[A-List] VENEZUELA ON HIGH ALERT

Sun Jun 3 18:37:20 MDT 2007

Tom Baker here forwarding to you VENEZUELA IN HIGH ALERT 
The oligarchy with bourgeoisie left have found the lie for whipping the truth  
Destabilization is the business especially to collapse a good example  

Attached are video clip and photos
Text follows 

Venezuela Solidarity Network
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June 2, 2007

EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK
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VENEZUELA ON  HIGH ALERT!

DEFEND VENEZUELA'S RIGHT TO DETERMINE ITS OWN DESTINY!
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IN THIS ALERT YOU WILL FIND

* QUICK OVERVIEW
* WHAT'S BEHIND EFFORTS TO DESTABILIZE  VENEZUELA
*  WHAT TO DO IF THERE'S A CRITICAL INTERVENTION-IS YOUR CITY READY?
* TAKE ACTION!
* BASIC TALKING POINTS
* CONTACT CONGRESS AND MEDIA
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QUICK OVERVIEW

Corporate media has widely reported that thousands of students, mostly from private
schools and universities, have taken to the streets in opposition to the government's
decision not to renew the broadcasting license of RCTV. Not reported have been the
significantly larger numbers of high school and university students, workers, and
neighborhood activists who have marched in support of the government.

Venezuela, Uruguay, and Peru have all denied the renewal of broadcasting licenses
to media in the past few months. However, Venezuela is being singled out for censure.
What is accepted as routine exercise of governmental authority in other countries
is falsely labeled as tyranny in Venezuela.

RCTV is being closed because of numerous infractions of communication law, including
its participation in the coup of April, 2002, and subsequent work stoppages and economic
sabotage that cost the Venezuelan people $10 billion in losses.
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WHAT'S BEHIND EFFORTS TO DESTABILIZE VENEZUELA

After winning a resounding majority of over 62% in the latest election, the Chavez
administration has been mandated by the people to move the Bolivarian Revolution
forward, to hand over practical and meaningful power to the people and their
representatives-especially
the power to manage resources for the good of all.

Since his reelection, Chavez has spoken of the need to turn more factories over to
worker control. He has put a stop to multi-national mining development in the environmentally
sensitive Sierra Perija mountains. Pres. Chavez has acted to end foreign oil company
control of Orinoco River Basin development, and to nationalize electrical and other
energy, telecommunications, and water sectors.

The positive effects of these actions are numerous. For instance, by nationalizing
the telecommunications giant CANTV, the government will be able to lower phone bill
rates by 20 %, to double current access to telephone landlines, and, in the next
few years, to provide telephone access to 93% of Venezuelans. Another more obvious
example, of course, is using oil profits to expand social services, rather than to
line the pockets of business leaders.

The forces of US/corporate Empire are alarmed and frightened by these challenges
to their power and profit.  They fear that this new kind of democracy could turn
into a worldwide phenomenon, challenging the disorder of global capitalism.

This is why they are trying to destabilize Venezuela. And since the Venezuelan ruling
class never acts without the permission, funding, support, and direction of its US
imperialist masters-we can be assured that whatever the opposition is up to in Venezuela,
it is being backed up by the US government.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TAKE ACTION!

There are several things you can do now to help keep a critical intervention from
happening against Venezuela!

1)     Write letters to the editor, call in to talk shows, and take action to counter
misleading media.  Links to contact information for major media are provided at the
end of this alert.

2)     Set up delegations with your Representatives and their staffs to talk to them
about issues pertaining to RCTV and about Venezuela in general. The odds are that
many of them are as poorly informed about these issues as the larger public.  A link
to contact Congress is provided at the end of this alert.

3)     The Senate already unanimously passed a resolution condemning Venezuela's
denial of the RCTV broadcasting license. A similar bill has been introduced into
the House, H. Con. Res. 77, sponsored by Jerry Weller (R-IL). This bill has been
referred to the House Foreign Relations Committee. Find out if your Representative
is on this committeeby going to the following link.  Call, email, and send them letters
urging that they not support this bill. You can click on the Representative's name
for contact information:

House Foreign Affairs Committee
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6zequacab.0.rm4yiacab.l5csqsbab.5680&ts=S0253&p=http%3A%2F%2Fforeignaffairs.house.gov%2Fmembers.asp%3Fcommittee%3Dfull%26subnav%3Dsubcommittees]

4) Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has been an

outspoken critic of Pres. Chavez, calling him a
"thug" nd now jumping on the bandwagon to
condemn Venezuela's nonrenewal for RCTV.  We
strongly encourage people to email and call
Speaker Pelosi to set the record straight.
Please contact the following people.
Pelosi's Chief of Staff/Policy Advisor:

Terri.McCullough at mail.house.gov [mailto:Terri.McCullough at mail.house.gov]

Pelosi's Media Staff:

Brenda.Daly at mail.house.gov [mailto:Brenda.Daly at mail.house.gov]

Call Speaker Pelosi at 202-226-7616 or use the
toll free numbers at the end of this alert

5)      Help build the Emergency Response Network by visiting our website and downloading
ERN forms and getting people in your community signed up!

