The
Latin American Bloc:
The Ignored Danger to Freedom
Compiled
by: Ryan Mauro
tdcanalyst@optonline.net
“Venezuela? Ecuador? Bolivia? Oh right, yes I know how horrible
the condition is of Africa.” Believe it or not, expecting an answer like that is well-advised when
talking to the average American about Latin America. The countries of Mexico and Colombia are the only countries that come to
the mind of the average American when hearing the term “Latin America”. Maybe if you’re lucky, the person
you’re exchanging with will know that Brazil is part of Latin America also!
The ignorance of our friends and enemies
in the Western Hemisphere can only be described as appalling. While nearly all Americans
agree there is an immense drug trafficking problem in the US, little do they think of Latin America. Widespread corruption, hard-left
Socialism and Communism diehards, drug trafficking and even support
of anti-American terrorism runs throughout Latin America. And these threats are the most dangerous,
but the most blunt and in the open.
I’m not going to waste my time on how
horrible Cuba is to its own people and how aggressive
Castro’s regime is in his anti-American campaigns. Why? Because
although that is interesting, the model of Cuba is being rapidly applied throughout
Latin
America.
Keep in mind, Latin
America
has only had a brief time to learn the great aspects of free markets
and democracy, most of the progress towards freedom was hindered
by dictatorships, military coups, corruption, and propaganda.
The image of what democracy is has become tainted.
Venezuela
The “Cubanization” of Latin America began with the successful campaign
to elect Hugo Chavez to power in Venezuela, the second most important oil provider
for the United States. Directly next to the civil war-torn
Colombia, and right near the strategic country
of Panama, this development needs more coverage.
The Marxist-Leninist, narco-terrorists (a mixture of drug traffickers
and terrorists) control a large portion of Colombia and may very well take over the nation
if US aid to the government is cut, or if
foreign support for the rebels has a significant increase.
Dedicated to anti-Americanism, Chavez,
whose personal hero is Fidel Castro, has quickly seized power
and drastically reduced the originally free Venezuela. This has resulted in mass opposition,
which has been combated by oppression of the media and opposition
figures, and assistance from Fidel Castro’s Cuba.
Chavez’ political ambition began as
an Army colonel whom attempted to seize power in a coup. Those
who hail Chavez as a democratic president are simply wrong, as
less than one-third of the population are supporting him, and
according to Newsmax.com magazine (issue July 15, 2002), Chavez
has said he will be president until 2021. Democracy?
During times of extreme opposition,
Chavez labels the opposition figures, especially in the media,
as foreign spies or more commonly, “terrorists”. He then blames
the “terrorists” for pushing the country towards martial law.
During those times, Chavez issued 49 executive orders in six months,
while turning the military into a police force with the authority
to assist in construction, economic development, and oppression.
Much of his administration is populated by military figures, to
administer the military rule. And when Chavez runs into trouble,
he can always count on Castro to help him. Castro and Brazil’s Lula da Silva both assisted Venezuela with reduced prices for, or free,
oil products when the protestors shut down the industry. Perhaps
it is because the security forces and intelligence forces are
trained by Cuban instructors, well-known to be Castro’s intelligence
officers.
To filter anti-American, pro-socialist
propaganda into the education system, Chavez has hired hundreds
of Cuban teachers (for the government) to run the system. “Plan
Bolivar” was released, in which the new military/police force
took authority over the largest social programs (which in fact
just serve to decrease privatization and thus transform free markets
and capitalism into socialism and dictatorship). CTV, the national
federation of trade unions, and PDVSA, the national oil company
has been seized for government control. Factories that violate
price controls are taken over by the military. And Chavez and
his supporters have the ability to force companies that oppose
him in anyway to raise prices as high as they wish, or as low
as they wish.
Cuba may also be responsible for saving
Chavez from a coup in 2003, by securing his oil industry. Certain
media outlets had already reported that Cuban intelligence had
infiltrated the security apparatus, but it was not until recently
that the full scope of Cuban infiltration of the oil industry
was revealed. According to the newspaper based in Caracas, El Universal, over 700 Cuban nationals were hired to work as technicians
and security personnel for Venezuelan Petroleum, Inc, atop of
the nearly 4,000 Cubans that had arrived since 1999.
