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Columbia's government carries the trappings of democracy, and the US corporate media presents that regime as a freely elected government. Never mind that political opponents are routinely detained, harassed, and even killed by the rightist government and its death squads.
Because the Uribe regime in that country panders to US corporate interests (explaining the Bush regime's obsessive effort to try to pass a corporate controlled trade deal with them), our delightful corporate media discusses at length how the FARC rebels are involved in the drug trade, while leaving out the fact that the government there is at least as much involved.
Gee, can you imagine that?
Anyway, the Uribe dictatorship has recently been investigated by some parliamentarians from Britain's Labor Party (acting against the wishes of Gordon Brown and his cabinet ministers) and other human rights advocates. Here is their 4/11/09 press statement, sans signatories. (Hat Tip Ten Percent)
PRESS STATEMENT: JUSTICE FOR COLOMBIA DELEGATION
We are a delegation of British Parliamentarians and British, American and Canadian trade unionists, and have spent seven days here in Colombia gathering information on human and labour rights abuses. We have met a wide range of individuals and groups across Colombian society, covering civil, political, legal and military interests, including trade unions, students and teachers, indigenous peoples, peasant farmers, trade union lawyers, human rights defenders, and former FARC hostages. We have travelled to Arauca province to hear the testimonials of communities and individuals caught up in the conflict in that part of the country. We visited Buon Pastor prison in Bogota and spoke to the women political prisoners incarcerated there; we also met with Martin Sandoval, imprisoned unjustly in Arauca. We had the opportunity in speaking also with senior members of Alvaro Uribe's government and the President himself. We are grateful to all those individuals and groups who have generously given us their time.
We are shocked at what we have heard, and have no doubts on the evidence given that the Colombian government of Alvaro Uribe, and the security forces, are complicit in human rights crimes. We are convinced also that the murderous activities of the paramilitary forces are condoned and actively supported by the government and army. These crimes are aggravated by the impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators and the failure of the legal system to prosecute the criminals and those who issue the orders.
Instead of imprisoning the real criminals, the Government has locked up trade unionists, members of the political opposition and human rights defenders like Martin Sandoval. We call for his immediate release and that of other political prisoners and trade unionists.
On our return to the United Kingdom and North America we will be calling for:
# an immediate end to all military aid and support to the Colombian Government;
# no Free Trade Agreements until human and labour rights are respected in an internationally verifiable way;
# the public exposure of multinational companies, such as for their complicity in human and labour rights violations in Colombia;
# an immediate end to the criminalisation of legitimate and democratic opposition, including Senator Piedad Cordoba, Senator Gloria Ramirez, Congressman Wilson Borja and Dr. Carlos Lozano and others;
# support for dialogue, a peace process and a humanitarian exchange;
# An end to extrajudicial executions and 'false positives' carried out by the Colombian army.
A full account of our findings and recommendations will be published in the near future.
When the rightist pundits demonize Hugo Chavez with false allegations, they seem to get their inspiration from the actual actions of the Colombian dictatorship.
The United States doesn't mind human rights violations, we've perpetrated a few ourselves (see: Abu Ghraib), if the countries involved serve us. Look at China! The right-wing crazies are screaming about Socialism in Venezuela and here, and yet... they buy their cheap plastic crap from COMMUNIST China. Did you ever get the feeling that no one thinks anything through?
The powers-that-be, who stir up these unthinking chattel, they don't mind China, because it provides the corporations here with slave labor, to keep their prices down so their CEOs can make millions and we can save a couple bucks on crap we don't need.
I always ask myself when I hear the MSM rant about Hugo Chavez, what exactly did he do to the USA to engender this hatred?
Yeah, Chavez is a blowhard and a demagogue but what national elected official isn't?
Clinton and Bush were demagogues, as was Poppy Bush and Saint Reagan.
Raping, killing, brutality and pillaging are okay, just don't steal from the corporate medias sponsors (like Chavez did when he nationalized the oil industry). There are some out there who will hold the right to the same exacting standards to which they would hold the left, however, the bipolar corpocracy will try to stifle these voices as best they can. because, they do control everything.
Very well said and great comment by A World Quite Mad.
Christopher, Chavez is more than just a blowhard & demagogue. He is a very dangerous man to those who dare cross him. Columbian citizens are NOT allow to speak out, and those who have had paid the price, many just mysteriously disappeared...similiar to Russia in the 50's.
Hey libhom, I tagged you for a blog award. When you get a chance I hope you come read my post called "Honest Scrap Award."
Chavez is more than just a blowhard & demagogue. He is a very dangerous man to those who dare cross him. Columbian citizens are NOT allow to speak out,You could be describing either George Bush or Dick Cheney.
BTW, you do understand that Chavez is president of Venezuela and not Columbia, don't you? The way your replay reads, it sounds as if you think Chavez is the leader of Columbia -- he is not.
Back to the comparisons with Bush and Cheney. Many American protesters were picked up and arrested off the streets and arrested for flipping off Bush as he drove past in the presidential limousine. Or the physician in Mobile, AL who told Cheney to go "fuck himself" only to be paid a visit by the Stassi an hour later to take down his name and address and Social Security number.
Just keeping it real, John.
What a world!
I disagree with the characterizations of Chavez as a "blowhard and a demagogue." Chavez has taken serious action to benefit Venezuala's poor majority, including providing many of them with their first access to public education and healthcare. He also has kept Big Oil from robbing his country, like they were doing before.
When a foreign leader does things like this, the corporate media here in the US will portray him or her as a "blowhard and a demagogue." That's part of why we can not trust the corporate media.
Thanks for posting on this. It's a frakkin' mess in Colombia, and the U.S. has certainly done its part to create the situation.
Sorry it took so long, but I wanted to apologize to Christopher. I am sorry and did not mean to come off as confrontational. Yes, I was confused about Columbia and Venezuela. I just wanted to contribute a comment, but I was really too tired to think straight and probably shouldn't have at the time. I think the topic was above my head and I apologize, especially to Christopher.