Chavez Set to Face Bush

PEJ News - C. L. Cook - In his weekly address to the Venezuelan people, President Hugo Chavez says he's anticipating debating George W. Bush at the forthcoming Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina later this week.

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Chavez Set to Face Bush
C. L. Cook

PEJ News
October 30, 2005


Chavez told his television and radio audience he expects Bush will focus on reviving the largely moribund Free Trade of the Americas (FTAA) agreement, a massive trade deal Chavez says is "doomed to failure," adding:

"The debate in Mar del Plata will be beautiful. I imagine it will be, because the gentleman Bush is going to keep making his point."

The FTAA has been a focal point of American trade delegations for both the Bush and Clinton administrations, but the failure of expanded "free trade zones" to improve the quality of life for Latin America's largely impoverished populations has turned public opinion against the deal, and initiated a continent-wide political move to the left.

Chavez left no room for doubt as to where he stands on the deal, saying:

"The FTAA is dead. It will have to be buried. The people of this continent will bury it, and another model of integration will emerge... in the streets, there is a Latin American fervor. We'll see each other there to defend our model."

Chavez maintains, the so-called elimination of trade "barriers" inordinately favours the wealthy and trans-global corporations, while doing little to better conditions for the poor. His "Bolivarian Alternative," named for the 19th century liberator, Simon Bolivar, is based on more "socialistic" principles, the tenets of which hold that a broader distribution of wealth will bring prosperity to all.

Over the last year, Chavez has used Venezuela's considerable oil reserves to bolster Cuba and other Caribbean nations, selling oil under special terms, and using the currency boon garnered from record world oil prices to solidify his standing with his neighbours by providing low-interest loans, accepting payments in barter, and employing other development assistance.

Delineating his reform programme from the FTAA's goals, Chavez said:

"Our mission is socialist because it puts social aspects first, Capitalists put capital first."

As with other high-level trade missions, the Summit of the Americas meetings will be shadowed by a "Peoples Summit," where indigenous, trade union, and social justice groups from around the world will convene.


Chris Cook is a contributing editor to PEJ News. He also hosts Gorilla Radio, a weekly public affairs program, broad/webcast from the University of Victoria, Canada. You can check out the GR Blog here.

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