U.S. Free Market Victory Against “Anit-Semite”

“What is this [refusal of an export license] if not proof of the horrific imperialism Washington's government wants to impose on the world ... a new attack on Venezuela is just beginning.”

“After all the U.S. government has done to us, we still send them 1.5 million barrels of oil every day... what would happen if tomorrow I said no more oil tankers go to the US, how high would oil prices go?”

Hugo Chavez.

Patrick Markey, “Chavez attacks U.S. halt on Spanish plane deal,” Reuters, 1/13/06.

“What is this if not evidence of the imperialist horror that the Washington government wants to impose on the world, they don't have respect for anything or anybody.”

“These are not for bombing cities or for invading sister nations, these are transport aircraft to help the poor in the furthest corners of the country.”

Hugo Chavez.

Leslie Crawford, Andy Webb-Vidalin, “Spain to defy US over military sale to Venezuela,” Financial Times UK, 1/14/06.

Despite being democratically elected, the government of President Hugo Chávez has systematically undermined democratic institutions, pressured and harassed independent media and the political opposition, and grown progressively more autocratic and antidemocratic.

American embassy statement.

Renwick McLean, “U.S. Bars Spain’s Sale of Planes to ‘Antidemocratic’ Venezuela,” New York Times, 1/14/06.

“Anti-liberal I am, anti-imperialist even more so, but anti-Semitic, never, that's a lie. It's part of a imperialist campaign, I am sure.”

Hugo Chavez.

“Chavez rejects anti-Semitic charge as propaganda,” Reuters, 1/13/06.