[i]
To protect his armed rule, Chavez ordered
his vice president to be in charge of new paramilitary local militias,
“Bolivarian Circles”, heavily populated by Cuban intelligence.
The Bolivarian Circles’ model is an exact copy of the militia
that Castro uses to enforce Communism. These forces and the military-police
forces have already been used to attack demonstrators. Chavez’
support for internal terrorism is similar to his support for external
terrorism. In February 2001, Chavez visited Libya, Iraq and Iran to sign agreements for cooperation.
A few months later, Castro visited Libya, Iran and Syria. If anyone thinks that there isn’t
a bloc effort in Latin America to reach out to potential American enemies, they surely are
mistaken.
In foreign policy, Chavez has openly
praised Castro and Saddam Hussein. Their common interest in anti-Americanism,
totalitarianism and terrorism has brought them together. A bold
statement? Maybe not. An investigation by Insight
Magazine has stressed that Chavez does indeed support terrorism.
On March 8, 2002, Hakim Mamad Ali Diab Fattah (an Arab)
landed at the Simon Boliviar International Airport in Venezuela, while under surveillance after attending
flight lessons at two New Jersey-based flight schools also attended
by a 9-11 hijacker. The FBI arrested Fattah after he spoke of
being part of a plot to blow up an airliner and mentioned his
use of forged identity documents. Fattah, a Venezuelan-born Arab,
was subsequently protected by Venezuelan intelligence (which consists
of many Cuban agents) by refusing to give any information on Fattah,
except that according to his medical records, Fattah was a schizophrenic.
According to high-level defectors like
General Marcos Ferreira, the former director of the border control
under the National Guard, Venezuelan intelligence (DISIP) transported
Fattah directly from the airport to a parked vehicle. The investigators
in Insight Magazine warn that the plan for Venezuela involving the transportation of Cuban
agents to Venezuela bares resemblance to Castro’s blueprint
for turning Chile into a Marxist-Leninist state. It
called for supporting President Salvador Allende by sending thousands
of paramilitary soldiers into Chile to assist in the transformation. This
is going on in Venezuela, as Cuban DGI agents are helping run
the port at La Guaira, and Cuban agents are instructors at the
naval merchant-marine schools.
The investigation concluded that it
was possible that thousands of Colombian and Arab terrorists may
be protected by the Chavez regime. The Cuban intelligence officers
have taken control over DISIP’s counter-terrorism and intelligence-analysis
section. It is estimated that up to 300-400 Cuban military advisors
are directing the Presidential Guard and bodyguard force. An additional
force of up to 6,000 Cuban agents are training the Bolivarian
Circles paramilitary forces and even operating key naval facilities
in Venezuela.
The defectors spoken to say that the
law enforcement staff is encouraged to hide the identities of
terrorists and drug traffickers transiting Venezuela; to deceive US investigators about
the activity of Hezbollah financial activity in Venezuela; and to deceive US investigators about
Arab money laundering there. Chavez ordered his staff to destroy
records on ten suspected Hezbollah fundraisers and transformed
key counter-terrorist units into his personal security force.
It is suspected that Arabs possibly with links to terrorists contributed
to the political campaign of Chavez and this is his motive for
the cover-ups of their records.
The key spot in Venezuela for terrorist funding and operation
through is Margarita Island. This is also where three Afghans
using faked Pakistani passports were captured entering from Cuba with $200,000 in cash in August 2001,
connected to terrorist plotting. Also in March 2001, Fred Bernal,
a close aide to Chavez, was arrested trying to move arms into
Saudi Arabia from Iraq. Another interesting tidbit: “Carlos
the Jackal”, a former terrorist leader, has embraced Chavez, and
Chavez returned the favor by trying to bail him out of jail.
