Learning Stories
by
Mario deSantis

mariodesantis@hotmail.com

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I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, and free to choose those who shall govern my country.” - -The Rt. Hon. John Diefenbaker, Canadian Bill of Rights, 1960

The whole judicial system is at issue, it's worth more than one person.”--Serge Kujawa, Saskatchewan Crown Prosecutor, 1991

The system is not more worth than one person's rights.”--Mario deSantis, 2002


Ensign Stories © Mario deSantis and Ensign

 


Last Thursday April 11, a coup d'etat was staged in Venezuela by the planned efforts of a segment of the militaries, the big corporations and their controlled media, along with either the explicit or implied support of the White House.

Businessman Pedro Carmona was installed as the new president and stated that Hugo Chavez had resigned. Carmona used the typical term 'resignation' invented by our neoclassical aristocracy, that is the imposing language to speak for others in accordance to the private contract of the Free Market. As Carmona took over the presidency he hypocritically accused Hugo Chavez of having undermined the democratic institutions and therefore he dismissed the country's constitution and dissolved the National Assembly and the Supreme Court.

The White House got along with the coup d'etat and issued a statement supporting Carmona which included that the Chavez administration did not

"act with restraint and show full respect for the peaceful expression of political opinion... Chavez supporters, on orders, fired on unarmed, peaceful protestors, resulting in more than 100 wounded or killed. Venezuelan military and police refused orders to fire on peaceful demonstrators and refused to support the government's role in such human rights violations. The government prevented five independent television stations from reporting on events. The results of these provocations are: Chavez resigned the presidency. Before resigning, he dismissed the vice president and the Cabinet."

Today, April 14, we understand that Hugo Chavez has returned to his presidential compound with the support of the militaries and of the people. Also we know that there is no evidence that Chavez supporters fired on people, that the corporate media is nowhere to show that Hugo Chavez has returned to his democratically elected position, that Chavez didn't resign the presidency, and that Chavez didn't dismiss the vice-president and the Cabinet.

Further, the White House's claim that Chavez didn't respect the expression of public opinion is a testament of the fraudulent use by the Bush administration to use public opinion polls to zig zag the US foreign policies.

The Bush administration recognizes democracy as marketed by the firing of guns and missiles, while true democracy is expressed by ordinary people as experienced today in Venezuela when one man grabbed a microphone to greet Mr. Chavez and cried "Today we are celebrating a new democracy" and when an unemployed, wearing a tattered shirt said "The people want him back. He works for the poor."

References

Chavez Provoked His Removal, U.S. Officials Say, by Peter Slevin, Washington Post Staff Writer, April 13, 2002 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41210-2002Apr12.html

State Dept. statement on Venezuela crisis, April 12, 2002 http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/americas/04/12/state.venezuela/

Chavez makes dramatic comeback, BBC April 14, 2002 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1928000/1928860.stm