COI-177 Friday Edition

7/27/2019 COI-177 Friday Edition

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ENGLISH EDITION/The artillery of ideasINTERNATIOFriday, September 20, 2013 |N176|Caracas |www.correodelorinoco.gob.veLatin Americansshine at UNAs the 68th General

Assembly of the United

Nations in New York City

got underway this week,

the delegations from Latin

American fired up the

meeting by planting clear,

strong, and unequivocal

challenges to US hegemony

and pushing for a

democratic restructuration

of the international body.

In a unified fashion, Latin

American leaders spoke

out in favor of a peaceful

resolution to the US-generate crisis in Syria,

while condemning not

just the use of chemical

weapons there, but

anywhere.page 5

Security

Venezuela makes arrestsin Air France drug case

Nearly a dozen officials

were arrested in Venezuela

after 1.3 tons of cocaine

were found on an Air

France flight.page 3

Integration

Venezuela signs UNaccord to protectthe disabled

The Convention on the

Rights of Persons with

Disabilities was signed

at the UN.page 4

Politics

More US-Venezuelatensions

Venezuelan PresidentMaduro cancelled his

UN trip after visa and

flight problems caused

by the US. page 6

Analysis

US urged to curb militarizationin Latin Americapage 7

Opinion

Obama at the UN: A defenseof imperial aggressionpage 8

Venezuela and China forgestrategic alliance of the future

US citizens laudMaduros peaceinitiatives

T/ Minci

In the context of Sy

ing the main topic o

agenda for the 68th S

of the UN General Ass

US citizens have been

ing President Nicol

duros initiatives for p

Les Sumner trusts th

General Assembly wi

important measures

ing to Syria, as well as

a global consensus on

needs to be done to elim

chemical weapons.

He lauded the cal

peace from Presiden

duro and Russian Pre

Vladimir Putin.

Any peaceful me

that can be taken to st

massacre is valid. I

to see consensus in p

from the US, Europ

South America: Vene

Colombia to reach

cord to solve this pea

ly, he said.

Another US c

Marcella Lowney, ciates that Maduro

for equality and the

of the people not onl

national level, but in

tionally as well.

Puerto Rican Danie

chez, who grew up

US, noted that the mo

portant issue at han

the UN was the situat

tween Syria and the U

States, and that he su

Venezuelan and Ru

peace proposals.

He suggests that th

a chance that US Pre

Barack Obama will s

intervention in Syriadopt the more pe

stance shown by cou

like Venezuela and Ru

Nobody wants

The world wants to l

peace, he said.

Fellow Puerto Rican

Camacho knows tha

UN must address the S

Conflict. We want

Why would we go t

when what we need

and food? he question

Venezuelan head of state Nicolas Maduro has strengthened his countrys strategic alli-

ance with China, signing 27 agreements worth over $20 billion during a state visit to Bei-

jing. Weve sealed the strategic alliance of the future, an alliance for economic develop-

ment, prosperity, and the happiness of our peoples, declared Maduro as he left China on

Tuesday. The state visit, running from September 21 to 24, was Maduros first to the Asiannation as Venezuelan President.Pg. 2

India & Venezuelato grow energy relations

Citing the increasing appetite for crude at Indian

refineries, Indias minister for petroleum and naturalgas has requested long-term supplies from Vene-zuela. M. Veerappa Moily met with Rafael Ramirez,Venezuel as ministe r o f energy and mines, who led a

delegation to India for a review of cooperation in thehydrocarbons sector.

Indian representatives cited difficulties related to pri-cing and signing of term contracts for importation of cru-

de from Venezuela. Ramirez encouraged Indian compa-nies to increase participation and invited them to attenda meeting in Venezuela Oct. 7-9. Ramirez assured his

audience that all issues would be discussed in detail toarrive at mutually acceptable solutions.

Both agreed to completing a comprehensive package that

would also include participation by Indian companies in pro-viding expertise for infrastructure and technology, and forboosting trade in goods and services.


2/8

The artillery of ideas2 Impact | .sFriday, September 27, 2013

T/ Ewan Robertson

P/ Presidential Press

Venezuelan head of state

Nicolas Maduro has

strengthened his countrys

strategic alliance with China,

signing 27 agreements worth

over $20 billion during a state

visit to Beijing.

Weve sealed the strate-

gic alliance of the future, an

alliance for economic devel-

opment, prosperity, and the

happiness of our peoples, de-

clared Maduro as he left Chi-

na on T uesday. The state v isit,

running from September 21 to

24, was Maduros first to the

Asian nation as Venezuelan

President.

On Sunday the XII meeting

of the Venezuela China High

Level Mixed Commission took

place, during which accords

were signed representing over

$20 billion of Chinese invest-

ment in Venezuela.

In petroleum, state oil com-

panies Petroleos de Venezuela

(PDVSA) and Chinas CNPC

will develop a new project in

the Junin 10 bloc of the Orino-

co Belt worth $14 billion, which

will produce 220,000 bpd. An

agreement was also reached

to form a mixed company be-

tween PDVSA and SINOPECto exploit the Junin 1 bloc.

Meanwhile the Chinese De-

velopment Bank approved a

new credit line of $5 billion

for Venezuela, which will be

administered by the Venezu-

ela-China Joint Fund, estab-

lished in 2007.

With this credit we will fi-

nance [projects in] housing, ag-

riculture, transport, industry,

highways, electricity, mining,

healthcare, science and tech-

nology, Maduro announced

through Twitter.

