The Alternativa Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América or "Bolivarian Alternative for the People of Our America" is essentially the alternative to the US backed FTAA/NAFTA proposals.

Some of the initial ideas are:


a Continent-wide literacy plan
a plan for free health care;
an education scholarship program
a "Social Emergency Fund"
a "Development Bank"
a joint regional petroleum company (Petroamerica)
a joint regional television station (Telesur)
eliminate tariffs between member states


The agreement will have more of a focus on social programmes than other trade agreements, but it is still in its early stages. The only real effects of the Trade agreement so far have been cut-price trading between Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia and a big rise in Venezuelan and Bolivian students attending Cuban universities.

Anyway, do you think this deal benefits the Latin American countries, or is it simply Chavez and Castro pushing his anti-imperialist paranoia?

* a Continent-wide literacy plan
* a plan for free health care;
* an education scholarship program
* a "Social Emergency Fund"
* a "Development Bank"
* a joint regional petroleum company (Petroamerica)
* a joint regional television station (Telesur)
* eliminate tariffs between member states

well...

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Creating a free trade zone and what would likely be a South American oil Cartel would probably help them to a greater degree then the other proposals.
Free trade would necessarily result in specialization occurring and job losses in some industries in some countries, but in the long term they'd be better off.

It would be an understatement to say that chavez and castro's paranoia is justified. See my thread "on bullshit against the left" for just a couple of the things latin america has had to deal with under false pretenses by the US.

just gettin the ol' post count up...

All this would just be a scheme to keep the Cuban dictatorship alive and giving the Venezuelan soon-to-be dictatorship more power by granting them regional hegemony. A regional television station...that wouldn't be anything like a widespread propaganda arm for the Venezuelan and Cuban governments, right?

how could they afford that? Chavez isnt getting his petrodollars anymore

How about Alvaro Uribe of Colombia, isn't he corrupt as well?

How about Alvaro Uribe of Colombia, isn't he corrupt as well?

He doesn't count he's pro-America, it doesn't matter that US funded right wing paramilitaries ran wild in Colombia for years, slaughtering innocent civilians, after all they just had to kill them to free them from communism.

He doesn't count he's pro-America, it doesn't matter that US funded right wing paramilitaries ran wild in Colombia for years, slaughtering innocent civilians, after all they just had to kill them to free them from communism.

I mean... even if he's pro-American... he's a giant fucking problem, right?

The Venezuelan soon-to-be dictatorship? Oh you! What is it about a man who has won 2 general elections (both free and fair), who disitrubted over 10 million free copies of the Venezuelan constitution to the poor and who hosts a TV and radio show in which he answers questions unprepared that you find so autocratic?

I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing the regional television station has been made in response to certain incidents where independant Venezuelan media channels deliberatley misinformed the public (remember VTV editing footage to make it look like government soldiers were firing upon unarmed opposition protestors?).

The Venezuelan soon-to-be dictatorship? Oh you! What is it about a man who has won 2 general elections (both free and fair), who disitrubted over 10 million free copies of the Venezuelan constitution to the poor and who hosts a TV and radio show in which he answers questions unprepared that you find so autocratic?

I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing the regional television station has been made in response to certain incidents where independant Venezuelan media channels deliberatley misinformed the public (remember VTV editing footage to make it look like government soldiers were firing upon unarmed opposition protestors?).

Except they actually have. My friend Paulo (RIP) was in some square in Vzuela talking to me when a dude grabbed him and yanked him inside a building putting him behind some basin holding a plant decor b/c people were firing at protestors. I could hear the gunfire over the phone.

He got in a car accident about 7 months later, so I can't just call him and ask him what square it was, but I do remember hearing it.

Except they actually have. My friend Paulo (RIP) was in some square in Vzuela talking to me when a dude grabbed him and yanked him inside a building putting him behind some basin holding a plant decor b/c people were firing at protestors. I could hear the gunfire over the phone.

He got in a car accident about 7 months later, so I can't just call him and ask him what square it was, but I do remember hearing it.

Yes, but it wasn't soldiers or anyone "Pro Government". That's what he's saying, it was edited to look like it was.

Yes, but it wasn't soldiers or anyone "Pro Government". That's what he's saying, it was edited to look like it was.

"soldiers with big fucking guns are shooting at us! holy fuck!" doesn't sound like "random people are shooting at the protest outside"

"soldiers with big fucking guns are shooting at us! holy fuck!" doesn't sound like "random people are shooting at the protest outside"

Just to clarify, you're talking about the incident of April 11th, right before the coup? If so, it's been well documented and I believe the perpetrators of the coup even admitted to altering the video for propaganda purposes.

Just to clarify, you're talking about the incident of April 11th, right before the coup? If so, it's been well documented and I believe the perpetrators of the coup even admitted to altering the video for propaganda purposes.

Actually, this was...

I know it wasn't in April. I'm not sure exactly what month it was... I don't think this made the news.

Actually, this was...

I know it wasn't in April. I'm not sure exactly what month it was... I don't think this made the news.

Oh, well my mistake then.

Oh, well my mistake then.

No no, I'll take the blame on that one. I forgot that the whole April 11th thing happened.

No no, I'll take the blame on that one. I forgot that the whole April 11th thing happened.

That was the one I was refering too. When was the event you witnessed, was it documented at all? I'd be interested to see anything written about it.

That was the one I was refering too. When was the event you witnessed, was it documented at all? I'd be interested to see anything written about it.

This was quite a while ago. At least 3-4 years ago... I wouldn't know anywhere to look for it. I know there was some website that's like world-news.com or something... I couldn't remember exactly what it was, but I thought they might've had some documentation on it. I remember using it as a current event.