Venezuela Solidarity Network
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6zequacab.0.rtymi5bab.l5csqsbab.5680&ts=S0253&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vensolidarity.org%2F]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BASIC TALKING POINTS

1)  The right to regulate broadcasting licenses is a right enjoyed by most  governments,
including the United States. Uruguay and Peru have both recently denied broadcasting
licenses to media outlets, yet there have been no "condemnations" against them. Venezuela
is being targeted for political reasons.

2) Th
e denial of RCTV's broadcasting license is based on violations of the Venezuelan
Constitution and the Law of Social Responsibility for Radio and Television. These
make it illegal to use public airwaves to incite political violence and civil unrest.

3)  During the April, 2002 coup attempt, RCTV knowingly broadcast false reports blaming
Chavez supporters for firing on protesters (thus justifying the coup), and claiming
that Chavez had willingly resigned and left the country. In fact, he had been kidnapped
and jailed by opposition military officers. RCTV also broadcast logistical information
for the coup and conducted a news blackout about the more than a million Chavez supporters
who had gathered at the presidential palace in defense of their democracy.

4)  Following the failed coup, RCTV actively promoted a program of financial sabotage
and work stoppages designed to cripple Venezuela's economy.

5)  RCTV has been cited numerous times for such infractions as broadcasting pornography
and cigarette commercials and was closed several times by administrations previous
to Chavez.

6)  Venezuela has more media freedom than most countries. All but two of its 81 television
stations are privately owned, as are all its 118 newspapers. Most of these are highly
critical of Pres. Chavez. The government also shows its commitment to free speech
and media by funding independent, locally run, non-profit Community Media centers.

7)  Refusing to renew the RCTV license is not about media suppression. RCTV may continue
to broadcast via their two radio stations, cable, and satellite. In other countries,
those involved in coup attempts would go to jail for treason rather than be allowed
to keep broadcasting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WHAT TO DO IF THERE'S A CRITICAL INTERVENTION--IS YOUR CITY READY?

In the event of a critical intervention against Venezuela, please go to the following
link to learn about Emergency Action Plans in your city:

Emergency Action Plans
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6zequacab.0.u9wruacab.l5csqsbab.5680&ts=S0253&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vensolidarity.org%2FCampaigns%2FERN_City_Plans.php]

IF YOUR CITY DOES NOT HAVE AN ACTION PLAN-NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO DEVELOP ONE! Look
at what cities are doing for ideas. Please let us know about your city's plan so
we can list it on our website; and feel free to ask for any support we can give.
Send Emergency Action Plans to james at afgj.org [mailto:james at afgj.org].  You can also
reach us by phone at 202-544-9355 (Washington, DC) or 520-243-0381 (Tucson, AZ)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ACTION!

To send an email to your Congressional representative, follow this link:
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6zequacab.0.ljxqe4bab.l5csqsbab.5680&ts=S0253&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.house.gov%2Fwriterep%2F]
To send an email to your Senator, follow this link:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6zequacab.0.jjxqe4bab.l5csqsbab.5680&ts=S0253&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.senate.gov%2Fgeneral%2Fcontact_information%2Fsenators_cfm.cfm]

To contact major media outlets, go to:

Major Media Contacts
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6zequacab.0.t9wruacab.l5csqsbab.5680&ts=S0253&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D111]

For more detailed media contact information, go to:

Extensive Media Contact List
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6zequacab.0.v9wruacab.l5csqsbab.5680&ts=S0253&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.democraticunderground.com%2Fdiscuss%2Fduboard.php%3Faz%3Dview_oet%26address%3D358x1903]
Toll free numbers for the Capitol Switchboard:

800-828-0498, 800-459-1887, 800-614-2803, 800-862-5530, 866-340-9281
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This ERN Action Alert was prepared by the Venezuela Solidarity Network.  The basic
purpose of the Venezuela Solidarity Network is to increase communication among groups
that oppose US intervention in Venezuela, support the right of the Venezuela people
to self-determination, and support the Bolivarian revolution. The Venezuela Solidarity
Network also seeks to enlist additional progressive groups into Venezuela solidarity
work, and to facilitate our ability to unite in joint actions.
We can be reached by phone at 202-544-9355 (National Office) or 520-243-0381 (James
Jordan, Emergency Response Network Coordinator).  Our website is: www.vensolidarity.org
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6zequacab.0.rtymi5bab.l5csqsbab.5680&ts=S0253&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vensolidarity.org%2F].
 You can also email james at afgj.org [mailto:james at afgj.org] for more information.

This email was sent to jpj at mutualaid.org,
by james at afgj.org

Quick Links

VSN Website
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6zequacab.0.rtymi5bab.l5csqsbab.5680&ts=S0253&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vensolidarity.org%2F]

Email Your Representative
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6zequacab.0.utymi5bab.l5csqsbab.5680&ts=S0253&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.congress.org%2Fcongressorg%2Fhome%2F]
Email Your Senator
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6zequacab.0.jjxqe4bab.l5csqsbab.5680&ts=S0253&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.senate.gov%2Fgeneral%2Fcontact_information%2Fsenators_cfm.cfm]

Contact Major Media
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6zequacab.0.t9wruacab.l5csqsbab.5680&ts=S0253&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fair.org%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3D111]
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