Another important invest-

ment commitment from Chi-

na is assistance and fundingof $700 mil lion for a project to

map out mining sites in Ven-

ezuela, and for the engineer-

ing, study and feasibility for

the mining of the Las Cristi-

nas gold deposits, one of the

biggest in the region.

In an agreement signed

between Venezuelas state

petrochemical company

Pequiven and the Chinese

Export-Import Bank (Exim-

bank), China will invest $391

million in the construction

of a maritime port at Moron,

Carabobo state, for the ex-

port of Venezuelan urea and

ammonia.

In a meeting with Chinese

President Xi Jinping on Sun-

day, Maduro highlighted

Venezuelas commitment toratify and widen the strategic

alliance and joint development

of mutual resources that our

dear Comandante and eternal

father Hugo Chavez knew how

to construct.

For his part, Xi Jinping

welcomed the state visit as a

boost so that relations [with

Venezuela] can ascend to a

new level.

Accords were also signed in

the areas of education, agricul-

ture, culture, technology, di-

saster response and diplomatic

cooperation.

An agenda for cultural ex-

change between the two govern-

ments was agreed for 2014-2016,

with Venezuela hoping to attract

more Chinese tourists. In 2014

the two countries will mark the40th anniversary since diplo-

matic relations began.

During Maduros visit he

also engaged in a range of

other official engagements.

On Monday the Venezuelan

President addressed members

of the Chinese Community

Party on the topic of the Con-

struction of Bolivarian Social-

ism, where he described the

current era as the search for

the socialist alternative of the

21st century, from the old and

decadent capitalist neoliberal

formulas of the past.

A GROWING ALLIANCE

Venezuelan-Chinese relations

have greatly expanded over the

previous decade. A strategic

relationship was pursued with

China from 2003 by former Pres-ident Hugo Chavez, who saw

China as a partner for economic

development and as part of a

new multi-polar world order

to counteract the hegemony of

the United States.

China likewise has engaged

with Venezuela as a source of oil

to fuel its rapid industrialization

and as an important partner in

the South American region.

As a result, since 2003 China

has provided Venezuela with

$36 billion dollars in credit for

domestic investment, $20 bil-

lion of which has already been

paid back in the form of oil

shipments.In return Venezuela has in-

creased oil shipments to China

as part of the diversification of

its export markets, and is cur-

rently committed to sending

640,000 barrels per day (bpd),

264,000 of which are used for

credit repayment.

Meanwhile the signing of

over 300 accords has seen co-

operation deepen in all fields,

with bilateral trade increasing

from $350 million in 2000 to

$23 billion last year.

Venezuelan President Maduro sealsstrategic alliance with China

Further, Venezue

mon Bolivar and Fra

Miranda satellites w

built and launched w

nese assistance.

On Sunday Presid

duro offered a speech i

where he proposed t

governments form a

planning commission

out the development o

elas alliance with Chthe next ten years.

Lets visualize the

years in each area of

tion under the princip

constructed; of mutua

shared gain, gradual

fect planning and max

ficiency, he said.

The Venezuelan

also predicted that by

of the current decade V

will have established a

tury socialist econom

Venezuela will be rid

the longed-for dream

nomic development,

sustainability, [and] di

tion, and Im sure it w

ing alongside its bro

Peoples Republic of Ch

Maduro argued tha

the main challenges

ezuelas economic dev

is to overcome depen

oil exports, and as s

that agreements sign

China were a commit

a challenge.

Its with China, as

dante Chavez visualize

years ago, that Venez

move through the 21s

as a century of deve

opportunity and di

tion, he added.

INSINCERE OPPOSITIO

CRITICISM REJECTED

While Venezuelas

tive train was in Be

right-wing opposition

criticized bilateral rel

selling Venezuela to

nese. One of the most p

opposition figures mak

comments was lawm

ria Carina Machado, a

conservative who par

in the 2002 coup attemp

the Chavez governmen

a private meeting wit

W Bush in 2004.

Pro-government lRobert Serra respond

comments on Monda

that the opposition had

manner of sincerity.

Speaking on public

VTV, he added, Jus

with whom they lef

sponsibility to say we

ing the countryth

[Maria Corina Mach

went and knelt dow

the most public murd

the United States as e

George Bush ju nior


3/8

The artillery of ideas.sFriday, September 27, 2013 | Secur

T/ Ryan Mallett-Outtrim

Venezuelan authorities have ar-rested eight military personnelin connection to 1.3 tons of cocaine

found on an Air France flight from

Venezuela.

On Saturday, French officials an-

nounced that 31 suitcases filled with

cocaine had been seized at Charles De

Gaulle Airport in Paris. French Inte-

rior Minister Manuel Valls estimated

that the hauls street value was around

50 million euros, though some estimates

by legal sources have been as high as

200 million euros.

The flight had arrived in Paris afterdeparting on September 10 from Ca-

racas. On Sunday, Venezuelas public

ministry announced that three arrests

had been made.

The Bolivarian National Guards

(GNB) sergeants Vctor Sanabria

Ramrez and Nelson Rojas Rodrguez,

along with Lieutenant Jose Gonzalez

Ruiz appeared in court this week.

These are the first arrests, Jus-

tice and Interior Minister Miguel Ro-

driguez told state broadcaster VTV

earlier this week.

Then on Tuesday, five more GNB

troops were arrested including a

lieutenant colonel, along with an air-

port security guard and a baggage

handler. Rodriguez stated that from

China, President Nicolas Maduro

called on authorities to apply the

maximum weight of the law to those

responsible.

Our desire is fierce and strong, and

we will bring the full weight of the law

to any official ...responsible for this,

Rodriguez affirmed.

