The Possibility of an Obama-Chavez Understanding
The media is full of speculation about President Obama's deft "deflection" against President Hugo Chavez' maneuvering and finger-pointing in the Honduras crisis. But another narrative is possible, of an undisclosed new diplomatic collaboration replacing the constant tensions and CIA foreknowledge of the brief 2002 coup against the Venezuelan leader.
It is too early to define a new era, but something profoundly new began developing between Obama and Chavez at the hemispheric conference in April in Trinidad.
According to eyewitness sources, under the apparently blind eye of the global media, the two leaders had lengthy conversations. The media covered the friendly photo of the initial handshake between the two leaders, then made much ado about an apparently-impertinent Chavez handing Obama a book in Spanish by Eduardo Galleano.
What has not been reported is that Obama, leaving his advisers behind, held lengthy private conversations with Chavez where only an interpreter was present.
It is not known what occurred in the secret talks. But sources in Caracas say that Chavez has become fascinated with Obama, seeking to understand the new US president and the forces around him, partly with advice from Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The Honduran crisis has been mounting for weeks. According to the New York Times', Chavez "had his playbook ready", planning to blame the CIA. But Obama, according to the Times' headlines, "deflected" the Venezuelan president by coming out strongly against the coup.
The real story is that a gradual rapprochement - not an alliance but a dialogue - is happening between the US and Venezuela, and it began in Trinidad, was pushed by Latin American leaders and welcomed by those like Obama, who prefer diplomacy over a return to US Cold War isolation.
It was no accident that Venezuela's ambassador to Washington, Bernardo Alvarez, returned to Washington in recent days after his expulsion several months ago.
The rapprochement, if it holds, would seem to be welcome news. The fact that is has occurred so silently is evidence that peace has its enemies.
I'm far from sure that rapprochement with Chavez is "welcome news". Chavez (like us, I suppose) has a history of funding paramilitary groups in neighboring countries, and has engaged in active hostilities with Colombia, a U.S. ally.
Not to mention his nationalization of anything that moves and near-complete destruction of the once-a-shining-example-of-Latin-American-success Venezuelan economy.
I suppose there's nothing wrong with talking to him, but I hope the CIA is planning another coup; Chavez is substantially more trouble than Cuba.
July 2, 2009 2:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Spoken like a big stick imperialist. The days of the US undermining popularly elected governments is hopefully over. The US has a shameful history of funding paramilitary groups in this part of the world and our alliances with third world countries have rarely been based on principle. Obama deserves praise for recognizing that our foreign policy legacy does not come close to matching our rhetoric.
Venezuela's economy was not a shining example of anything except exploitation by multinational oil companies who sucked the wealth out of Venezuela and desecrated the environment for over 100 years. Despite a wealth of natural resources, it was kept a third world country with huge class disparities.
The notion that Chavez actually wants to keep some of its oil wealth in the country and invest it in schools, health care and infrastructure may be an anathema to big oil, but it is better for the people of Venezuela.
July 2, 2009 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
In other words, Honduras was the sacrificial lamb to the promise of a love affair between Chavez and Obama.
What's a small banana republic with this at stake!
Welcome news indeed.
July 2, 2009 3:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Chavez is substantially more trouble than Cuba.
You're more right than you know, in the wrong way.
Or do you really think that a Russian strategic bomber group based in S. America is good for US security?
And what do you suppose would be the most effective way to get that bomber group OUT of S. America?
(hint: following the same old US playbook is NOT the correct answer. Unless you want additional Russian forces invited to take up shop. And why would you want that?)
July 2, 2009 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Once again, Obama keeps his friends close and his enemies even closer, and in the case of Mi Comandante, as he is fondly called by his red-t-shirted followers, one who is dealing with the third American president since he's come to power and is quite comfortably settling into the second decade of his long presidency with no end in sight.
July 2, 2009 4:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking of Colombia, Uribe is out to change the constitution so he can have a third term. Perhaps he's become a Chavista, huh?
