Neocons Targetting Venezuala

Democracy Now -- Hugo Chavez Says U.S. is Harboring “Terrorists” Plotting to Assassinate Him

Citing security threats, the Venezuelan president last week canceled a planned visit to New York. Meanwhile U.S. intelligence officers are lobbying charges that it is Chavez who is harboring Islamic fundamentalists in Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez last week called on the United States to crack down on what he described as Cuban and Venezuelan terrorists training in Florida to kill him.
Last week Chavez canceled a planned trip to the United States because of security threats.

Meanwhile a recent report in US News and World Reports tiled “Terror Close to Home (reprinted here)” charges that Venezuela is emerging as “a potential hub of terrorism in the Western Hemisphere.” The article claims Chavez has provided assistance to Islamic fundamentalists.

BERNARDO ALVAREZ: When you look at the article firsthand you think that you are probably looking at movie. I haven't received any complaints or requests of information by the U.S. government. It's the same format that we have seen lately, for example, Margarita Island being training camp for the Al Qaeda, whatever. It's like having a terrorist camp in Cancun, Mexico. This is a resort, small island, it is not possibility whatsoever to train anybody there. There are no military forces in Margarita Island.

The whole idea that we are able to give I.D.'s to thousand of people from the Middle East and then they get their Visa and come to the U.S. so you probably have to blame the U.S. embassy in Venezuela rather than the Venezuelan government. If you look at that there are no proof and confirmed rumors, same story.

What worries us is that they use information supposedly coming from the U.S. officials and this is what we have said. We are not the aggressors here we would like the U.S. government to respond on that because they quote highly credible sources from the political branches of the U.S. government. We have asked through the diplomatic channels the U.S. government to respond from that.