According to the minister, it is al-

most obvious that airline or airport

staff may have been complicit in thealleged smuggling operation. We

are investigating how the drugs came

to Maiquetia ( International A irport)

and how they could get on the plane

without being detected, he said.

How could a cocaine shipment

reach France and get taken out with-

out going through the normal con-

trols? He questioned.

This week, investigators began re-

viewing footage from security camer-

as at the Maiquetia airport. Already,

however, over 20 people have been

questioned in relation to the incident,

according to the minister.

In a press release, Air France stated

that it was unaware of how the drugs

were allegedly smuggled aboard the

flight last week, but indicated that it has

launched its own internal investigation.

Pending the results of these inves-

tigations, immediate measures have

been taken to enhance our checks of

baggage and goods on departure from

certain sensitive destinations, the

statement read.

According to French police, the

suitcases were registered under false

names that didnt match up with theflights passenger manifest.

Valls described the haul as the big-

gest seizure of cocaine ever made in

mainland France. The minister also

stated on Monday that several mem-

bers of a criminal organization had

been arrested by French authorities.

The arrests were made due to an inter-

national effort by authorities in France,

the Netherlands, Spain and the United

Kingdom, Valls has said.

According to Rodriguez, the alleged

smuggling operation was lead by a

European group who buy narcot

South America.

VENEZUELAS FIGHT AGAINST COCA

United Nations monitors do not cer Venezuela a cocaine producing

try. The coca leaf, from which the n

ic is derived, is mostly grown in cou

like Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

However, Venezuelas geogr

position makes it a convenient

sit route for cocaine bound for

American and European marke

cording to some narcotics analyst

Washington has become increa

critical of Venezuelan counter-nar

efforts, particularly since the U

States Drug Enforcement Agency

was removed from the country in

under former President Hugo C

following allegations that DEA a

had engaged in espionage.

However, according to Presidecolas Maduro, since 2005 Vene

has significantly improved its

drug efforts.

Last year, one of Colombias mos

mous druglords Daniel Crazy Ba

was captured in Venezuela by loc

curity forces working alongside C

bian, US and British counterparts.

Along with Barrera, between 20

2013 the heads of more than 100 nar

organizations have been apprehen

Venezuelan authorities, according

National Anti-Drug Office (ONA).

T/ Paul Dobson

P/ Agencies

There cant be full exploitation of

the potential of tourism without

citizen security, so declared Com-

mander of the Police Forces, and Minister

of the Interior, Justice and Peace, Rodri-

guez Torres this week, speaking from the

tourist destination of Falcon.

The Minister underlined the necessity

of tackling crime levels to facilitate the

opening of the numerous tourist destina-

tions that Venezuela has, both to local and

international tourists. Venezuela is con-

sidered one of the most potential nations

in Latin America for tourism, boasting

Caribbean coastline, Amazon rainforest,

Andean Mountains, desert, plains, some

of the most diverse flora and fauna, and of

course the highest waterfall in the world,

Angel Falls. However worries about secu-

rity have held international tourism back

in recent years.

Falcon State, he explained as an exam-

ple, is that which counts with the high-

est potential for the development of tour-

ism in the country, with its stunning

Caribbean beaches and islets. However

Venezuela makes arrests after French

authorities make record cocaine haul

Fight against crime will allow developmentof tourism explains Interior Minister

it has a serious problem with crime

which is hindering its development.

This is where we come in, the Plan Se-

cure Nation, explained the Police Chief.

It is our responsibility, the security

forces, to safeguard the tourist destina-

tions and guarantee tourists security.

In recent weeks, numerous pilot pro-

grams have got off the ground which

will train police forces in tourism, teach-

ing them, amongst other things, how to

treat a tourist, how to safeguard a tour-

ist hotspot, and what special problems

tourism brings in the security field.

The (training) program looks to

promote the integral security of na-

tional and international tourists,

explained the Minister for Tourism,

Andres Izarra.

Both the National Bolivarian Police

Force (PNB) and the National Experi-

mental University of Security (UNES)

will be collaborating in this training

drive, which forms part of the Great

Mission A Life to All Venezuela and

its subprogram Plan Secure Nation so

launched by President Maduro.

The dean of UNES, Soraya El Ach-

kar, explained that the principal

training school for the police forces is

committed to developing programs

of tourism which allow us to attend to

the security needs in the poin

the highest flow of tourists.Furthermore, UNES is thinkin

offering a Higher University Dip

Tourism Police, with the idea of s

ening the tourism industry.

The pilot training will start

States of Nueva Esparta, Arag

con, and Sucre along the Ca

coastline, the Andean State of T

and the Amazon. The course l

months and wi ll eventually be d

in all of the States, which have p

in tourism.

This (past) Saturday, Inter

Day of the Beaches, we start(ed) th

ing in tourism of the PNB in A

tweeted Governor of the entity, an

terior Minister, Tareck El Aissam

Izarra underlined that the tra

tourism of the security forces is

ly in line with international sta

and that he has achieved the pa

tion of the World Tourism Organ

to accompany us, which will allo

impart this training according t

national standards. Tourist Po

common in other Latin Americ

day destinations such as Bueno

and Bogota.


4/8

The artillery of ideas4 Integration | .sFriday, September 27, 2013

T/ Ryan Mallett-Outtrim

P/ Agencies

South African Minister of

International Relations

and Cooperation Maite

Emily Nkoana-Mashabane has

praised Venezuelas efforts to

eradicate poverty, following a

meeting with Venezuelan For-

eign Affairs Minister Elias

Jaua last week.

