The Obama administration has dismissed Venezuela's Hugo Chávez as a
pesky loudmouth. But he imperils regional security and freedom.
By John Hughes / March 16, 2010
Provo, Utah
While two wars in Southwest Asia and a dangerous confrontation with Iran
dominate President Obama's foreign- policy worry list, oil-rich
Venezuela, much closer to home, is becoming more than a minor irritant.
To date, the Obama administration has dismissed Venezuela's President
Hugo Chávez as a pesky, leftist loudmouth, whose verbal eruptions
against the United States pose no threat. But a new era of
"Cubanization" in Venezuela should warn of a crackdown against Mr.
Chávez's domestic opponents and a stepped-up drive for socialist
revolution across Latin America.
Chávez has been importing "advisers" from Cuba. There are now some
30,000 of them, many of them intelligence, security, and political
affairs officers, as well as medical personnel.
Chávez's recent installation of Cuban Vice President Ramiro Valdes in a
key advisory role in Venezuela is seen by Chávez opponents as a sinister
move toward greater "Cubanization" and Castro-style communism. Mr.
Valdes is also Cuba's communications minister and ranks third in the
Cuban hierarchy. His job in Venezuela is supposedly to handle an
electricity crisis – though his qualifications are suspect.
In recent years, Chávez has established alliances with nations that
could be counted on to tweak Washington. Russia has engaged in military
exercises with Venezuela and signed an agreement to supply up to $2
billion worth of weaponry. China is buying more than 330,000 barrels of
oil daily from Venezuela and has signed an investment agreement to
develop more. China also has just completed a $400 million
communications satellite for Venezuela.
Iran has been Venezuela's most ingratiating suitor. The two nations
have signed dozens of agreements in recent years to boost
infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing in the South American country.
Chávez has visited Tehran often, pledging cooperation with Iran in
opposing "US imperialism," liberating countries from the "imperialist
yoke," and furthering "Bolivarian socialist principles" in Latin
America. Chávez has consistently endorsed Iran's nuclear program.
At home, Chávez lauds Fidel Castro as a political blood brother, and
communist Cuba as an example for all of Latin America.
His governance has become increasingly authoritarian, detailed in a
blistering report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. It
highlights how Chávez has undermined judicial independence, intimidated
or silenced opposition media, hobbled elected opposition figures, and
criminalized dissidents and human rights groups.
Last week, a Spanish judge accused Venezuela of colluding with terrorist
groups including the Basque ETA rebels and the Colombian FARC.
Once lauded by his people as a reformer, Chávez is now the target of
angry street rallies, especially as he has rather blatantly plotted to
stay president for life.
Cuba depends on Venezuela's cheap oil (the US is also a major buyer) and
would be disadvantaged if the Chávez regime fell. Havana may be alarmed
by the fissures in Chávez's support and probably welcomed the
opportunity to position Valdes in Caracas to bolster Chávez.
Cuba's leaders may also have some concerns about their own country's
political stability. Cuban dissidents say word has been passed up the
military command that the ailing Fidel Castro may not outlast this year.
His succession is by no means certain. Fidel's brother Raúl, currently
managing the country while his brother is incapacitated, is credited
with being a better administrator than Fidel, but lacks Fidel's charisma.
The Obama administration, beset by major problems at home and challenges
abroad, may have thought it could delay confronting lesser problems in
Latin America. This may prove to have been an unwise calculation.
Mr. Obama: Don't be surprised by that 3 a.m. call.
John Hughes, a former editor of the Monitor, writes a biweekly column.
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