Hugo Chavez is a democratically elected leader of Venezuela.

He presides over a population of 24 million people.

80% of those people live in the direst poverty.

When he came to power he declared a war on poverty.

Since his election he has time and again legislated against banks, corporate monopolists, and reformed land, oil and the constitution which formerly favoured a tiny handful of corrupt and greedy elitists.

Naturally he is hated by the ruling classes in both Venezuela, and the US.

Lately the US media, the CIA, the American government and global BIG media have begun a propaganda war against Chavez
and his "truly" reforming government. The Media and the CIA have at various times over the past months accused him of madness, communism, dividing Venezuela, and despotism. In fact he is one of the most democratic leaders in the free world. When big business staged a strike in December he lead his supporters in a protest march for the poor. When big business staged a march in January, Chavez and supporters lead an even bigger one. When the corporate owned newspaper El Nacionale vented its fury in a savage smear campaign, his supporters staged a protest outside.

In the past two weeks the US, the CIA and BIG Media have increased the intensity of their slanderous abuse and lies about Chavez claiming amongst other things that the military are staging a coup and that Chavez has lost the support of the millions of poor who elected him.

Yet, the Australian and UK media stated over the weekend that polls show if Venezuela was to stage an election tomorrow Chavez would win outright.

The Australian media also predicted a Chile type coup being
set up to depose Chavez, by the CIA, the US government and US big business.

So, there you have it. The one country on earth where real action is underway, where actual legislation is being drafted to lift the poor out of poverty, is now under threat of a Pinochet style coup, by gangsters of the US ruling class.


We of the anti-corporate globalisation movement / Global Justice Movement must act quickly to alert the world to what the US are planning to do in Venezuela.

If we cannot defend the anti-poverty initiatives of Chavez from American Empire attacks, then we what hope does any other third world country have? In fact, what hope do any of us have?