Although direct support for the Colombian
narco-terrorists is suspected, here is the evidence the investigation
found already. Venezuela has closed their air-space to American
anti-drug flights; rebel camps are in Venezuelan territory under
the government’s protection; and Colombian drug traffickers are
moving operations to Venezuela.
[ii]
An interesting defector named Juan
Diaz Castillo, whom served as a pilot (his rank was a major in
the air force) for Chavez directly, says he was hired to assist
in covert drugs and arms smuggling deals for Chavez. Privately,
Chavez reportedly said he wanted to deliver troops to assist the
Taliban and Al-Qaeda in fighting US forces in Afghanistan, but
when his staff told him this was impossible (do to US blockade),
he used the Venezuelan Air Force to begin delivering humanitarian
aid, especially medicine and clothes to the Taliban in mid-September
of 2001.
According to Diaz, Chavez donated $1
million to Al-Qaeda and the Taliban shortly after 911. $900,000
went to Al-Qaeda, which was used for relocation efforts, and $100,000
went to humanitarian aid for the Taliban. Chavez also attempted
to obtain direct contact with Al-Qaeda through Libya but, Diaz believes, failed. The Worldnetdaily.com investigation into the
matter reportedly involved the testimonies of over 100 military
officers including 30 generals that defected, that indicate that
Chavez is covertly supporting terrorism in cooperation with Cuba. The investigation also noticed that
an increasing number of Arabs are being seen in Venezuela since late 2001 and 2002, where they
are suspected of getting special treatment.
[iii]
Diaz told a friend of mine, J.R. Nyquist
that the motive behind Chavez’ promotion of the radical left Marxists
in Latin America was to create an anti-American alliance bloc,
that would ally with Russia, Cuba, Iran and China, to attack the United States through economic competition and assault
and through their alliances with terrorists, and to begin an ideological
assault against the US. Part of this strategy says the former
pilot, is covert support to the Colombian Marxist rebels to bring
Colombia into the bloc—support which had already
begun. He also told JR that the next on the list to fall to the
radical left according to these plans were Ecuador, and then Argentina, predictions which have come true.
He also mentioned that Cubans were in Venezuela running transport operations to and
from Cuba.
[iv]
The links to terror have not been fully ignored.
Colombia has hinted that they may have evidence
proving that Venezuela is cooperating with the FARC and ELN
terrorist rebels, allowing them to use the border area to escape
capture.
[v]
The future of Venezuela? Allow me to use Chavez’ own words
during his visit to Communist Cuba: “Venezuela is headed in the same direction toward
the same sea where the Cuban people are headed...a sea of happiness,
of true social justice, of peace.”
[vi]
Brazil
The far-left presence in Venezuela
(and with Castro and Chavez’ help) enabled the radical left to
take Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, another politician whose stated
hero is Fidel Castro, to take power. The economic and political
woes of Brazil had allowed an enemy of freedom, with
promises of an even balance between the workers and businessmen,
to take power—the same woes exist in Argentina, Chile, Mexico and other Latin American countries.
This is the window of opportunity for Castro and the enemies of
America.
The history of Brazil’s new president is interesting. He
never attended college, and worked in a metal factory for much
of his life. One day, he became a trade unionist, and then created
the Workers Party, to unite all the divided groups of the radical
left in the country. This has propelled Da Silva forward. Anti-Americanism
in Brazil has risen, despite the country’s reputation
as a traditional ally. It has risen to such levels, that by June
2003, Brazilian citizens rated the USA as a more dangerous nation that Iran (a country Da Silva has embraced).
[vii]
When he finally took power in 2003, on the
first day of office, the first thing he did was embrace the “Axis
of Good” between Venezuela, Brazil and Cuba.
