http://demockracy.com/obamas-venezuelan-challenge/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:24:57 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 http://demockracy.com/obamas-venezuelan-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-817 The New Devil Wears Diplomacy | Demockracy Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:11:39 +0000 http://demockracy.com/?p=3381#comment-817 [...] is taking heat for politely conversing with Venezuela dictator Hugo Chavez and accepting a gift book. I’m not sure what people want Obama do? Throw the gift back at [...] [...] is taking heat for politely conversing with Venezuela dictator Hugo Chavez and accepting a gift book. I’m not sure what people want Obama do? Throw the gift back at [...]

]]> http://demockracy.com/obamas-venezuelan-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-513 James Mutti, Contributing Writer Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:44:59 +0000 http://demockracy.com/?p=3381#comment-513 Tyler, interesting article full of good contextual information. Venezuela is certainly a country that will require some attention when Obama comes to Washington since relations have been so poor under Bush. But is the situation there really as bad as you make out in this piece? You paint a pretty bleak picture, but as you say, relations between South American nations have been reasonably peaceful despite many leadership changes and swings from one ideological pole to another. There seem to be effective diplomatic channels and powerful leaders that have prevented war in the past. Is the Venezuela-Colombia situation any different? Or perhaps what makes it different is the US's heavy funding of the Colombian military (to fight commies and druglords) and its prickly relations with Chavez? Tyler, interesting article full of good contextual information. Venezuela is certainly a country that will require some attention when Obama comes to Washington since relations have been so poor under Bush. But is the situation there really as bad as you make out in this piece? You paint a pretty bleak picture, but as you say, relations between South American nations have been reasonably peaceful despite many leadership changes and swings from one ideological pole to another. There seem to be effective diplomatic channels and powerful leaders that have prevented war in the past. Is the Venezuela-Colombia situation any different? Or perhaps what makes it different is the US’s heavy funding of the Colombian military (to fight commies and druglords) and its prickly relations with Chavez?

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