Thread: Chávez wants to hear the screams

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/243310cc-58a1- ... e2340.html

Chávez wants to hear the screams
Published: November 19 2005 02:00 | Last updated: November 19 2005 02:00

Venezuelans have a colourful way of referring to endless, tit-for-tat exchanges. "It's the child who screams," they say, "and the mother who pinches him." Their president, the rambunctious former army officer Hugo Chávez, has become an expert pincher. And the screams can now be heard up and down the continent.

In the past two weeks, it has been the turn of the Mexicans, after Vicente Fox, president, made the mistake of picking a fight with Mr Chávez over his outlandish behaviour at the recent Mar del Plata summit.

But Mexico, with a long and proud diplomatic tradition, has a hard time dealing with a man who bypasses diplomacy's Queensbury rules with sharp jabs to the groin. In any case, Mr Fox is only a surrogate for Mr Chávez´s real target, the man he calls "Mr Danger", US president George W. Bush.

As targets go, Mr Bush is the equivalent of a barn-door on wheels. And it has taken Washington a painfully long time to realise that, by squealing, it only provokes more pinches. But under the guidance of Tom Shannon, the newly appointed US assistant secretary of state, the penny seems finally to have dropped. Mr Chávez's strategy, as Mr Shannon told a congressional hearing this week, is "based on confrontation and conflict, and in order to sustain it over time, it requires an ever-increasing search for enemies".

Mr Chávez responded appropriately with a speech that might have embarrassed an Iranian mullah, calling Mr Bush a "genocidal murderer and a madman". It was possibly a little over-the-top for an audience that included Brazilian business leaders.

His advantage, as ever, though, is the surprise factor. How do you deal with a man who blames the US for everything from hurricanes to Hallowe'en (a US-inspired "game of terror", claims Mr Chávez)? Gentle mockery is the response favoured by William Brownfield, the man with the unenviable job of US ambassador to Caracas. "How can I get any sleep, with so many conspiracies and plots?" Mr Brownfield pleaded the other day, after reeling off a list of more than a dozen of Mr Chávez's accusations.

Ultimately, however, the battle is for the hearts and minds of Latin Americans, many of whom will be electing fresh governments over the next 18 months in an atmosphere charged with "Chávez v Bush" controversy over the economic and political future.

Mr Chávez is appealing over the heads of the current crop of political leaders - including some he calls his friends - for a sharp turn away from what he calls "savage neoliberalism" towards socialist "solidarity". If there is clear evidence that, in doing so, he is interfering in his neighbours' domestic politics, they need to say so loud and clear and take appropriate steps. If not, they should shut up and avoid turning him into a victim, which is plainly what he wants. Or as a Venezuelan might say: "Don't scream every time he pinches you."

www.thedailyjournalonline.com

Chávez invited to Mercosur December summit
Mexican President Vicente Fox may have another date next to Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez after a bitter exchange between the leaders in the wake of the Summit of the Americas earlier this month.

Fox has been invited to a De-cember summit of South America’s Mercosur trading nations in Montevideo, Mexico’s ambassador to Uruguay said.

Chávez, who has exchanged verbal barbs recently with Fox, has also been invited to the meeting in the Uruguayan capital, as Vene-zuela moves toward full incorporation into Mercosur.

Mexico’s envoy, Perla Carvalho, said Thursday in Montevideo that her government has not yet confirmed whether Fox would attend the Dec. 9 encounter of South American trade partners.

Mexico and Venezuela withdrew their respective ambassadors earlier this week after Chávez refused to apologize for calling Fox a “puppy� of U.S. President George W. Bush.

The diplomatic flap came after Chávez joined Mercosur countries in opposing an immediate resumption of stalled negotiations on a hemispheric free trade area that is backed by Washington and Mexico.
The four Mercosur nations – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – along with Venezuela, at the fourth Summit of the Americas earlier this month in Mar del Plata, declared conditions are currently not adequate to resume stalled talks toward a Free Trade Area of the Americas.

But 28 other countries attending the summit said they favored moving forward on creating a free-trade zone stretching from Alaska to Chile.
Meanwhile in Mexico, Manuel Espino, the head of Fox’s National Action Party, said Chávez was an embarrassment to Venezuela.

Espino said conservative parties in the region rejected “Chávez’ shameful attitude which denigrates Latin American politics, embarrasses the Venezuelan people and attacks the sovereignty of the Mexican people.�
His comments, in the northern city of Monterrey, were reported on Venezuelan daily El Universal’s Web site on Thursday.

Espino said the first step in Chávez’ downfall should be the defeat of pro-Chávez candidates at parliamentary elections on Dec 4.

“I have asked the political parties to join in solidarity with the Venezuelan people to come together to weaken Hugo Chávez’ authoritarianism in December and to change the government in Vene-zuela next year,� Espino said.

Mexico has insisted that Caracas apologize for remarks by Chávez, who also told Fox last weekend, “Don’t mess with me, mister, or you’ll get pricked.� Daily Journal Staff with AP and Reuters

So now Mexico wants to play with the Venezuelan people to defeat pro-Chavez candidates and remove this "authoritarian" from power?

Doesn't Mexico have its own set of problems?

These Mexican Leaders are just plain silly.

Fox would better serve Mexico if he STAYED IN MEXICO. I wouldn't call Mexico any shining example of a country that has succeeded. He needs to stay home and deal with the problems that he has perpetuated in his own country.