...

Even the Independent was at it today:-

 http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article356677.ece
"Against this are signs of increasing authoritarianism. Human Rights Watch has accused Mr Chavez of undermining judicial independence by packing the Supreme Court with his supporters, and of stifling the rights of the media to criticise his administration. "

I don't necessarily think the Independent is to blame for that, they're just getting bad information. Human Rights Watch is starting to turn into something of a joke, though.

Bush has also packed the supreme court with his supporters, and the media in the US don't even seem to know how to criticise his administration, despite his complete failure to do anything. And see how hard the British government came down on the BBC for daring to suggest, shock, horror, that the weapons dossier was a contrived pile of crap.

Chavez on the other hand faces a media that accuses him of 'having a sexual fixation with Fidel Castro' ( imagine if the Independent said something like that about Blair ). And the original supreme court, before Chavez 'packed it', basically exonerated militiary officers who performed the coup against him a few years ago, because originally it was packed with hardcore opposition supporters, who wanted to remove Chavez by force.

Anyway, look beneath the surface propoganda against Venezuela, which seems to be out in force at the moment. It was recently revelaed Venezuela has the largest reserves of oil in the world, more than the entire middle-east, because now it is economically viable to refine heavy crude from the Orinoco. And now, suddenly, this campaign is heating up against Chavez. Big surprise!!! Stop the war against Latin America.

 http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2006/664/664p14b.htm
"
1. Intensification of the fourth generation war (the information war) on Venezuela — increasing the international pressure in organisations like the United Nations, the Organisation of American States and their financial entities.

2. Increasing regional conflicts to justify the involvement of a multinational force.

3. Using the pretext of social disturbances to justify a coup d’etat.

4. Direct intervention from the United States. There are currently two situations to sustain this final hypothesis. Firstly, the US armed forces’ presence for military exercises in the Caribbean, to intimidate the countries of Latin America — 6500 Marines form a part of these exercises. And secondly, the declarations in recent days from the Dutch government asserting that Venezuela wants to invade the Antilles.

Under these threats, the revolutionary government and the people are taking all necessary measures to defend our country. At the same time we are working on many fronts, to continue strengthening the social missions, the benefits of which have now been recognised at the international level. Venezuela has regained the confidence of world markets. We have the highest proven oil reserves in the world. Our international financial reserves are in the order of US$30 billion. And most importantly, our solidarity with the peoples of the world has grown, and we are working towards the construction of an anti-imperialist and multipolar world, a socially just world that counterposes the negatives of globalisation!
"

They must be nervous, suddenly the worlds largest reserves of oil and so close to Uncle Sam, oil vampire.

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - "Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez on Sunday threatened to expel the US ambassador after accusing him of provoking tensions in a warning that will further strain diplomatic ties."


"June 24 is celebrated as Battle of Carabobo Day in Venezuela. The Irish, Welsh, English and Venezuelans of the "British Legion" fought hard and sustained about 50% of Bolivar's casualties. "

How did the Irish, Welsh and English end up on the right side of a foriegn war and fail to invite the Scots for once ? Maybe we should contribute to a second British Legion to help out in the next Battle of Carabobo.