There are many lessons we

can learn from [Venezuela],

Nkoana-Mashabane stated last

Thursday, according to AVN.

We can eradicate poverty,

we can share in the experience

of how to benefit from mineral

resources, she said.

In particular, Nkoana-

Mashabane highlighted Ven-

ezuelas efforts to reduce hun-

ger. In June, Venezuela was

awarded by the United Nations

Food and Agriculture Orga-

nization (FAO) for more than

halving hunger. People must

have food security in order to

defend themselves financially,

Nkoana-Mashabane stated.

Along with poverty allevia-

tion, according to the South

African Government News

Agency, the purpose of the

visit [was] to strengthen bilat-

eral relations and cooperation

in the areas of energy, mining,agriculture, education, as well

as arts and culture.

The two ministers also re-

portedly discussed a proposed

Africa-South America Coop-

eration Fund, aimed at boost-

ing trade between the two

continents. Another item on

the agenda was discussion of

ways to deepen ties between the

Venezuelan state oil company

PDVSA and its South African

counterpart, PetroSA.

Nkoana-Mashabane also met

with Venezuelan Minister for

Defense Carmen Melendez to

discuss possible future bilater-

al defense initiatives. In a pressrelease, the South African

Department of International

Relations and Cooperation de-

scribed the trip as successful.

The visit has gone a long

way towards solidifying politi-

cal, economic and cultural rela-

tions between South Africa and

Venezuela, Nkoana-Masha-

bane stated.

Following his meeting with

the South African minister,

Jaua spoke of the historic im-

portance of Africa to Venezu-

T/ Venezuelan Mission to

the United Nations

P/ Presidential Press

Venezuela signed the Con-vention on the Rights ofPersons with Disabilities and

its Optional Protocol Tues-

day at the seat of the UN in

New York.

Venezuela signed UN document

for the protection of people with disabilities

The adoption of this UN in-

strument began in 2006, and it

came into force in 2008.

This convention reaffirms

that all persons with disabili-

ties must enjoy all human rights

and fundamental liberties.

At the event, the Venezu-

elan Permanent Representa-

tive to the UN Samuel Mon-

cada said in his speech the

following: the signing of this

document is a cornerstone in

the social and revolutionary

project that Venezuela is going

through, in support and de-

fence of the fundamental rights

of the people with disabilities.

Venezuela has created legal

instruments which protect

people with disabilit

as the People with D

Act of 2006, which am

aspects states that pedisabilities must have

free medical assistanc

access to public trans

adequate representati

work place.

Ambassador Monc

ed in his speech that

past, many childre

not attend school bec

country did not have

infrastructure to tak

them, due to their dis

However, in recent y

revolutionary Govern

Venezuela has deliv

purpose-built public

classrooms designed t

modate the disabledclassrooms have allow

than 3,800 children w

abilities to attend scho

In addition to the Pe

Disability Act, the Ve

Government set up

Jose Gregorio Hern

2008, which on provid

diate care to the peo

disabilities, and trai

cal doctors and physic

pists in the causes, pr

treatment and socia

of disabilities.

Venezuela and South Africa pledgeto deepen bilateral cooperation

ela. The supreme Comandante

Hugo Chavez vindicated our Af-

rican origins and overturned a

colonial discourse of the moth-

er Spain to a mother which is

Africa and to our indigenous

peoples, Jaua stated.

From that recognition of our

cultural roots, Chavez devel-

oped a strategy of rapproche-

ment and cooperation with

the peoples of Africa, he said.

Under former President Hugo

Chavez, Venezuela pursued

deeper trade and diplomatic ties

with the African continent.

In 2005 Venezuela had 10

embassies in Africa, in 2008 it

had 18. Today, there are 30 Ven-

ezuelan embassies across the

continent. Chavez himself also

traveled to a number of African

states never previously visited

by a Venezuelan President, in-

cluding Algeria, Libya, Mozam-

bique, Angola, Mali, Gambia

and Benin.

Venezuelas renewed inter-

est in the continent came dur-

ing a period of expanding in-

tercontinental trade

Africa and South A

In 2002 trade between

continents was worth

US$7.2 billion; by 201

ure had ballooned to

US$39.4 billion.

Todays trade rela

between South Afr

Venezuela is based la

raw materials. South

main export to VeneFerro-vanadium, wh

ezuela supplies Sout

with oil.

In 2008, the two c

signed a Framework

ment on Cooperation

boosting trade and d i

relations.

This week, Venez

gaged in further ta

African leaders at a

of foreign ministers o

rica-South America

tion Forum, which

on the sidelines of

session of the United

General Assembly.

According to Nkoan

bane, the two ministe

to meet again in early

There are a lot of

alities between our tw

tries as we are both de

countries. Our coope

guided by the principl

tual interest, econom

opment and total er

of poverty, the South

minister said.


5/8

The artillery of ideas.sFriday, September 27, 2013 | Internatio

T/ Paul Dobson

P/ AFP

As the 68th General Assem-

bly of the United Nations in

New York City got under-

way this week, the delegations

from Latin American fired up

the meeting by planting clear,

strong, and unequivocal chal-

lenges to US hegemony and

pushing for a democratic re-

structuration of the interna-

tional body.

Contributions from Bolivia,

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Co-lombia, Peru, and Uruguay

were publicized live on Tele-

sur, while Venezuelan Presi-

dent Maduro was conspicu-

ous by his absence, despite a

planned visit which was can-

celled at the last minute.

