Poking the Bear (REPRINT OF ARTICLE DECEMBER 2016) by Cindy Sheehan

Poking the Bear

by CINDY SHEEHAN

It won’t come as a surprise to many reading this that the US has been sowing seeds of imperial disaster around the world for several centuries, but not since the “Cuban” Missile Crisis has the world been on the brink of such a disaster as the US has put all of us in right now.

What’s happening in Syria today has been going on for over five years and is not a civil war. The conflict began as a US funded and supported effort to depose President Bashar Assad and install a puppet government in Damascus friendly to US interests. I am sure there are some legitimate forces in Syria who oppose the government of Assad, but the US does not care about democracy: after all Assad was elected by his people.

Also in Syria, dozens of militias are not only trying to overthrow the Assad regime, but are fighting each other. The ranking Democrat on the US Congressional House Intelligence Committee is uber-Zionist Adam Schiff of California. Recently Schiff said of the phenomena of CIA funded militia fighting Pentagon militia in places like Aleppo: “It’s part of the three dimensional chess game.” This chess game played by empires for millennia profit the wealthy and as always, the citizens of the country pay the heavy price.

We are learning that China with its array of nuclear weapons and military force is contemplating joining Russia (with its array of nukes and military force) and Syria in its alliance to protect the sovereignty of Syria and for stabilization in the Middle East.

The US has long provoked weaker countries like Afghanistan and Iraq which had little hope of retaliating, but have used what resources they do have to fight off US imperialism. However, this provocation of Russia in places like Syria and Ukraine seems to be the height of arrogance and stupidity for a nation not known for much restraint when it comes to war, anyway.

For many years, Vladimir Putin (although blamed for everything from Crimea to email hacks) has been the rational actor to this insane US provocation, but the Russian Bear is getting ready to fight back: reportedly holding civil defense drills, warning Russians abroad, and even testing nuclear missiles. The Bear can only be poked for so long before it roars and the inevitable result is another world war that could really be the “War that Ends all War” and we as a species.

Some of us here in the US see no hope for the misleaders here to provide some sanity in its foreign policy. Recently, in the US presidential debate between Hillary Clinton (D) and Donald Trump (R), the war criminal Clinton (just as bad as her husband, the Bushs and Obama before her) reaffirmed her hardcore stance to go to war with Russia, through Syria, if necessary. Clinton also declared her support for a No Fly Zone (NFZ) over Syria which the chair of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford said would require 70,000 US troops to maintain and would definitely mean war with Russia.

The only thing that can really stop ruling-class carnage is a force of the International working-class organized around socialism, national sovereignty, and the demand for workers to refuse to be used as “hired killers for Capitalism.”

Our very survival as a species could depend on such international solidarity.

ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN RAY O' LIGHT NEWSLETTER #99

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CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX 

WOMEN RISING TOGETHER FOR PEACE: UPCOMING EVENTS FOR WOMEN'S MARCH ON PENTAGON

Women Rise Together for Peace ***
PRESS RELEASE:
An Open Invitation:
Women's March on the Pentagon
UPDATED ENDORSER'S LIST:
CLICK HERE ***

UPCOMING LOCAL ORGANIZING MEETINGS FOR
THE MARCH
(CINDY WILL BE LEADING):
NATIONAL ORGANIZING CONFERENCE CALL
WED, MARCH 21 (COMPLETED)  CLICK HERE FOR SUMMARY AND RECORDING OF CALL
*
April 5th in Washington DC
CLICK HERE FOR WDC MEETING INFO
*
April 9th in Boston  
*

April 12th in Long Island
 
APRIL 13TH: LANCASTER, PA



 



JUNE: CHICAGO, IL


 contact Cindy Sheehan for

more info, to organize a meeting/action
in your area or ??
CindySheehan@MarchonPentagon.com

WOMEN'S MARCH ON PENTAGON WEBSITE  

FOLLOW US ON FB 

DONATE TO THE MARCH

TAX DEDUCTIBLE 

Speaking Truth to Empire w/Dan Yaseen (March 2018)

March 2018

https://soundcloud.com/speaking-truth-to-empire/180321-speaking-truth-to-empire-macmacdevitt

Speaking Truth to Empire on KFCF 88.1 FM Dan Yaseen interviews Mac MacDevitt from Chicago Veterans for Peace.  He is the artist, creator and project leader for the My Lai Memorial Exhibit.  They will discuss Veterans For Peace, the My Lai massacre, the Vietnam War, current wars and the upcoming exhibit in Fresno on March 24^th.

