Criticisms of the United States - Venezuela

http://www.tripolipost.com/

The article from this above Libyan website (published in The Tripoli News in June of this year) is one written by Alimamy Bakarr Santoh, a Nigerian whose anti-American articles are posted in great profusion on the web. In this one, he is expressing condemnation of the United States' policy in Venezuela.

In it he points a finger at the Secretary of State Hilary Clinton's anti-Venezuelan policy, bequeathed from President Bush's administration. The author purports that this amounts to international state terrorism, with a wish to destroy the country's president Hugo Chavez. He accuses the United States of funding right wing fascist democratic opposition and criticises the building of military bases in Columbia, creating local fear. As a representative of the capitalist class, he accuses Hilary Clinton of 'ruthless exploitation of natural resources, and of degradation and dehumanizing worldwide.' He cites US action in other South American countries as destabilizing peace. He refutes the comments made about how the people are suffering under Chavez's leadership and names it as a lie, spread across the world though imperialist media. He says the US condones terrorism and subversion (a reference to the unsuccessful coup supposedly backed by the US), whom he calls an outside intruder.

The next part of the article reveals his strong resentment over another conflict - the struggle between Israel and the Palestinians. The author is writing in The Tripoli Post in Colonel Gadaffi's Libya. Gadaffi is a strong supporter of the PLO. The United States is seen to support Israel. He suggests Hilary Clinton diverted international attention away from that issue, by talking about the nations of Latin America.

He labels the US as a dirty imperialist. He uses emotive words such as ongoing holocaust and white supremacist to describe the policies of the United States and Israel.

He concludes with a wholehearted declaration of support and admiration for President Chavez (he says he is the president of the Hugo Chavez International Foundation for Peace, Friendship and Solidarity), and calls on the United States to end its' arrogant terrorism.

Sankoh's writings across the web express support for many different nations in their perceived struggle against the policies of the United States.

To believe the contents of this article and to interpret some of the accusations is problematic. If there is truth in all of Santoh's accusations, his criticisms might seem just, but without evidence, it is difficult to assume the complete validity of what he says.

It may be of interest to look at the final two paragraphs of the Summary from the following website which sets out the US Government's account of relations with Venezuela.

www.fas.org/sgp/crs/rpw/RL32488.pdf

Jill Glazier