America's Wars
War on Iraq
War on Drugs
War on Afghanistan
War on Columbia
War on Philippines
War on Venezuela

More Blogs
World Events
US News
Science & Health
Earth News
Free Speech
News from Africa
News from Palestine
Bill of Rights Under Attack

Matrix Masters'
SUPPORTERS

Lorenzo's
Random Musings
. . . about Chaos,
Reason, and Hope

 

Catholic Church Spreads Lies About Chavez
(BBC NEWS, 16 January, 2006)
Venezuela's leader has demanded an explanation after a Roman Catholic cardinal said that the country was becoming a dictatorship. . . . President Hugo Chavez described the Church's behaviour as "undoubtedly a provocation" and demanded a full apology for the "insults" and "hate". . . . He said there was a conspiracy in Rome and at home to damage his government. . . . Cardinal Rosalio Castillo Lara, the most senior Catholic clergyman in Venezuela, told thousands of worshippers at a pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin Mary that the country had "lost its democratic course and presents the semblance of a dictatorship". . . . Venezuela's socialist leader has now hit back by saying this was "shameful for the Catholic Church". . . . The Venezuelan head of state said the Church should stick to spiritual work and stay out of politics altogether. . . . In the past, Mr Chavez and several Venezuelan church representatives have clashed over they way the government is carrying out far-reaching social and economy reforms in the country. [COMMENT by Lorenzo: What the Roman Church is upset about is the fact that Chavez is helping the poor and taxing the rich.]

posted by LoZo 11:48 AM

    War on Venezuela Archives     War on Venezuela [Home]

 

Bravo Belafonte! ... calls Bush 'terrorist' praises Chavez
American singer and activist Harry Belafonte called U.S. President George W. Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world" Sunday and said millions of Americans support the socialist revolution of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. . . . Belafonte led a delegation of Americans including actor Danny Glover, Princeton University scholar Cornel West and farmworker advocate Dolores Huerta that met with the Venezuelan president for more than six hours late Saturday. Some in the group attended Chavez's television and radio broadcast Sunday. . . . "No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says, we're here to tell you: Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people . . . support your revolution," Belafonte told Chavez during the broadcast. . . . "We respect you, admire you, and we are expressing our full solidarity with the Venezuelan people and your revolution," he added. . . . Belafonte said he had come to learn about Chavez's Bolivarian Revolution, which includes a wide range of social programs for the poor and is named after South American independence hero Simon Bolivar. . . . He accused U.S. news media of falsely painting Chavez as a "dictator," when in fact, he said, there is democracy and citizens are "optimistic about their future." . . . Chavez called Belafonte "my brother" and noted he championed civil rights for black Americans alongside King. . . . The president said he believes deeply in the struggle for justice by blacks, both in the United States and Venezuela. . . . "Although we may not believe it, there continues to be great discrimination here against black people," Chavez said, urging his government to redouble its efforts to prevent it. . . . Chavez accuses Bush of trying to overthrow him, pointing to intelligence documents released by the U.S. indicating that the CIA knew beforehand that dissident officers planned a short-lived 2002 coup.

posted by LoZo 11:08 AM