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CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX 

CINDY'S WEEKLY FACEBOOK GEMS (MARCH 18-25)

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CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX 

Speaking Truth to Empire w/Dan Yaseen (February 2018)

February 2018

https://soundcloud.com/speaking-truth-to-empire/180221-speaking-truth-to-empire-ann-garrison

Ann Garrison on the right (only in the picture)

Speaking Truth to Empire on KFCF 88.1 independently owned and locally operated since 1975 in Fresno,. Dan Yaseen interviews Ann Garrison. Ann is an independent journalist and a columnist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her articles appear in Counterpunch, San Francisco Bay View, Global Research, the Black Agenda Report and the Black Star News. She produces radio for KPFA-Berkeley and WBAI-New York City. In 2014, the Womens International Network for Democracy and Peace awarded her the Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza Democracy and Peace Prize for her reporting on conflict in the African Great Lakes region.

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CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX 

No I.C.E.! Matt and Irene interview Maru Mora Villalpando (SOAPBOX PODCAST 3/25/18)

Irene and Matt's Soapbox

March 25, 2018

GUEST: MARU MORA VILLALPANDO

TOPIC: STOP I.C.E.

 Matt Sedillo and Irene Monica Sanchez


Matt Sedillo is an L.A. based poet

Irene Sanchez is a Xicana, Mama, Educator and Writer. Born in Southeast Los Angeles and raised mostly in the Inland Empire (IE), she has been committed to social justice for many years living/organzing/working up and down the west coast including in Watsonville, CA and Seattle, WA. She has worked as an ethnic studies educator for over 8 years and returned to Southern CA after completion of her Ph.D. in Education. She now teaches high school Latinx Studies in Los Angeles County, enjoys spending time with her kindergartener son, attending cultural/education/political events, and writing. 

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The Politics of Food with Arun Gupta (Dakotah's Soapbox, March 18, 2018)

Dakotah's Soapbox

March 18, 2018

Guest: Arun Gupta

Topic: Food and Capitalism

Arum Gupta is a certified chef with a specialty in French cuisine, which leads him to a unique perspective on food and its relationship to capitalism. He has contributed to Jacobin, Telesur, the Nation, and many other publications as well as a chapter in ‘Imagine; Living in a Socialist USA’. He is working on a book as we speak called ‘Bacon as a Weapon of Mass Destruction’ for The New Press.

 Arun Gupta

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Dakotah's paypal address is:
DakotaLilly@gmail.com

Dakotah can be reached at:

DakotaLilly@gmail.com

or Follow Dakotah on Facebook

 

WOMEN'S MARCH ON PENTAGON ORGANIZING CONFERENCE CALL RECORDING (MARCH 21)

 WOMEN'S MARCH ON PENTAGON

ORGANIZING CONFERENCE CALL

MARCH 21, 2018

This is a recording of the entire initial conference call for The Women's March on the Pentagon.

www.MarchonPentagon.com


Some highlights:

Cindy welcomed participants and opened with ideology of a Women led movement to end wars an women, their families, and communities are most detrimentally affected by war and other violent oppression by the empire and patriarchy.

Co-coordinator Bonnie Caracciolo welcomed participants and also gave an impassioned critique of how the Pentagon also destroys the environment.

Emma Fiala (Steering Committee Member and Website designer) gave an update on the website and how members can interact with it.
EMMA@WOMENSMARCHONPENTAGON.COM

We had many good questions and comments from participants and one made a great suggestion to have a page that backs up our claim that women are most affected by war. Suggestion taken up and being implemented.

There were committee and volunteer opportunities presented.

An Occupy the Pentagon (From Oct 21 to Veteran's Day) civil resistance plan from the Steering Committee was presented.

Jessica from F.U.R.I.E (Feminist Uprising to Resist Inequality and Exploitation) in Chicago gave a brief report on how their org will support the March and asked if scholarships for travel will be offered. It's the opinion of the Steering Committee that any woman who wants to attend the March in DC should be able to and we hope we can raise the funds for this.

Also, solidarity marches/protests were encouraged if people cannot make it to DC for those days.

Cindy Sheehan reiterated the non-partisan nature of the protest against the bi-partisan war machine.

Walter (a member of the Advisory Committee and participant in the first March on the Pentagon in 1967), gave a great comment that we should emphasize that we are fighting Imperialism, not just particular wars.

Ali Mirza (chair of the PR Committee) finished up and will be designing a PR strategy for the March with his committee.

Cindy thanked the participants and ended the call.

