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Petras: USA is more interested in attacking Venezuela than fighting against
drugs
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Caracas, May 19. ABN.- The Government of United States
is putting in jail Colombian paramilitary chiefs to reward Uribe
(Colombia's President) for the cooperation in their aggression policy
against Venezuela.
Thus, Colombian President quiets paramilitary chiefs and interrupts the
process of the compromising testimonies in the so-called
“para-politic”, which, up to now, involves congresspeople, military
chiefs, ministers, and other people very close to him.
These statements were made by the North American sociologist, thinker, and
professor of the University of Binghamton (New York State, USA) James
Petras, during an exclusive interview offered to the ABN where he labeled
as unbelievable the way how the extradition of 14 paramilitary chiefs to
United States was carried out.
“Which is unbelievable is that these chiefs have rendered their
testimonies to courts about their relation with top Colombian leaders. They
named more than 60 congresspeople and members of the cabinet of Uribe's
Administration, linking them as collaborators of drug dealers and
paramilitary people. They have named generals and Uribe's relatives as
receivers of drug trafficking money. However, in the middle of this
important process and in the face of the attorneys, Colombian Government
sends them out of the country, which puts an end to the testimonies against
the main benefactors of the drug trafficking in Colombia: pro Uribe's
politicians”, he stated.
Moreover, Petras denounces that United States, instead of investigate links
“between these mafia chiefs and Colombia's elites”, they have just put
them in jail, isolating them, and without any possibility to be in touch
with the press in order to avoid they could keep talking about their
partners in Uribe's Administration and Colombia's Congress.
Is it an open abetment?
Obviously, he answered. More than an abetment, there is a tight relation.
Uribe offers himself for all the aggressive policy of United States against
Venezuela, even affecting multimillionaire trade possibilities with his
neighbor, just to satisfy United States' leaders.
In accordance to Petras, there is a compensation on the United States
Government side: “They are sending to jail main testimonies against Uribe
regarding drug trafficking and death squads. This is really serious because
it means that United States is more interested in its fights against
Venezuela than to investigate drug trafficking, money laundering, and the
complicity of top staff members of Colombian Government, top military
officers, and top bankers with the traffic of tons of cocaine that go
directly to Washington”.
About the Drug Czar
When Petras was questioned about recent Drug Czar John Walters'
insinuations, when he said that President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez “has
a lot to explain”, Petras pointed out that those statements represent
only an attempt to distract people's attention from paramilitaries
extradition.
Nevertheless, he gave us an important revelation: “John Walters has an
interesting biography. His father, Vernon Walters, was the leader of the
anti-insurgent policy in United States in the 60s and 70s. Vernon Walters
was the architect of the Central America massacres, where more than 300
thousand indigenous people and farmers died in El Slavador and Guatemala,
as well as the Iran-Contras war in Nicaragua. He led also the bloody wars
in Colombia in the same period”.
In addition, the North American sociologist says that Vernon Wells was one
of the more discredited politicians of North American governments, “and
now the son is following his steps, trying to discredit the only President
of the Andean countries that has a frontal war against crime, drugs, and
any link to them: President Chávez.
“And it is amazing, Petras says, that this North American campaign
against Chávez mentions the drug trafficking issue, when US main ally in
Latin America is totally involved in the drugs matter, even with a
(Uribe's) political career financed by drug dealers”.
In addition, Petras offers a formula to put an end to the drug trafficking:
“We can solve this situation just sending to jail main United States'
bankers and their investors in Colombia. With a raid of about 500 people,
we could finish the whole drugs distribution and production”.
The US Navy IV fleet
According to Petras, the presence of the US Navy IV fleet in Caribbean and
Atlantic waters starting on July 1st i a show of Bush's Government
weakness more than an offensive manifestation.
“Moving the IV fleet is a signal of political and economic weakening of
United States. It is obvious that last years, due to the high revenues of
Argentina, Brazil and other countries, even neoliberal governments like
Lula's (Brazil) have distanced themselves from United States. They do not
depend on the IMF anymore and they have payed their debts to the World
Bank”.
“United States has lost the influence it had in the past; therefore, they
are trying to recover some influence with Latin American military elites.
It is a military measure to compensate the economic and political weakness
that has suffered United States in the recent past”.
“I do not consider it as an offensive tactic. I think it is a reaction
due to its real weakening in Latin America”, he adds.
Manta Base, Uribe, and Rosales
When James Petras was questioned about the possibility that Manta Base
operations could be moved to a military base located in the Colombian
Guajira, Petras pointed out that it represents a maneuver aimed to provoke
Venezuela from Colombia and, in turn, support the secessionist purposes of
Governor Manuel Rosales (Zulia State, Venezuela).
“What Washington is negotiating with Colombia is to move Manta Base to
the Guajira, Colombian-Venezuelan border, as point of tension and conflict
with Venezuela. It (USA) loses some influence in Ecuador and tries, in
joint with its main ally (Colombia), to coordinate provocations and, maybe,
an attack against Venezuela”.
“Most of all, I think a North American military Base in the border with
Zulia represents an effort to coordinate the separatism of Rosales in Zulia
State, in joint with the Uribe's and Bush's tactics. I consider that is
very important, due to the challenge of a military base in Colombia, to
pulverize Rosales' separatist movement”.
Petras concluded with an advice: “We can not give them time or breath.
The entire force of the Government and the authority of the country is
needed to face this separatist movement, which is in an embryonic stage but
it is still dangerous”. |
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| ABN 02:27 pm 21/05/2008 |
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