By James Jordan - Alliance for Global Justice, Jul 31st 2012
The Solidarity Center office in Bogotá has received an unusually large two-year grant of $3 million for its operations in the Andean Region. The grant comes from USAID (the United States Agency for International Development) and its timing coincides with the upcoming presidential elections in Venezuela.
Given the recent events in Paraguay, where the opposition senate has brought impeachment proceedings against leftist president, Fernando Lugo, ALBA countries have issued a statement requesting that USAID be expelled from member countries for interfering with national sovereignty.
By Eva Golinger - Correo del Orinoco International, Feb 13th 2011
When Russell Porter, the director of USAID’s OTI division, which is dedicated to injecting liquid funds into resolving “political crises” to Washington’s favor, first visited Venezuela in 2002, his task was “evaluating the political situation” to determine how USAID could better help the nation towards a “democratic transition”.
On Wednesday morning Venezuela's National Assembly approved the Defence of Political Sovereignty and National Self Determination Law, making foreign funding of political organisations illegal. It also passed a reform to the Political Parties Law, bringing in a penalty for legislators who change political parties once in office.
The Venezuelan government held a special event in the National Assembly on Tuesday to express its opposition to a recent meeting held in the U.S. Congress between U.S. legislators and members of Latin America’s right-wing elite.
By Eva Golinger - Postcards from the Revolution, Nov 12th 2010
Millions of dollars are being channeled to opposition groups in Venezuela via USAID, while the Pentagon has established a new PSYOP program directed at Venezuela, including a “5-day a week television program in Spanish broadcast in Venezuela” during 2011.
By Eva Golinger - Postcards from the Revolution, Sep 10th 2010
A report commissioned by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and published in May 2010 by the Spanish Foundation for International Relations and Foreign Dialogue (FRIDE) revealed that this year alone, international agencies are investing between $40-50 million in anti-Chavez groups in Venezuela.
