Chavez’
foreign policy is simply a reflection of what Venezuelans have felt and suffered from their Government in the last
few years: Either you are with him, or you are a lackey of Bush or some stupid
thing like that. That is how Chavez has divided Venezuela
in two and now is proceeding at least to distance Venezuela
from a number of Latin American countries that have always had excellent
relationships with Venezuela
and its citizens.
In fact,
the previous times (four) that Venezuela
was a member of the Security Council of the United Nations, it received over
90% of the votes and was always elected in the first round. This time, it
appears that of the 19 “friendly” countries of Latin America, only seven are
currently supporting Venezuela and twelve have decided to distance themselves
from Chavez and his Government, more than from Venezuela. And Guatemala, a
small country that had been planning to run for the Security Council a year and
a half before the autocrat had his whim, has now also been moved to the side of
the enemies, accused of being a lackey of the Empire, as if Guatemalans and their
leaders had no dignity or no pride. As if Guatemala had not decided two years
ago that it deserved to hold the position, because it has always been the type
of country Venezuela used to be, a serious and democratic country who is wiling
to talk to everyone and defend and represent anyone in the Security Council
that needs a voice in that world body. This is
simply typical Chavez. This is why he will never be able to construct anything
positive because he is incapable of holding even a conversation with someone that
disagrees with him and why he makes an enemy of anyone that dissents from his view. It is why so many Venezuelans
want him out, not only because he has been a terrible President, but because he
has introduced a negative level of divisiveness that Venezuelans do not want or
deserve. And just
think of all the effort, both material and emotional that Venezuela and its diplomats have
spent to obtain a position that carries not vote, only voice. In fact, the big
bad enemy of the US
not only has a vote, but also a veto in that body. So, what's the big deal? Calling Bush the devil every week should not cost so much. So, Chavez
has by now not only lost the friendship of those countries that he had bickered and distanced himself from, but now seems to be finding new ones to fight with. Spain
and Chile,
two countries that had shown an unusual and sometimes inexplicable support for
the autocrat, have now also distanced themselves from our Government in the UN case. And even
Lula, Chavez’ old buddy has stated via Itamarati, that he will do nothing to
get Venezuela
elected. Thus, Venezuela
isolates itself more and more as it allies itself with the least democratic countries
of the world. The Mugabes, Kim Il Sungs, Lukashenkos, Castros and Ahmadinejads
of this world are all clearly aligned with Chavez’ cause, as are all of those
Arab states for which freedom and democracy and rights are simply obscene four
letter words, even if none of them are that short. And still
some people want to contend that the militaristic coup leader, the
autocrat that holds control of all powers in Venezuela, the man who decides not
to recognize any elected leader of another country that does not have his
sympathies is a true democrat. Being a democrat is not having an election any
however many years. Being a democrat is having the respect for others and their rights,
it’s listening to them to understand their problems and their worries, not sacrificing
everything for a political plan that does not benefit anyone but the leader. But
as Venezuela
loses all of its friends, one country at a time, it is siding with those
countries where democracy and rights are simply secondary. Countries with which
Venezuela
has little, if any, affinity, other than the autocratic nature of its current
leaders. That is what the democratic world is slowly realizing, Venezuela is no longer a functional
democracy and they all want to distance themselves from its Government. And indirectly, from all of us. How terribly sad.
11:08:03 PM 
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