Venezuela, China, Iran, and Russia are four authoritarian countries who use their influence to undermine other democracies. That is the main claim made in a report released on Thursday by the Washington-based Freedom House along with U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia.According to the study, Venezuela and the other three countries “are using soft-power methods to advance their interests internationally, particularly through billions of dollars in no strings attached development aid." The report cited China’s growing economic and political influence in Latin America such as signing a loans-for-oil deal with Brazil or agreeing to a free trade deal with Peru.
The report warned of increasing ties to the Americas by Iran and singled out Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez as "a novel type of Latin American" strongman. In its analysis of the study, The Economist had this to add:
Over the past ten years, Venezuela’s aid has been comparable to China’s, though it is now falling behind. Gustavo Coronel, a critic of President Hugo Chávez, says Mr Chávez has made $43 billion worth of foreign “commitments” since 1999. Roughly $17 billion could be described as aid, including cheap oil to Cuba and cash transfers to Bolivia. The report estimates that Venezuela’s cheap-oil programme alone is worth $1.7 billion a year, though its most flamboyant feature—cheap heating oil for poor Americans—was recently scrapped. [ed. – Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the cheap oil program started again?]Image- Cleveland.com (The Petrocaribe initiative was started by Venezuelan and provides cheap oil to several countries in the region).
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, AP, The Economist, Reuters
2 comments:
This is correct and I agree 100% with what this article and note say.
I am not right wing and I dislike modern Republicans ( not Abraham Lincoln that was Republican ), I very strongly dislike the Republican Party and I love Mr Obama and the Democrats.
Venezuelan “authoritarianism” threatens democracy", Democracy is not only undermined in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador ( if it still exists ) ... Chavez has been undermining Democracy in Colombia and other countries.
If Alvaro Uribe is reelected for a third term, then please do not blame Colombians, do not blame Colombian Ignorance or Stupidity.
Do not blame Colombian lack of Strength in Democratic Institutions. It is not Imbecility !...
If Uribe is reelected 3rd term then Chavez is to blame. Because People in Colombia strongly dislike and fear Hugo Chavez ( to put it mildly ) and this is 90% or higher.
So Hugo Chavez is the best Advertising Agency for Alvaro Uribe.
People vote for Uribe to save their skin ( from FARC Guerrillas always supported by Chavez ) and to protect their country from Foreign Invasion and Intervention.
Milenials.com
Vicente Duque
"If Alvaro Uribe is reelected for a third term, then please do not blame Colombians, do not blame Colombian Ignorance or Stupidity.
Do not blame Colombian lack of Strength in Democratic Institutions. It is not Imbecility !..."
No, if that happens Uribe is to blame for his arrogance and lack of respect for democracy. Or as the Washington Post said in an op/ed last week, he would no longer be able to take the high ground against Chavez.
"If Uribe is reelected 3rd term then Chavez is to blame. Because People in Colombia strongly dislike and fear Hugo Chavez ( to put it mildly ) and this is 90% or higher."
No, this is mere scapegoating much like when Chavez and others in the region blame the U.S. (fairly and unfairly) for their country's ills.
"So Hugo Chavez is the best Advertising Agency for Alvaro Uribe."
No,the best ad agency for Uribe has and will be the FARC. This is not to justify the FARC'S violence and devaluation of human life. Yet Uribe goes too far in his blame game with the FARC like when he erroneously tries to tie opposition figures or victims groups to the guerillas.
"People vote for Uribe to save their skin ( from FARC Guerrillas always supported by Chavez ) and to protect their country from Foreign Invasion and Intervention."
According to a recent poll carried out by Napoleon Franco and reported this week by RCN, the main concern on most Colombians minds is the economy and social concerns. (This is why in recent weeks Uribe has concerned himself more with economic issues over national security). In terms of violence, one of the main concern by respondents (above Chavez, guerillas and even the paracos) was the growing wave of urban violence.
In short, of Uribe were to be reelected again (a very real possibility according to the Franco poll) it will not be due to the Chavez boogeyman but rather to more pressing security and economic concerns.
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