HOME	Where the World's Views of America Come into Focus

By Alberto Garrido

May 17, 2005

Original Article (Spanish)

President Hugo Chavez on this past Sunday issued a warning of "total war" against his opponents. Chavez used the simplification: all who are opposed or wish to upset the revolutionary process are the enemy. In this period, the imperialism that we encounter, “will take a subtler form. The United States is not mounting direct attacks through its officials, but by way of nongovernmental organizations; the opposition is lining up against the PDVSA [Venezuela’s National Oil Company], the Armed Forces and the political parties of the revolution, and with the treasonous, former pro-government delegates who have switched over to the opposition.” According to Chavez’ analysis, these groups unite both national and international opposition to him, and constitute the elements of a new strategy to overthrow his revolutionary government.

The previous day, Minister of Information Andres Izarra blamed the Spanish newspaper El Pais for, "either consciously or unconsciously assisting the United States with psychological warfare, and European multinational corporations and mafia-financed Cuban and Spanish groups in Miami" for justifying aggression against President Hugo Chavez.

El Pais has published articles questioning the democratic legitimacy of  the Chavez government.

Chavez himself described the nature of the planned aggression: they are again preparing the ground for an assassination, which is their objective.

There are a number of charges against Chavez, with which his enemies seek to steer international opinion against him:

A)     His arms purchases, "are not transparent" (Rumsfeld);

B)     His ambiguous position with regard to the Colombian guerrillas;

C)     His support for the government of Fidel Castro;

D)    The issue of destabilizing the Andean region (Rumsfeld, speaking on behalf of the traditional Colombian leadership);

E)     The formation of an axis of governments either hostile (Iran), or discomfiting (Chinese, Russia) to the United States;

F)      The use of petroleum as a geopolitical weapon;

G)    His failure to play by the rules of representative democracy (Rice, El Pais).

In this new conspiracy, his foreign and domestic enemies happen to be allied, as has been described by Venezuelan government analysts.

Chavez announced the asymmetric revolutionary counter-offensive, within the framework of plans developed by the revolutionary government to respond to an expected attack.

This type of warfare, which now involves, the "war of information" (or "War of Command and Control," according to the definition of the Pentagon), now requires a concrete response: Chavez has ordered an end to the payment in dollars for the purchase of uniforms, food, vehicles and travel allowances to transnational oil companies. And it is time for the issue of oil to be put firmly on the table, as Bernard Momer suggests. That is to say, petroleum is at the very center of this asymmetric chessboard.

[Editor’s Note: Momer is a German-born Marxist economist that is credited with being a driving force behind Chavez’ oil policy].