Lula da Silva has expressed his desire
for a full-fledged alliance with Cuba (while refusing to condemn Castro’s
human rights violations and crackdowns), opposed the war in Iraq and has expressed support for Saddam
Hussein in the face of UN inspectors. His strategy for the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty: Only comply once all the countries with
nuclear arsenals have disarmed. This is not exaggeration, he has
openly stated this. That’s right, a Castro ally, now president
of Brazil, is calling for Brazil to obtain nuclear weapons—and not
in secret either. One
of Da Silva’s goals is to promote the dropping of the trade restrictions
on Cuba led by the West, to make Brazil independent of Western
policy (which he calls “imperialist”) and to promote “a multi-polar
world” (where the US power is checked by another alliance as was
during the Cold War). While refusing to take any major action
against the Colombian FARC terrorists sponsored by Cuba, Brazil
has established a “strategic partnership” (alliance) with China,
strengthened ties with Russia and France, ended scientific cooperation
treaties with the US, and has refused to support in anyway, the
Free Trade Area of the Americas promoted by President Bush. Da
Silva reportedly says that accepting the FETAA would make Brazil puppet of the US. Da Silva is also believed to be the
main force behind what pressured Chile to oppose the Iraq War.
Da Silva also put Trotskyites, Communist
Party officials, and open radicals in power in high places as
Cabinet ministers, government officials and advisors, and throughout
the government, intelligence, and military. His foreign policy
chief, Marco Aurelio Garcia (also a Communist) is a founder of
the Sao Paulo Forum (as we’ll discuss below, supports terrorism)
and is the executive director of the Forum. Each year he meets
with the leader of the FARC terrorist group, Manuel Marulanda
Velez.
Prior to the Iraq War, Brazilian hostility
was still high, as the nation’s government joined Russia, China,
Cuba and Saddam Hussein in trying to get UN sanctions on Iraq
lifted. Brazil also strongly opposed the US role in the war in Colombia fighting the Marxist narco-terrorists
and rebels. Just like Chavez, Da Silva had also already begun
putting Marxist ideology into the education system and police
forces. In fact, Brazil took advantage of the Iraq War to
justify a sudden surge in the research of advanced nuclear technology,
which could be used to make nuclear weapons, although they denied
any plans to do so. A senior official said that the issues in
Iraq and North Korea also justified Brazil’s nuclear research, but did not specifically
point out that nuclear weapons would be built. Brazil also began a joint rocket program
with China, which is often a cover for, or a
program to assist in, ballistic missile programs.
[viii]
Brazil, a former nuclear power with the retained ability to
enrich uranium, has the capabilities to build nuclear weapons
at a near moment’s notice.
Even after our success in the war in
Iraq, Brazil’s nature did not change. When the
US began condemning Cuba for human rights violations and a
recent brutal crackdown on the dissidents, Brazil openly condemned the United States’ policy towards Fidel Castro as “aggressive”.
The moment was then seized to declare the foreign policy of Brazil
as moving “independent” (hinting at moving away from a common
position with America); focusing on “integration” with Argentina
and the continent as a whole; trying to build a “multi-polar world”
with Russia taking a lead role; and the promotion of reforming
the UN Security Council to include Latin American representation.
[ix]
Argentina
Lula da Silva and Fidel Castro are
currently very popular in Argentina. Towards the end of 2002 when Da Silva
went to City Hall for a meeting, the venue became overcrowded.
At the meeting, Da Silva said he would work to develop an alliance
bloc between Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina which would eventually encompass Bolivia and Chile, and thereafter, all of South America (it appears he is counting on a rebel
victory in Colombia). Why? To create a multi-polar world
where American power could be countered. The Argentineans ended
the meeting with a great applause.
Da Silva’s dealings with Argentina began in the 1970s, according to the
head of the country’s Socialist Party, Alfredo Bravo, whom claims
he secretly worked with Da Silva since 1977.
[x]
Anti-Americanism in Argentina since the economic collapse has accelerated,
and has created the necessary environment for a Communist takeover.
In fact, the country rates the highest in all of Latin America in anti-Americanism. Pew Research Center research shows that 73% of the country
is in direct opposition to US policy.
