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JonQ (395 posts) Tue Nov-11-08 10:54 AMOriginal message Chavez mentions tanks if ally loses Venezuela vote CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's increasingly bellicose President Hugo Chavez warned that he may put tanks on the streets if a former television star running for his Socialist Party loses a state election this month.Chavez is expected to lose control of some key states and cities in the November 23 nationwide elections for governors and mayors.In Carabobo, where a Chavez loyalist and former late-night talk show host risks losing the governorship, Chavez told party activists he might use the tanks to "defend the people.""If you let the oligarchy return to government then maybe I'll end up sending the tanks of the armoured brigade out to defend the revolutionary government," he said late on Saturday.In recent weeks the former tank officer also has threatened to jail the country's top opposition leader, Manuel Rosales, whom he accuses of corruption and of plotting to kill him.Chavez frequently uses polarizing rhetoric as a campaign tactic to mobilise party activists to vote, but rarely carries through on his threats.But at a rally in Carabobo in September, Chavez said he was expelling the U.S. ambassador. It was his toughest action yet against Washington, which he accuses of trying to topple him.The president, who has spent billions of dollars on weapons from Russia in recent years, ordered tanks to the border with Colombia in March after Bogota attacked guerrillas in neighbouring Ecuador.Popular for social spending, Chavez was first elected 10 years ago. He and his allies won every vote after that until last year, when they lost a referendum to change the country's constitution.Since that defeat, Chavez has emphasized the importance of the upcoming elections. Widespread losses could weaken his position ahead of a new referendum he is expected to call in a bid to allow him to run again for president.Chavez allies won 22 of Venezuela's 24 states in 2004 elections. Pollsters estimate they are set to lose between three and eight states.Despite the fiery talk, Chavez quickly accepted defeat after he lost the referendum, which would have extended his powers over the oil-exporting nation.(Reporting by Enrique Andres Pretel; Writing by Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Xavier Briand)-----------------------------------Seems rather undemocratic to me. Which is odd, because every time I mention that Chavez is perhaps less than a freedom loving, democracy supporting saint I get lambasted as a nationalist, pro-bush, rightwing nutjob.Imagine for a moment if bush had proposed using the military to "protect the will of the people" if the elections happened to go against him. Now he may or may not carry through on this, that's not the point. The rhetoric and the thinking behind it are certainly concerning, even in jest the leader of a democracy shouldn't mention using military force to suppress the results of an election. Discuss.
OPERATIONMINDCRIME (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-11-08 11:04 AMResponse to Original message 4. **** Chavez. What A Piece Of Shit. How can people defend that? Can you imagine if bush made threats like that during our election?What a scumbag.
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Tue Nov 11th 2008, 11:22 AMResponse to Original message Advertisements [?] Ads by Google Welcome to Chez Hypocrisy My name is Snark and I'll be you're waiter tonight. Hypocrisy.com
mikehiggins (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Tue Nov-11-08 10:58 AMResponse to Original message2. I guess Chavez is learning from the master. W supposedly already has the power to do just that in this nation in time of crisis. Why should our buddies to the south operate differently?However, most likely Chavez is blowing smoke. It remains to be seen if the military would even obey an order like that, even if it were issued.Me, I'm always willing to let other countries handle their own affairs. There is no obligation outside of PNAC for us to be world cop. Let's us just concentrate on keeping our hands off and our troops out. THat works for me.
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