SYRIA

In a unified fashion, Latin

American leaders spoke out in

favor of a peaceful resolution to

the US-generate crisis in Syria,

while condemning not just the

use of chemical weapons there,

but anywhere.

Argentine President Cristi-

na Fernandez told the Assem-bly, there are no just wars,

the only justice is in peace,

and compared those pushing

for war to those who activated

the chemical weapons by ask-

ing, What difference is there

between death by chemical

arms or by bombing?

Brazilian President Dilma

Rousseff asserted that, we re-

ject unilateral interventions

which only aggravate the po-

litical instability in the regional

and increase human suffering.

The poetic contribution of

the Uruguayan President Jose

Pepe Mujica stressed the role

of humanity in its own devel-

opment, and explained that

the path to follow must be one

of peace: man, while he lives

in a climate of War, lives in

prehistoric times, pitting man

against man.

UN REFORM

We cant live in a world

where everything depends on

what just 1 or 2 people decide,

explained Kirchner, referringto the antidemocratic nature

of the UN Security Council.

We need a genuinely demo-

cratic world.

There is a necessity to re-

form and amplify the Security

Council, Peruvian President

Ollanta Humala added, so as to

much better reflect the reali-

ties of the 21st century.

Chilean President and US

ally, Sebastian Piera, backed

also the calls: At the end of

the day, if we push for democ-

racy, dialogue, and partici-

pation when governing our

countries, I dont see any rea-

son not to apply these sameprinciples and values when

adopting decisions which af-

fect the entire world.

The main candidate to be

included as a permanent

member of an extended Se-

curity Council is Brazil,

who told the Assembly, The

council should urgently look

for independent and con-

structive voices. Only if we

increase the number of per-

manent and non-permanent

members and we include

those countries which are in

a process of development will

we be able to solve and over-

come the lack of representa-

tion and legitimacy.

From Venezuela, President

of the Latin American Parlia-

ment, Rodrigo Cabezas agreed.

The General Assembly should

be established as the maximum

voice and it should be based

on the concept of 1 country, 1

vote, so that if the General As-

sembly takes a decision, then

the Security Council cannot

come and modify it.

RELOCATION

Referring to recurrent CIA

backed attempts on the lives

of anti-imperialist Presi-

dents, Bolivian President Mo-

rales proposed a relocation

of the UN away from US soil

for security reasons. Truly,

here we dont feel safe I am

seriously asking the Presi-

dents to think about chang-

ing the headquarters.

Furthermore, the location

encourages the US to behave

like the boss of the UN, he

explained. As he is the head

of the household, PresidentObama speaks as the police-

man, as the boss, as the own-

er of t he world.

US CYBER-SPYING

Following leaked evidence

of CIA spying on Brazilian

oil firms last week, President

Rousseff launched a scathing

attack on the US. It is a vio-

lation of our Human Rights

and a lack of respect for the

sovereignty of our nation,

she declared.

UN General Assembly: Southern pacifists shinas Northern Nobel Peace Encourages war

What we have in front of

us is a grave case of the viola-

tion of civil liberties, a case of

invasion, of the collection of

confidential and secretive in-

formation related to business

dealings.

She went on to demand

explanations, apologies,

and guarantees that this

wont happen again. Barak

Obama, speaking directly

after her blasting speech,

made no mention to the case,

nor offered any apology or

just if icat ion for his gover n-ments actions.

Unanimously, the Latin

American Presidents backed

her criticisms and calls for ac-

tion against the arrogant stance

of the US.

President Fernandez de-

scribed the US as being off

the lease, and Morales af-

firmed, there is a lot of cyni-

cism when Obama speaks of

just ice, of liber ty, of peac e,

as if he were the owner of

the planet. Here there are no

owners of the planet, each

country has its own sover-

eignty and dignity.

The Ecuadorian Foreign Min-ister Ricardo Patio, speaking

outside of the UN meeting, de-

scribed Obamas contribution

as more like thirty minutes of

a world police report.

CAPITALISM IS THE PROBLEM

In an eloquent contribu-

tion; Uruguay President

Mujica injected a touch of

humanism and environmen-

talism to the meeting, criti-

cizing capitalism for reduc-

ing us to consumers, sewing

anti-values responsi

warmongering, and r

ing human and scient

velopment while des

the environment.

I am from the south

come from the south to

sembly I bring with

millions of poor coun

in the cities of Latin A

which is the common

we are making. With

cultures trampled ov

remains of colonialism

useless blockades, w

consequences of elecvigilance which doesnt

thing else other than se

of trust which envenom

come with the giant soc

the need to defend the A

and of Colombia whi

achieve its peace, Muj

the Assembly.

We believe that th

is crying out for global

for a brutal cultural ch

neither the great States

transnationals, and de

not the financial system

govern the human wo

asserted.

Combatting the dirty

my, the drug running, bery and fraud, the cor

contemporary plagues

ming from these ant

this is what makes us

which enriches us.

Other issues raised

Latin American nation

the defense of the Pale

demands for Stateho

failure of Chevron to

billion to the Ecuadori

ernment for damages

Amazon rainforest; a

drive for peace in Colom


6/8

The artillery of ideas6 Politics | .sFriday, September 27, 2013

T/ Ewan Robertson

P/ Agencies

Venezuela has rejected the

United States version of

events in the dispute over

President Nicolas Maduros

passage through US airspace

last Friday.

The diplomatic fallout

reached media attention when

Venezuelan foreign minister

Elias Jaua told reporters that

President Maduro had been de-

nied permission to fly through

US airspace.

