid this outcome he gave instructions to the country's general comptroller to illegally disqualify more than 400 candidates for office. It has been reported that Chavez has given $33 billion abroad to influence the electoral processes of neighboring countries by supporting populist, pro--Chavez presidential candidates. Hugo Chavez and allies: Rafael Correa (Ecuador) and Evo Morales (Bolivia)Furthermore, the foreign policy of this new alliance is to achieve not only economic independence from the United States but also remove American influence from the region. At the same time he seeks to establish alliances with countries that are either hostile to the US, such as Iran and radical Islam or that compete for global influence with the United States like China and Russia. After two Colombian military operations that uncovered Chavez' long-suspected support for the FARC and liberated the ex-presidential hopeful, Ingrid Betancourt, from a six year old captivity at the hands of the FARC, Chavez is trying to give the impression of being a "changed man" (as Libya did it a few years ago). Chavez flew to Colombia to meet with President Alvaro Uribe and spoke of peace and conciliation. Only a few months earlier Chavez threatened Colombia with military action. Afterwards he met with Spain's King Juan Carlos in a conciliatory effort. This followed after last year's Spanish-American summit, when the Spanish King urged him "to shut up." These mollifying moves are inspired by Chavez's correct perception that the West may see this as a sign of real change as similar gestures by thugs like Colonel Muhamar Khadaffi of Libya have done. Chavez is very much afraid that in the local elections that will take place on November 23 in Venezuela the Chavistas may lose. If this happens this will represent another setback for Chavez and a delay in his attempt to exercise total control over his country. That opportunity was denied to him last December when he lost a referendum that would have given him the right to be re-elected for life plus other presidential powers. Thus, Chavez is dreaming of a great electoral victory that could provide him with the power to consolidate his domestic absolutism and then continue to expand his influence beyond his own borders.