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President Truman’s ambivalence toward the military coup of November 15, 1948
United States and General Marcos Pérez Jiménez◦ Reaction to the fraudulent presidential election of 1952◦ Concern to guarantee stable oil supply underpins “hands-off” policy◦ Anti-communism syndrome◦ Some United States groups befriend democratic exiles
V.P. Richard M. Nixon – “Stoned” in Caracas United States comes to view democracy in
Venezuela as best guarantee of anti-communist political stability
Venezuela’s most important leftist political leaders accommodate to United States hegemony
Training of Venezuela military in counterinsurgency tactics
Alliance for Progress Assistance Acceptance of nationalization of the petroleum
industry Toleration of Venezuela’s role in OPEC
Andean Community (Pact created in 1969)◦ Caldera and entry into the Andean Pact◦ Ractivation during second government
Carlos Andres Pérez◦ SELA◦ G77◦ IMF as “neutron bomb”
Opposition to U.S. policy in international organizations by votes without teeth◦ Vote in OAS that opposed U.S. invasion of Panama and removal of
Noriega
Neo-Liberal turn following the Caracazo (February 1989)
Washington and the military government option following the two failed coups during 1992
Washington mistakenly assumes that neo-liberalism has triumphed with Agenda Venezuela
President Clinton denies candidate Chávez entry into the United States
Washington’s guarded reaction to Hugo Chávez´s election as president in December 1998
Ambassador John Maisto “Watch what he does, not what he says.”
Support for domestic reform – as long as democratic niceties were observed
Encouragement of foreign investment Ignoring of anti-U.S./anti-capitalist rhetoric Pivotal benchmarks leading to changes in
bilateral relations◦ Fiasco of flood damage never rebuilt◦ Flaring tempers over U.S. response in Afghanistan to
9-11 terrorist incident
Forces that staged coup closely associated with the United States and international capitalism
U.S. role in coup ambiguous◦Otto Rich sympathetic to coup plotters who ousted
Chávez◦ Instructions from White House to U.S. embassy
suggest confusion Strongest supporters of Bolivarian Revolution
turned out to be the urban poor and militant socialists (communists?)
United States government pushes mediation by third parties
Anti-Chavez forces stage six weeks of strikes Bolivarian government weathers the strike by
discharging petroleum workers Relations with Washington – deteriorated sharply
after U.S. invaded Iraq War
Clash between Lockean and Rousseauan views of democracy
Comprehensive Venezuelan reform within the Lockean milieu (representative democracy dating from 1958) – how feasible?
How much assistance will the United States give to the opposition?
What kind of “democracy” is Chávez creating?
Clash related to U.S. over-flights of Venezuelan territory
Problem of certification of anti-drug efforts◦ Venezuela’s appearance on list of countries whose
anti-narcotics efforts are insufficient◦ Foreign Minister Rangel: Venezuela worries about
drug consumption in the USA Attitude toward Colombian guerrillas
Twenty First Century Socialism is anthesis of U.S.A. free market system
Diminishing U. S. economic influence◦ Oil sales to Asia◦ Drawing upon Brazilian
industrial might (eg: Odebrecht)
Opposition to Globalization/NAFTA
Support for MERCOSUR
Vice President Elias Jaua
U.S. – Venezuela relations reached a low point during the administration of President George W. Bush
Choice of economic models Use of Iran as a counterweight to U.S. influence Orimulsión and U.S. protection of the coal
industry (Florida Light and Power Contract) Intellectual property rights Offering of military bases to Russia?
Cuban leaders replaced in power
shuffle (February 2009) Did Chavez attempt to meddle
in the succession?
Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque
Vice President Carlos Lage
Efforts by anti-Chávez groups to secure United States support tend to backfire
Issues of ongoing tensions between President Chávez and the USA◦Has President Obama become the new “Mr. Danger” ◦Drug issues – Maklid ◦Will China replace USA as the most important export
market for Venezuelan Petroleum? ◦How extensive are Venezuela’s ties Iran & Hezbolah?