According to Venezuelan of-

ficials, the presidential flight

was prohibited from passing

over Puerto Rico, with President

Maduro considering changing

the flight path to reach Paris,

France. However after hurried

diplomatic talks permission was

eventually granted for the flight

to pass through US airspace.

The flights final destination

is Beijing, China, where Ma-

duro will conduct a state visit.

US STATEMENT

In a diplomatic statement

emitted Friday by the United

States Embassy in Caracas,

the US denied prohibiting the

Venezuelan Presidents pas-

sage through its airspace, and

blamed any delays in grantingpassage on the Venezuelan gov-

ernment for not properly sub-

mitting the flight request.

The statement said that Vene-

zuela had only submitted the in-

ternational flight request with

one days notice, when three are

required. Further, the US diplo-

mats argued that approval was

delayed because the [presiden-

tial] plane in question was not a

state aircraft, which is required

for diplomatic clearance.

We advised Venezuela on the

correct way to get the clearance

and notified their authorities

last night that permission was

granted, the statement read.

RESPONSE

Venezuelas top diplomat

in Washington, Calixto Or-

tega, rejected the US version

of events, affirming in a call to

state channel VTV that the US

had indeed denied Maduros

passage through its airspace.

The permission was denied.

I have the denial in writing. We

had to have a series of conversa-

tions [to gain clearance for the

flight], he said.

Ortega also disagreed with

the arguments put forward for

the delay in granting permis-

sion to enter US airspace, ex-

plaining that the plane, route

and flight request were exactly

the same as in June when Ma-

duro passed over Puerto Rico

en route to Italy for a diplomatictour of Europe.

Its the same plane, with

the same crew, and exactly the

same route made, [and in June]

a permission request [was] im-

mediately approved, he ex-

plained.

The Venezuelan diplomat

argued that Venezuela would

need to keep very aware of

the possibility such moves by

the US in the future, saying that

they took us by surprise. He

also criticized press in Europe

for favoring the US version of

events in the dispute.

In addition, Ortega voiced

concerns that the US wouldrepeat last nights action dur-

ing the following week, when

Maduro had planned to travel

to New York to attend the Unit-

ed Nations General Assembly

meeting.

Venezuela has further ac-

cused the US of denying visas

to members of its delegation to

the UN gathering.

Samuel Moncada, Venezu-

elas ambassador to the UN,

sent a letter to UN General

Secretary Ban Ki Moon re-

questing the UN ensure the

US strictly fulfill its interna-

tional obligations.

In the letter, Moncada ac-

cused the US government of

deliberately delaying the ap-

proval of entry permits to

members of Maduros diplo-

matic team, and of trying tocreate logistical barr iersto

his [ Maduros] visit.

US State Department spokes-

person Marie Harf denied the

accusation, stating to journal-

ists, No visa has been denied

to the Venezuelan delegation to

the United Nations General As-

sembly this year.

INTERNATIONAL CONCERN

The apparent denial of Pres-

ident Maduros request to fly

through US airspace has gen-

Venezuela rejects US version of Maduroairspace prohibition dispute

erated criticism from Venezu-

elas regional allies.

Bolivian President Evo Mo-

rales requested an emergen-

cy meeting of the Commu-

nity of Latin American and

Caribbean States (CELAC),

saying that he would propose

that all member states of thebloc withdraw their ambas-

sadors from the US in protest.

CELAC brings together every

state in the Western Hemi-

sphere with the exception of

the US and Canada.

If its with Maduro, its with

everyone. The United States

must know that if it messes

with Maduro, it messes with

the whole Latin American peo-

plebecause this is about the

unity and sovereignty of our

peoples, he said.

Meanwhile, Cuban

minister Bruno Rcalled US conduct

able, arbitrary and un

which offends the whol

America and the Carib

Rodriguez said tha

member states were

ing the issue, and wou

it up at the UN Genera

bly meeting. Cuba is c

the pro tempore pre

the CELAC.

The fallout comes a

Morales presidential p

denied airspace acces

European countries

under supposed suspic

the flight harboured

intelligence leaker

Snowden.

Further, this week

president Dilma Rous

celled her scheduled s

to the US in October, a

ly due to concerns ove

spying activities towa

revealed by Snowdens

Venezuelan relation

US have remained dis

the two countries hav

an exchange of amb

since 2010. The brief

to improve relations

ing Maduros election

was brought to a close

ezuela in July, after thambassador to the U

unacceptable and un

comments about the

elan government.

CANCELLED TRIP

President Maduro

cancelled his trip to

General Assembly

York due to a perce

safe situation with th

States. Though he wa

uled to speak before

eral Assembly on We

his plane diverted

returning from a st

to China, and instead

ing in New York, flewto Caracas. Maduro

merous biltateral

planned at the UN a

an anticipated gather

local grassroots organ

and activists in the B

His cancellation ra

cerns about whether

United Nations head

should be moved to

neutral country so as

danger or place obstac

visits of delegations

friendly US relations.


7/8

The artillery of ideas.sFriday, September 27, 2013 | Analy

T/ Jim Lobe -IPS

P/ Agencies

The United States needs

to phase down its drug

war and tighten the reins

on its cooperation with local

militaries and police in Latin

America, according to a new

report released Wednesday by

three influential think tanks.Of particular interest is the

increase in training deploy-

ments to Latin American and

the Caribbean by the Special

Operations Forces (SOF) elite

units like the Armys Green

Berets and Navy SEALS due

in part to the US withdrawal

from Iraq and drawdown from

Afghanistan.

