When I first heard about Aristide's claims, I was listening to Diane Rehm. She was talking about the coup, and about how the US whisked Aristide away saving his life in the process. Two callers noted that both Tavis Smiley and Democracy Now had noted that Randall Robinson and Maxine Waters spoke with Aristide, who claimed that he'd been kidnapped rather than saved. When Diane asked her panelists to comment, someone noted that it sounded preposterous and that he had no reason to believe that Colin Powell had misspoken.
Something about that was really unsettling for me. Of course Powell's word has been turned to mush as a result of Iraq and WMD, but that wasn't it. I couldn't figure it out until it hit me this week.
Venezuela.
Anyone remember the coup in Venezuela? Condoleezza Rice held a press conference on the coup, noting that they would work with the new regime to ensure that the promise of democracy--which was taken away by Chavez--was restored. One slight problem. Two actually.
Chavez was democratically elected and had a significant degree of support from his citizens.
The coup ended up failing.
Turned out that the coup was directed by a constellation of groups interested in restoring neo-liberal market based policies. Chavez is about as Left as they come. Condoleezza and the administration was left to beat a hasty retreat, explaining why they would let a democratically elected president be taken out.
When I thought about Venezuela it all fit. But a cursory google search turns up few articles in which the link between US behavior in Haiti and Venezuela is made.
Posted by at March 20, 2004 12:27 PM | TrackBackI think if the US wanted rid of Aristide, we would have sat back and waited for the lynch mob forming outside of Port au Prince to get him.
Posted by: Jesse at March 22, 2004 11:51 AMThere are plenty of messageboards where the participants quickly recognized the similar behavior towards Haiti (that was directed towards Venezuela). But, actually, what's been happening to Haiti has been ongoing (by the U.S.).
In fact, even the sometimes impotent U.N. concluded that the first coup against Aristide was with the participation/assistance of the CIA, and ordered the government to return the documents it took/stole that would prove that link. To date, they have not been returned.
Interesting reading never found in the mainstream:
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17995
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2004/3/12/203759/782
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0303-06.htm
I'm not certain that I understand Aristide's move to Jamaica? A temporary resting spot while he arranges for some alternative spot? I understand that he wished to be in South Africa but that country is not likely to offer a place until after the next round of elections.
So he comes back the the Caribbean? I would think that if the USA really "kidnapped" him, there would be no move to Jamaica.
Posted by: Ward Bell at March 20, 2004 10:14 PM