[xi]
In May of 2003, the political and economic
crisis in Argentina allowed Nester Kirchner. As a member
of the far left, and the candidate most favored by Castro, Lula
da Silva and Chavez, Kirchner is well-suited in their plans for
the “Cubanization” of Latin America. The election gave an almost immediate
boost to similar movements in Uruguay, Bolivia and Peru.
[xii]
Ecuador
Another country haven fallen to the
radical Left—Ecuador is now run by Lucio Gutierrez, whom has established
tough rule, and has praised Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro (and
vice versa). Gutirrez also is a former colonel and played a role
in a failed coup when he was a militant member of the Peronist
Party, a political movement founded by Juan Domingo Peron in the
1940s, which swings to the Marxist left.
Panama
Panama is an ally of the United States. However, the abandoning of the Panama Canal to PLA (Chinese armed forces) front
companies, has led to Panama to collapse into a state of revolution.
This front company, Hutchison Whampoa, has leased the ports on
either side of the Panama Canal. As told in various texts by Chinese military generals and
analysts, Chinese strategy in this arena is to own ports for in
the event of war. And America is their #1 enemy. No wonder the Chinese
have teamed up with Fidel Castro.
The power vacuum created by the withdrawal
of American forces from Panama have weakened the law enforcement’s
authority, and allowed the FARC terrorists fighting in Colombia to have a base to work against Panama’s southern neighbor. Not to mention
that Panama is a great spot for drug and arms
trafficking.
The fall of law enforcement power has
also allowed up to 150,000 illegal immigrants from China to reside in Panama atop the legal Chinese population
of 40,000. Panama is a small country of only 2 million.
The Chinese Triads (organized crime group with links to Chinese
intelligence) have established a foothold in many of the companies,
allowing Panama to be on the verge of becoming either
a de facto Chinese and Cuban puppet, or to become governed by
the radical left, also loyal to Castro.
[xiii]
Chile
Chile’s president is also a friend of Castro,
which is a dramatic change as Chile is believed to be an American ally
(but as we saw, refused to support the US in the Iraq War). Ricardo Lagos poses a threat as a socialist,
and the visit by Lula da Silva in a show of support, but has so
far not established a strict rule or an openly anti-American policy.
Lagos is a militant socialist, and was the
ambassador to the Soviet Union during the time of Salvador Allende’s government from 1970
to 1973, which was a leftist government with severe human rights
and freedom abuses.
Mexico
Our southern neighbor, filled with
corruption (I do not think I need to even explain this), with
a growing Marxist movement in the south, is also falling into
the trap. Not only did Mexico refuse to support the war in Iraq, or to help with the border situation,
President Fox has announced a strategic alliance with Lula da
Silva’s regime in Brazil. When announcing it, Fox said the relationship would
be used to pursue Latin America’s “common interests” and help get seats in the Group of 8
and a reformed UN.
[xiv]
I highly suggest visiting the online
archives of Insight Magazine
to see their investigations into socialism and anti-Americanism
in Mexico. Their professional reports are appalling
and hold nothing back. In one particular report on the growing
socialist aspects of Mexican governance, Insight
shows how the government controls their oil industry, and is promoting
a global tax on all developed countries so the collected wealth
can be redistributed.
[xv]
Even after the 9/11 attacks, there was no official
mass vigil or ceremony for months. According to one poll, only
22% of Mexicans supported sending soldiers in the War on Terrorism,
and only 31% supported “limited aid”.
The future of Mexico is apparently destined to be decided
by a radical leftist leader in the near future. Although the leader
destined to run Mexico is unknown, the most likely candidate
at the moment is Lopez Obrador. He is currently the mayor of Mexico City (since 2000), with an approval rating
of over 80%, despite leading a radical leftist revolt in 1989.
Even the Washington Post describes him as the Mexican
version of Lula da Silva, which of course, Brazil would like, as Da Silva’s openly stated
ambition was for the rise of the radical left in South America to ignite the radical left to take
control of Mexico.