Over the past decade, SOF

ranks have more than dou-

bled to about 65,000, and their

commander, Admiral William

McRaven, has been particu-

larly aggressive in seeking

new missions for his troops in

new theatres, including Latin

America and the Caribbean

where they are training thou-

sands of local counterparts.

You can train a lot of

people for the cost of one he-

licopter, Adam Isacson, an

analyst with the Washing-

ton Office on Latin America

(WOLA), told IPS.

He noted that the increased

investment in SOF was part

of a much larger Pentagon

strategy of maintaining a

light (military) footprint

in countries around the

globe while bolstering its in-

fluence with local militaryinstitutions.

The Pentagon, however, is

much less transparent than

the State Department, and

its programs are often not

subject to the same human-

rights conditions and do not

get the same degree of Con-

gressional oversight.

Moreover, McRaven has

sought the authority to de-

ploy SOF teams to countries

without consulting either US

ambassadors there or even

the US Southern Command

(SOUTHCOM), making it even

more difficult for civil society

activists to track what theyredoing and whether theyre

working with local units with

poor human-rights records

that would normally be denied

US aid and training under the

so-called Leahy Law.

Last summer, according

to Isacson, McRavens com-

mand even tried to work out

an agreement with Colombia

to set up a regional special

operations coordination cen-

ter there without consulting

SOUTHCOM or the embassy.

US urged to curb militarizationin Latin America

What these developments

mean is that the military role in

foreign policy-making is becom-

ing ever greater, and military-

to-military relations come to

matter more than diplomatic re-lations, he said. What does that

mean for civil-military relations

not only in the region, but also

here at home?

The 32-page report, entitled

Time to Listen, describes US

policy as on auto-pilot, large-

ly due to the powerful bureau-

cratic interests in the Pentagon

and the Drug Enforcement Ad-

ministration and their regional

counterparts that have built up

over decades.

The counter-drug bureau-

cracies in the United States are

remarkably resistant to change,

unwilling to rethink and reas-

sess strategies and goals, saidLisa Haugaard, director of the

Latin America Working Group

Education Fund (LAWGEF)

which released the report along

with WOLA and the Center for

International Policy (CIP).

The report also noted that new

security technologies, includ-

ing drones, whose use by the US

and other countries is growing

quickly throughout the region,

and cyber-spying of the kind

that prompted this weeks abrupt

cancellation by Brazilian Presi-

dent Dilma Rousseff of her state

visit here next month, pose ma-

jor challenges to the security

environment and civil liberties

in the region.

Total US aid to Latin Ameri-ca hit its highest level in more

than two decades in 2010

nearly 4.5 billion dollars due

to the costs of the Merida

Initiative, a multi-year pro-

gramme for fighting drug-traf-

ficking in Mexico and Central

America, and a major inflow of

assistance to help Haiti recov-

er from that years devastating

earthquake.

But aid fell sharply in 2011

to just 2.5 billion dollars and

is expected to decline to just

2.2 billion dollars in fiscal 2014,

which begins October 1.

Military and security assis-

tance also reached its height in2010, at 1.6 billion dollars, but

has since declined to around

900 million dollars, largely

as a result of the phase-out of

Plan Colombia and the Merida

Initiative. Central America is

the only sub-region in which

aid, including non-security

assistance, is increasing sig-

nificantly.

But Isacson says dollar

amounts can be deceptive,

and while big ticket aid

packages are down, other,

less transparent forms of mil-

itary-to-military co-operation

are on the rise, in part due

to the migration of many pro-

grammes management from

the State Department, whichhas more stringent reporting

and human rights conditions,

to the Pentagon.

A troubling trend, accord-

ing to the report, is that some

countries, especially Colombia,

have begun training military

and police forces in their neigh-

bours, often with US funding

and encouragement.

In that respect, these third-

country trainers act as pri-

vate contractors who are not

subject to US human-rights

laws and whose cost is a frac-

tion of that of their US coun-

terparts.

Despite their security forc-es own highly controversial

human rights record, Colom-

bian officers have been given

major roles, for example, in

Washingtons Central Amer-

ica Regional Security Initia-

tive (CARSI) and the Merida

Initiative, as well as in Hon-

duras police reform, accord-

ing to the report.

Bringing the military into

the streets can resu lt in grave

human-rights violations, ac-

cording to Haugaard who

also noted US involve

poorly designed and

handed counter-drug

tions, such as one in

ras last year in whic

passengers in a rivwere killed by a joint

ran-DEA operation.

Washingtons recor

not been all bad, accor

the report, which prai

Obama administration

tion of human rights

high-level bilateral di

with Mexico, Colomb

Honduras and its emph

the importance of civi

als for soldiers implicat

rious rights abuses in C

and Mexico.

The administration h

taken some steps to stre

enforcement of the Lea

which denies US aid aning to foreign militar

that are credibly accus

rious rights abuses, ac

to the report.

Still, Washingtons o

man rights record, in

its failure to close the

tanamo detention

its newly revealed ex

surveillance progr

and a drone policy tha

fies extra-judicial exe

opens it to charges of

standard, the report n


8/8

!PUBLICATIONOFTHE&UNDACION#ORREODEL/RINOCOsEditor-in-Chief %VA'OLINGERsGraphic Design Pablo Valduciel L. - Aimara Aguilera - Au

INTERNATIONAL Friday, September 27, 2013 |N177|Caracas |www.correodel

Opinion

T/ Bill Van Auken

US President Barack

Obama delivered his 5th

address to an opening ses-

sion of the United Nations Gen-

eral Assembly Tuesday, mixing

sanctimonious rhetoric about

democracy and humanitarian-

ism with naked threats of US

military aggression.

