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Caribbean-Latin America
Worst President Ever says US likely behind coup against Chavez
2009-09-22
Former US president Jimmy Carter says that Washington may have played a role in a failed coup against Venezuelan leftist leader Hugo Chavez in 2002.

"I think there is no doubt that in 2002, the United States had at the very least full knowledge about the coup, and could even have been directly involved," Carter told Colombian paper, El Tiempo, on Sunday.

In April 2002, a civilian-military junta ousted Chavez for about 48 hours, but he returned to power again.

Former administration of president George W. Bush denied any US involvement in the failed coup.

Carter also said that he believed Chavez was elected in a "fair" vote in 1999, and had carried out necessary reforms for Venezuela during his initially term.

However, Carter says Chavez is now consolidating political power, making it "almost impossible" for the Obama administration to establish friendly relations with Venezuela.

"International relations would be better if he [Chavez] would stop his attacks and insults against the United States," according to the former US leader.

He also said he was worried by the Venezuelan president's drift towards "authoritarianism."

Carter added that he felt Chavez's popularity at home and his influence abroad had been "diminished."

President Chavez, an outspoken critic of US policies, is considered a powerful leftist leader in Latin America allied with other leftist governments in the region.
Posted by:Fred

#14  When Clinton prepared for military strikes against Iraq in 1998, he griped about former President Jimmy Carter. "[Republican Senator Bob] Dole will support me," he told Branch. "Carter will probably criticize me. Carter always criticizes, but he doesn't have much positive to say."

From "Clinton on Gore: I Thought He Was in Neverland" in Mother Jones.
Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie   2009-09-22 15:02  

#13  "Carter also said that he believed Chavez was elected in a "fair" vote in 1999, and had carried out necessary reforms for Venezuela during his initially term"

Perhaps he's right and the 1999 election was a fair one. I believe there were a couple since then, however. One of which was monitored by Carter and his folks (who declared it fair at the time).
Posted by: rjschwarz   2009-09-22 12:40  

#12  Too bad few learn the lessons of history. Carter's failed policies are being repeated by the same Progressive libs now in power, with the same advisors at times. I'm afraid Carter is gonna lose the status as worst POTUS ever after just one year into his term.
Posted by: Lumpy Elmoluck5091   2009-09-22 11:41  

#11  Agreed, Nimble. Buchanan was awful, but virtually anyone in the Presidency at that moment would have looked bad with the two halves of the country reaching the unreconcilable point. Carter, on the other hand, created or hugely exacerbated most of his problems and managed to be a disaster in both domestic AND foreign policy. In foreign policy he was so obviously weak that Russia felt free to invade Afghanistan and we also had the Iran disaster. In domestic policy: awful inflation, interest rates, and unemployment.
Posted by: Odysseus   2009-09-22 10:04  

#10  JB was a lousy President, unequal to the job, in a situation that was impossible. But what were the long term deleterious consequences of his Presidency? Carter has left a legacy that looks to last at least 20 years more.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2009-09-22 08:49  

#9  Like when he was on the Plains school board and tried to stop the state from building a Negro elementary school on the same block as the white elementary school because the two sets of children would mix walking to school?

I disagree with Fred though. James Buchanan is the worst President of all time.
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2009-09-22 08:35  

#8  The sad old man combines the cumulative effects of a long series of mini-strokes with an unending need for attention -- from anyone -- and a complete lack of proper upbringing. No? Then he's got his moral poles reversed. Perhaps a properly aimed lightning strike would help.
Posted by: trailing wife   2009-09-22 07:43  

#7  #4 - lol.
Posted by: Jumbo Slinerong5015   2009-09-22 06:27  

#6  This sorry ol' bastard is what, 80 now? I guess he figures he better spew as much venom as he can before he starts pushing up ragweeds.
Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie   2009-09-22 05:26  

#5  Peanut envy speaks again! Speaking all the evil he can whenever he can.
Posted by: whatadeal   2009-09-22 02:35  

#4  Not any more.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2009-09-22 01:32  

#3  Every time this moron opens his mouth I get a nose bleed.

I can only imagine what BO will be like in about 25 years...........egad
Posted by: James Carville   2009-09-22 01:16  

#2  At times ima mazed that Jimmy Carter doesn't make himself puke when he talks.

Now that Obama is the House, Chavez is drifting toward authoritarianism and consolidating political power, making it almost impossible to establish good relations.
Posted by: Mike N.   2009-09-22 01:05  

#1  The fact that Chavez is still in power does suggest the CIA was behind it.
Posted by: SteveS   2009-09-22 00:48  

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