Should the US support Venezuelan Rebels?

[bdk3clash]

Also "discussed" in this thread.

My response in that thread:

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No offense, but all of the posts in this thread indicate a fundamental lack of understanding of the reality of the situation in Venezuela. Here are a few articles to get you situated:

Don't Cry For Venezuela's RCTV

Coup Co-Conspirators as Free Speech Martyrs

BoingBoing post "Venezuela media crackdown: the other POV"

From this post:

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Rick Potthoff says,

The other side of this is that RCTV deserves to be shut down because they supported the coup against Chavez. Do you think that if, say, ABC had come out against Pres. Bush during a coup that failed they wouldn't end up in Gitmo? Revoking their broadcast license is still retaliation, but mild retaliation. Don't repeat the BS that because Chavez is trying to help the poor of Venezuela he is 'socialist.' All that means is that he doesn't toe the line of the WTO/FTA free trade agenda. He is as 'socialist' in the same sense FDR was.

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Venezuelan Government Will Not Renew “Coup-Plotting” TV Station’s License

Hugo Chávez and RCTV: Censorship or a legitimate decision?

Venezuela's RCTV: Sine Die and Good Riddance

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...RCTV played a leading role instigating and supporting the aborted April, 2002 two-day coup against President Chavez...RCTV and the other four corporate-run TV stations violated Venezuela's Law of Social Responsibility for Radio and Television (LSR). That law guarantees freedom of expression without censorship but prohibits, as it should, transmission of messages illegally promoting, apologizing for, or inciting disobedience to the law that includes enlisting public support for the overthrow of a democratically elected president and his government.

In spite of their lawlessness, the Chavez government treated all five broadcasters gently opting not to prosecute them, but merely refusing to renew one of RCTV's operating licenses (its VHF one) when it expired May 27 (its cable and satellite operations are unaffected) - a mere slap on the wrist for a media enterprise's active role in trying to overthrow the democratically elected Venezuelan president and his government. The article explained if an individual or organization of any kind incited public hostility, violence and anti-government rebellion under Section 2384 of the US code, Title 18, they would be subject to fine and/or imprisonment for up to 20 years for the crime of sedition.

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(emphasis added)

We should back Chávez

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In RCTV's case, the broadcaster failed to meet basic public-interest standards. The criterion for this assessment is similar to that used by the US Federal Communications Commission. RCTV will be free to broadcast via cable and satellite, which are available across the country.

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The legal, constitutional non-renewal of an over-the-air broadcast license to a station that actively participated in a failed coup against a democratically elected (and wildly popular) government is a pretty flimsy pretext for war, even by United States standards.

Besides, the Bush administration already has a policy of regime change in Venezuela.

Wikipedia atricle on the 2002 Venezuelan 2002 Coup d'etat: Allegations of US Involvement

Project Censored: "Bush Administration Behind Failed Military Coup in Venezuela"

VenezuelaFOIA.info: "THE PROOF IS IN THE DOCUMENTS: THE CIA WAS INVOLVED IN THE COUP AGAINST VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT CHAVEZ"

CommonDreams.org: "Documents Show CIA Knew of Venezuela Coup"

Guardian UK: "Venezuela coup linked to Bush team"

VenezuelaAnalysis: "The CIA Was Involved In the Coup Against Venezuela's Chavez"

CounterPunch: "The Media, the CIA and the Coup"