While the media obsessed

over whether the US president

would stage a handshake with

his Iranian counterpart, Has-

san Rouhania meaningless

gesture that the Iranians report-

edly rejectedthe real content

of Obamas 50-minute address

was the elaboration of a foreign

policy doctrine under which

Washington arrogates to itself

the right to militarily intervene

in the Middle East as it sees fit to

protect its core interests.

The speech made clear that

the turn to diplomacy in rela-

tion to both Syria and Iran rep-

resents not some fundamental

turn away from the predatory

policy pursued by US imperial-ism in the region through the

wars of the last decade, but rath-

er a tactical shift imposed upon

the Obama administration by

the emergence of overwhelming

and unanticipated popular hos-

tility to yet another war of ag-

gression in the Middle East.

This political reversal ac-

counts for the decidedly defen-

sive, at times self-pitying tone

of Obamas address, which was

replete with complaints about

Washington being maligned and

misunderstood.

Before concentrating on the

targets for imminent US aggres-

sionSyria and IranObamaclaimed credit for creating a

more stable world during his

five years in the White House.

He pointed to the withdrawal of

all US troops from Iraqforced

upon Washington by Iraqs

refusal to sign an agreement

granting US forces immunity for

war crimesand the impending

end of the war in Afghanistan,

where the Pentagon is planning

to leave up to 20,000 troops and

maintain permanent bases.

He boasted that his adminis-

tration had limited the use of

drones so they target only those

who pose a continuing imminent

threat and to where theres

a near-certainty of no civiliancasualties. This is nonsense. In

Pakistan alone, it is estimated

that more than 2,500 people have

been killed in drone strikes,

most of them civilians and the

vast majority under Obama.

The US presidents emergence

as assassin-in-chief, ordering

remote-control murders, is the

starkest manifestation of US im-

perialisms global criminality.

The US president also took

credit for working diligently to

close the prison at Guantanamo

Bay, which remains open near-

ly five years after he promised to

close it, with detainees subjected

to the torture of forced feeding

and men the CIA tortured beingplaced on trial for their lives be-

fore military tribunals.

In spite of these supposed

conquests for peace and stabil-

ity, Obama acknowledged that

dangers remain, including Al

Qaeda terror attacks, sectar-

ian conflict and the potential

spread of weapons of mass de-

struction. All of these trends,

he claimed, converged most

powerfully in Syria.

No one would suspect from

the US presidents remarks that

Washington is employing and

arming Al Qaeda in Syria, as it

did in Libya in 2011, as a proxy

force in a war for regime change,

or that it has deliberately stoked

sectarianism, together with its

reactionary Arab allies

Saudi Arabia and Qatar,

for the same purpose.

The US president reit-

erated his unsubstanti-

ated claims that the regime

of Bashar al-Assad was respon-

sible for the August 21 chemical

weapons attack in the suburbs

of Damascus and defended his

willingness to order a limited

strike on Syria, because of his

determination that it was in

the national security interests

of the United States.

While claiming that evi-

dence of the regimes guilt in

the August 21 incident was

overwhelming, Obama of-

fered no explanation of why

Washington has refused to

present its proof to the United

Nations. Both the Syrian re-

gime and Russia have charged

that US-backed rebels staged

the attack in order to blame iton the regime and provoke a

US military i ntervention.

Chiding Russia for its opposi-

tion to a unilateral and illegal

US war on Syria, Obama stated:

Were no longer in a cold war.

Theres no great game to be won,

nor does America have any in-

terest in Syria beyond the well-

being of its people.

There is a long history of

the US bombing people for

their own well-being. That

other interests underlie these

interventions goes without

saying. Obamas reference to

the great gamethe term

used to describe the rivalrybetween British imperial-

ism and the Russian empire

over dominance in Central

Asiais telling. Precisely

such predatory aims are in-

volved in Syria, where Wash-

ington seeks to overthrow the

Assad regime and replace it

with a puppet government,

as a means of isolating and

weakening Iran, which it sees

as a rival for hegemony in the

energy-rich and strategically

vital regions of the Persian

Gulf and Central Asia.

Obama at the UN: A defense

of unilateral aggression

Obama insisted

deal reached betwe

ington and Moscow

chemical disarmam

Syrian regime be b

with a strong Securcil resolution wit

quences for Syria if

meet the timetable s

stroying the weapo

ington and its allies

ing for a Chapter 7 r

that would authoriz

force. Russia has i

will veto any such m

If we cannot agre

this, Obama said, t

show that the United

incapable of enforcin

basic of internation

This is pretense he

use for justifying a

US military attack.

Much of the rest o

speech dealt with Ira

substantiated US a

that it is developin

weapons. Despite

ment that the diplom

must be tested in U

lations, Obamas rem

sisted largely of ul

to Tehran, the impli

of military force an

crete offer to lift the

US-driven sanctions

hani in his own spe

General Assembly

as violentpure an

adding, It is the

people who are victthese sa nctions.

At the heart of

speech, and belying al

cratic and humanitar

er, was a blunt definit

policy toward the M

and North Africa.

The United States o

is prepared to use al

of our power, inclu

tary force, to secure

interests in the reg ion

First and foremost am

interests was the fr

energy from the regio

listed terrorism and w

mass destructiont

pretexts for the US iIraqadding that

possible Washingt

respect the sovereig

tions, and wherever

will take direct action

That Washington

rist policy is stated

ly before the Unite

is one more indicat

uncontrolled erupt

imperialism and t

ing danger that U

against Syria and I

turn into a regiona

even a global confla

COI-177 Friday Edition

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