Chavez Warns of Resistance War With U.S.
 

Hugo is worried. The question is, should he?

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - President Hugo Chavez urged soldiers on Sunday to prepare for a guerrilla-style war against the United States, saying that Washington is using psychological and economic warfare as part of an unconventional campaign aimed at derailing his government.
Dressed in olive green fatigues and a red beret, Chavez spoke inside Tiuna Fort—Venezuela's military nerve-center—before hundreds of uniformed soldiers standing alongside armored vehicles and tanks decorated with banners reading: "Fatherland, Socialism, or Death! We will triumph!"

"We must continue developing the resistance war, that's the anti- imperialist weapon. We must think and prepare for the resistance war everyday," said Chavez, who has repeatedly warned that American soldiers could invade Venezuela to seize control of the South American nation's immense oil reserves.

U.S. officials reject claims that Washington is considering a military attack. But the U.S. government has expressed concern over what it perceives as a significant arms build-up here.

Chavez—a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro—told soldiers the Washington was trying to weaken and divide Venezuelan society, including the armed forces, without resorting to combat.

"It's not just armed warfare," said Chavez, a former army officer who is leading what he calls the "Bolivarian Revolution," a socialist movement named after 19th-century independence hero Simon Bolivar. "I'm also referring to psychological warfare, media warfare, political warfare, economic warfare."

Under Chavez, Venezuela has recently purchased some $3 billion worth of arms from Russia, including 53 military helicopters, 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles, 24 SU-30 Sukhoi fighter jets.

Last week, Chavez said he is considering arms purchases, including submarines and a missile-equipped air defense system, as he prepares for a tour of Russia, Belarus and Iran.

"We are strengthening Venezuela's military power precisely to avoid imperial aggressions and assure peace, not to attack anybody," he said Sunday.

Opposition leader Julio Borges condemned the president's interest in acquiring weapons, saying the government should focus on reducing violent crime in Venezuela, which has one of the highest homicide rates in Latin America.

"This isn't resolved with military purchases and foreign tours," Borges said. "This is resolved with the determination of having a country with justice."

Chavez is playing a political card. It works only because the United States government is so unpopular everywhere in the world. The real threat is that most major US oil providers are now unstable - especially Venezuela and Nigeria. Because the George Jr administration has even undermined American credibility (few trust what the US government says anymore), then Chavez who would be completely ignored by Latin America instead gains respect by playing these political cards.

Chavez is simply another symptom of an American government that has political agendas rather than intelligence. Even Uruguay, once a close American ally, has established diplomatic relations with Castro. Chavez is only another symptom of a mental midget president and his supporters who also see enemies hiding everywhere.

Wow, that is a new position.

Got ya in a: :apickle:

Should he be worried?

Yes, the US has messed up many socialistic regimes in the past and it is foolish to think that the US will not try to mess this one up either.

And remember, the US has to attack first for anything to go through...

Careful what you say. TheMercenary also may put you on George Jr's enemy's list for describing reality.

We have been told what the political agenda is. 'Resistance' is futile.

Considering that socialism is nearer the Borg than democracy is...

Chavez, as a socialist and therefore by definition hemipygian, needs to get pantsed, bent over a barrel, and... occupied.

Don't waste any time beginning the subversion. The less this guy's consolidation of power, the less of a mess he'll make of things.

That is very close-minded and arrogant.

Venezuela isn't the one making a mess of HALF THE WORLD!

You have a good point that Chavez destroys one country and Bush destroys many. Chavez will destroy many if given a chance and Bush gives him that chance by raising his profile among nations that resist American hegemony. Both men hate the individual and seek complete government control over humanity. At least Chavez is honest about his thuggery...

How has Chavez destroyed a country?

He got democratically elected three times and besides a dip in the early 2000's has been doing pretty well, for both the poor and capitalists.

He is getting a lot of revenue off of their oil (note, not Western oil companies' oil) and that money is being brought back into the country so everyone is benefiting from it, like I said before, even capitalists (that is actually the biggest sector in growth).

I don’t nessesarly agree with everything that Chavez has done but he hasn’t been as bad as the news reports him as. I didn’t agree with Venezuela’s decision to give him that much power because he is human (even though he has proven to be trusting in the past) but he hasn’t done anything that could be considered destroying a country.

Unless…you have a different opinion of what destroying a country is…

How can you support this notion? Chavez is a Marxist/Socialist.

When outside pollers check the last election it turned out he lost by 60%.
He shuts down free press.
He is a totalitarian dictator...
We should just cut him off completely and support, in any way we can, democratic rebels.

Merc, Pierce is a socalist... you have not figured this out yet?

So that makes it ok?

Some info on the grand support Chavez gets and the good work he is doing for "the people":

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_...pposition.html

How reliable is this? And I wouldn't be suprised, elections have been rigged in every country.

Most of the free press is still anti-Chavez. He shut down RCTV and it is justifiable and they are still able to broadcast on cable and sateliite so the people who can't watch it are most likely poor and would support Chavez anyways...

Be more specific.

But we ignore pro-western dicators that are worst than Chavez? How about we stop intervening with other countries' politics.

I don't follow any political philosophy...

If you post supportive statements of this idiots (Chavez) ideas of government as being a positive thing for the people than I would submit that you would in fact support a particular "political philosophy". You made your bed, support it.

No, I don't have too. I don't support communism but if a communist state made life better for the poor I would support that aspect of it. I support some ideas of capitialism and I do not support that philosophy as a whole.

Just because you support one aspect of a political philosophy does not mean you have support the whole thing. It is like saying just because I like Dennis Rodman's rebounding skills that I support all of Dennis's decisions.