Russia's, China's and Brazil’s weapons sales to Caracas throw a protective shield around Venezuela.

Jessica Leight on Chávez, Uribe, Lula, Noriega and Bush

• Recent arms sales could have an explosive impact on U.S.-Venezuela relations.

• Recalling Czech small arms sales to the leftist Guatemalan government in 1954, which led to a CIA-supported coup, [United Fruit/Fyffes+CIA against Arbenz - HR] the same could - ['wîll' - HR] - happen in Venezuela.

• Colombia and Venezuela resolve recent conflict despite no positive U.S. assistance.

• Washington’s irrelevance represents a massive diplomatic defeat, marking yet another setback to Roger Noriega’s pathetic mishandling of U.S. relations with Latin America.

• Brazil’s weapons sales to Caracas throws a protective shield around Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is not known for his discretion, caution, nor political reserve. Yet the in-your-face leader travels with lady luck as he revels in the nation's ever-increasing oil wealth and the virtually unprecedented political and economic prominence that
sky-rocketing petrol prices have brought to Caracas.

The Venezuelan strongman shows every sign of being prepared to strike out even more aggressively this year against any foe he perceives as threatening his "Bolivarian revolution," namely his plans for land reform, social justice, and the redistribution of wealth.

Certain to seek reelection to a six-year term in next year's presidential race, Chávez is bolstering his domestic base through the aggressive expansion of the recent social programs that have won him the fierce loyalty of the nation's long-neglected lower-classes.

Pls. READ THE REST OF THE ANALYSIS: 'click' the title/link above or use this to paste - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/3tup6

Foreign Press Foundation: US Rep. Tom Lantos and the CIA/Mossad arecovertly working and illegally preparing the next coup in oil rich [and close] Venezuela - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/5ce5p

* The Council on Hemispheric Affairs, founded in 1975, is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, tax-exempt research and information organization. It has been described on the Senate floor as being ''one of the nation's most respected bodies of scholars and policy makers.'' For more information, please see our web page at www.coha.org; or contact our Washington offices by phone (202) 223-4975, fax (202) 223-4979, or email c...@coha.org. [ ]

Another very good source of independent information is VHeadline.com in Caracas which - among much news - has a story on President Hugo Chavez: ''Who will take a great place in history'' - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/69qz2

FOREIGN PRESS FOUNDATION
http://tinyurl.com/4ar5e
Editor : Henk Ruyssenaars
http://tinyurl.com/5uvtv
The Netherlands
F...@Chello.nl

The Dutch author this far has worked abroad 4 decades for international media as a foreign correspondent, of which 10 years - also during Gulf War I - in the 'Arab World' and the Middle East. At present 'Persona non Grata' in Holland :-)

Seeing worldwide that every bullet and every bomb breeds more terrorism! - US Senator Hollings agrees: 'We have caused more terrorism than we have gotten rid of' - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/2bqza

Colin Powell: 'It is not anti-Semitic to criticize the policies of the state of Israel' - as 'US Secretary of State' in a speech at the 'Conference on Anti-Semitism of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe' - German Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Berlin - April 28th - 2004 - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/22p6c

Former PM Wim Kok and other Dutch Govt's war criminals in Court - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/662pp - It can and must be done, to all war criminals!

Help the troops come home! Url.: http://tinyurl.com/3o6tr - We need them badly to fight our so called 'governments': Url.: http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/

HR