July 2, 2009 7:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't forget Mayor Bloomberg! It's a done deal. Currently 8th richest American according to Forbes, founder of several services catering to the capitalist community. He works cheap, could have something to do with it ($1 salary per annum.) Is known to disappear for a weekend via helicopter, but one can be pretty sure it's not a coup because he's the pilot.
More seriously, I have a persaonl take on the term "Chavista," and its not so much about socialism, more about egotism and arrogance and desire for power, whether it includes good intentions for "the people" or not. If you use that definition, Bloomberg and Uribe fit right in.
July 2, 2009 8:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I tend to agree with you, AA. In less polarized times Hugo would have been called flamnboyant. But it looks to me like the Bolivarian Alternative has legs now, and it could survive Chavez.
Look at Zelaya...born into wealth and privilege, a rancher and timber man, and by rumor a financial underwriter of death squads in the '80s, and suddenly he goes liberal about a year into his tenure as president. He meets Chavez, goes to Cuba, pushes through a minimum wage law, as well as many other projects to benefit the poor. He had barely won the election - he wasn't popular, but by the time of the coup he was in fact quite popular with the poor...and the arch enemy of the Honduran ruling class. What happened? Did the Bolivarian Alternative inspire him? I don't know. I sure wish I did.
July 4, 2009 2:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
don't forget FDR had more than his fair share. And our own penchant for electing kings' heirs. And distribution of the treasure to favorites and friends. And manipulation of foreign elections.
pots and kettles and all that. if we want to realpolitik, you can't hate the other guy for playing the same game. You just have to beat him at it.
July 3, 2009 11:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
I suspect that the reason Obama had such a long private conversation with Hugo Chavez was at least in part as a channel to the Castro brothers. The question is what will Obama do (or at least refrain from doing) in Latin America that will make a difference.
A much more serious rapprochement w/Cuba could make life there a lot easier, while Venezuela, even under W, was selling the US lots of oil. Despite protestations not only from the RW, but from the NY Times, it was quietly reported that Joe Kennedy had remarked that Chavez' government was reasonably democratic relative to many other governments in the region.
There are a handful of Latin American countries particularly desperate for humanitarian assistance, like El Salvador and Haiti, while opening up at least SOME significant trade relations with Cuba, and allowing others to do so without our chilling them, would help. The US could also defray a huge proportion of the expense of both protecting forests (actively) and of shifting towards a non-carbon energy economy. The US government should be doing what the offsets are supposed to accomplish, and leave the regulation of energy to the regulation of energy.
The US might not only try to act against the coup in Honduras, but -- and curiously the voices on this have been much more muted internationally -- against what is going on in Peru, pursuant to the neoliberal demiurge
There are a number of other changes w/Latin America that would make a huge difference, and the significance of possible rapprochement w/Chavez is measured in that context.
July 3, 2009 7:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
While rapprochement is probably good news, better news would be Chavez suddenly dying of a heart attack.
July 4, 2009 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'll never understand the anti-Chavez sentiment of otherwise clear thinking Americans on this issue. It's as if all the anti-Chavez propaganda has been effectively steamrolled into the American psyche.
How else to explain sentiments like MNPundit wishing death upon a democratically elected leader that, incidentally, the CIA worked to actively overthrow in a coup and thus rightfully holds a rather large grudge against because of this.
Why are you not wishing a heart attack to everyone in the CIA involved in manipulation of the leadership of foreign governments? They started it.
And with regards to Chavez changing term limits, so WHAT?! It was done through a democratic process, voted upon in a referendum ... not a coup. And if you're going to criticize the term limits issue, why not set your sights on Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and a whole host of other allied countries?
July 7, 2009 4:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think with your attitude, you should leave off the Pundit and stick with MN.
The extent to which so many people have been brainwashed about Latin American governments is extraordinary. If you are looking for an example of a shithead asshole who was democratically elected to lead his countrry, you should take a look at Dubya.
July 7, 2009 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
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