[xvi]
Other Developments
This chain of events, all linked to
the promotion of the “Cubanizaiton”
of Latin America by Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, has allowed
the Communist narco-guerillas (terrorist rebels) to gain more
power in Peru, Colombia, Bolivia and Paraguay. The propaganda
elements boosted by the rhetoric of the new Castro allies in power,
will probably allow the radical left to capture Uruguay and the rest of Latin America.
As discussed, secret support for terrorism
is probably going to accelerate particularly in response to US aid to Colombia. But the radical left’s propaganda,
making the people become anti-American also will accelerate the
prestige of Islamic terrorists including the Iranian-sponsored
Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda. The anti-American sentiments in the military
forces and police forces will lead to a lack of cooperation in
the War on Terrorism. The “triple frontier” where Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina meet is said to be the home for 20,000
Lebanese Muslims and a suspected operational base for terrorists.
It is also believed that agents connected to Yasser Arafat’s Palestinian
Authority are given safe haven in Brazil and Venezuela whom have contact with the Hezbollah
agents embedded in the Lebanese community.
[xvii]
In this same area, it has been reported that
FARC has three leadership posts in Brazil.
[xviii]
At the “triple frontier”, it s suspected
that corrupt companies contributed or laundered over $50 million
in money for terrorist-related charities or companies. Paraguay’s laws relating to terrorist funding
are relaxed, even though in early 2002 it was noticed that Al-Qaeda-linked
terrorists had entered the area. Brazil, with a population of 1.5 million
Muslims, is a potential recruiting arena. Argentinean intelligence
afterwards reported that Hamas, the Party of Islamic Unification
and the Egyptian branch of Muslim Brotherhood had also begun operating
there. Spies from six different countries were also
in this same “triple frontier”, possibly cooperating with the
terrorists. The residences of the Muslim community are now expanding
into Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela, the Argentinean report said.
Support for terrorism has always been
a part of Castro’s strategy adopted by his friends and allies.
Cuba’s place on the state sponsors of terrorism
list is well-deserved. Castro helps run the Sao Paulo Forum, founded
by Brazil’s Lula da Silva (he is also chairman), which is the
meeting place for all the Latin America-based terrorist groups
(of any kind), guerilla groups, and political forces that are
anti-American. All participating groups discuss their plans and
agenda and coordinate their activities, and help each other out.
The state sponsors that send representatives to the meeting also
choose certain groups and forces to finance and support.
The Sao Paulo Forum in December 2001
was attended by Fidel Castro, Lucia Inacio Lula da Silva, Daniel
Ortega (former Communist dictator of Nicaragua), and representatives
from: the Communist Parties of Argentina, Peru, Cuba, Chile, Colombia,
Uruguay and Venezuela; the ELN and FARC terrorist rebels of Colombia;
Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement of Peru; and according to some
sources, Middle Eastern terrorist groups. The chief of the Latin
American division of the Iraqi Baath Party (Saddam Hussein’s political
party), as well as representatives of Venezuela, Brazil, Syria, Libya, Iran, North Korea and Cuba attended.
Other regular attendees are terrorist
allies include: representatives of Nicaragua’s Sandinistas; El Salvador’s FMLN; Irish Republican Army; Basque
ETA; and PFLP-GC.
[xix]
The Latin American bloc is growing
closer and closer together, while expanding allies outwards. The
Bloc collectively is allied to Saddam Hussein (or was), Iran, Libya, China, Russia, India and South Africa. And perhaps even worse, the Bloc
is tightening into a single community, almost like the Latin American
version of the European Union.
With Venezuela and Brazil leading the efforts to oppose and
counter the US-proposed Free Trade of the Americas agreement, the Latin American countries
are calling for “full Latin American integration” to counter US economic dominance. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela and Chile all are participating in these talks.
Brazil and Argentina are leading the effort to form a joint
parliament, common currency and common policy towards international
venues and organizations, to be reached by 2006, although a final
agreement has not been reached. They hope for the Mercosur customs
union to merge with the Andean Community, which would effectively
swallow the current pro-American countries of Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia into the bloc. Venezuela, a member of the Andean Community,
is expected to lead the efforts on the Andean side.
[xx]