There have been some very interesting developments in Venezuela recently that are quite deliberate, especially where the US is concerned.

During the US attack on Afghanistan and Iraq, President Chavez would go on State TV (the only station to actually show his speeches, because the most influential stations are owned by the Venezuelan elite, who are anti-Chavez), and wave pictures of dead children and mothers and innocent civilians and destroyed hospitals to show that what the US was doing was not only illegal, but it went against all the human rights bullshit they went on and on about. Chavez has also made the mistake of helping out Cuba. That too has aroused US ire.

Since then, Chavez has been under considerable pressure from the US. Colin Powell, Rumsfeld and Bush have all made comments that could be seen as them supporting a coup d'etat.

Infact, when Chavez was ousted a year or so ago, Colin Powell was declaring that a dictatorial leader had been removed and that the people had truly spoken. Democracy had been served. While he was saying that, BBC news out of London was reporting that millions of peasants (Chavez's main support base are the poor peasants of Venezuela) out of the countryside were pouring into Caracas to show their support for Chavez. While Powell was declaring democracy's triumph, the people of Venezuela spoke with one voice and restored the democratically elected leader of their country. American officials were caught with their pants down. A little know fact is that Rumsfeld was at that time, giving a special Meet The Press interview on Venezuela. Quite sadly, it was never aired. :)

As the following article shows, Chavez's opponents have tried to force a referendum and call an early election. However, even though they were given full rights to collect signatories to an early election call (through a no-confidence vote), it seems that they have fallen short of the number of signatories required. People who supported the referendum have broken out in violent protest. The situation is ongoing and unstable...