COMMITTEES

IF YOU'D LIKE TO VOLUNTEER, PLEASE EMAIL CINDY AT

CINDYSHEEHAN@WOMENSMARCHONPENTAGON.COM

STEERING COMMITTEE

Cindy, CHAIR

MEMBERS: Bonnie Caracciolo

Riva Enteen

Emma Fiala

Stacy Bannerman
Helen Epstein
Suzanne O'Keefe
Laura George
Paki Weiland

ADVISORY COMMITTEE:

Walter Teague, Veteran of 1967 March on Pentagon
Margaret Flowers,  Co-director of Popular Resistance
Kevin Zeese, Co-director of Popular Resistance
Bruce A. Dixon, Managing Editor of Black Agenda Report 
Ward Reilly, US Veteran-Activist 
Doctress Neutopia, Utopian Visionary 
Ann Wright, Peace Activist

PR COMMITTEE

Ali Mirza, Chair

Juliette Schwartz-Frinhani 

SOCIAL MEDIA
Cindy
Bonnie
Emma
Aimee
Jessica

(ALL OF YOU WHO SHARE AND PARTICIPATE ON FB AND TWITTER)

WEBSITE:

Emma Fiala, CHAIR AND DESIGNER

FUNDRAISING 

CHILDREN'S PEACE FESTIVAL (OCT 20)

Heather Cottin

Lisa Blank

Aimee Artigliere

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

HOUSING COMMITTEE

RIDE SHARE COMMITTEE

BUS COORDINATOR

LEGAL COMMITTEE

Riva Enteen

COMMUNICATIONS

Ann Garrison

RALLY COMMITTEE

DC COMMITTEE
Malachy Kilbride

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE COMMITTEE

OCCUPY THE PENTAGON

SOLIDARITY EVENTS
Bonnie Caracciolo, CHAIR
Cathy Browning

*****
Donate to the Women's March on the Pentagon

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

CINDY SHEEHAN AT STOP THE WAR MACHINE CONFERENCE (MARCH 17, 2018)

Stop the War Machine, Save the Planet
Orinda, Ca
March 17th, 2018 

Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center

 "Gun Control Begins at the Pentagon"

CINDY'S TALK:

2018-03-17 Cindy Sheehan at Stop the War Machine Conference from Sergio Lub on Vimeo.

 PHOTO: BILL HACKWELL

PHOTO: BILL HACKWELL

PHOTO: BILL HACKWELL





 LINKS TO OTHER TALKS AT THE CONFERENCE:

Gerry Condon, Veterans for Peace


Gayle McLaughlin, Former Mayor of Richmond, CA


Katy Roemer, California Nurses Association

Cephus Johnson, Uncle of Oscar Grant

John Lindsay-Poland, Stop Urban Shield


Gar Smith, Environmentalist & Author


Fred Norman, Veterans For Peace

Marylia Kelley of Tri-Valley CARE

Paul Liem, Korea Policy Institute


Mickey Huff, Project Censored


Zeyad El Omari, Palestine Youth Movement


Dr. Hisham Ahmed, St, Mary's College  
Eleanor Levine, CodePink

 Ann Wright

Mnar Muhawesh

Dan Kovalik

Ron Paul


 

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CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX 

What's to Celebrate? Iraq, 15 Years Later by Cindy Sheehan

SHOCKing and AWE-ful

On the morning of March 20th, 2003, the USA, under then Commander in Grief, George W. ("W" for WTF?) Bush began “SHOCKing and AWE-ful” against the already beleaguered population of Iraq.

The transformation of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein from

Rummy and Saddam when he was still their "son of a bitch"

“our son of a bitch” (Imperial trope to designate brutal dictators friendly to US interests) to an enemy of the US Empire began under George H.W. ("W" for War Criminal) Bush along with the lies that Iraqi troops were throwing “scores” of babies out of incubators in Kuwait. 


 There is overwhelming evidence that in 1990, then US Ambassador to Iraq, April Glaspie basically gave Saddam a green light to invade Kuwait and that there would only be “verbal condemnation” from the US, yet we all know what happened in the “First Gulf War.”

After Hussein became a garden variety “son of a bitch” under

H.W.  he was left in power in Iraq and during the regime of the Commander in Grief  Bill Clinton, the people of Iraq were devastated with crippling sanctions and active bombing. Moreover, Clinton’s Sec of State Madeleine “The Ghoul” Albright (in)famously told journalist Leslie Stahl that the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children was “worth it.” First of all, that is a deeply perverse and vicious statement; and secondly, “worth” what? Not too long after Clinton was just a stain on the blue dress of history, the US was once again, in an even more intense way, bombing the crap out of Iraq which eventually led to the murder of Saddam Hussein and another million, or so, Iraqi.

In 2006, I spoke to an Iraqi woman who was a pediatrician in a Baghdad hospital during the sanction's period and she said due to lack of medicine, hygiene, food, clean water, and other shortages, it was over one million Iraq children who died during Bill Clinton.

As the 15th anniversary approaches of SHOCKing and AWE-ful and the 14th anniversary of my own son Casey’s death there on April 04, 2004, today I was asked by a media outlet to comment on the legacy of BushCo and the 2003 invasion of Iraq as we “celebrate” the anniversary.

I am sure the person didn’t mean celebrate in the way we celebrate fun things like the birthdays of dear loved ones, but the question hit me wrong.

The word “celebrate” and “war” should never go together. Here in the US we don’t even celebrate the ends of wars anymore. For example, Armistice Day (Nov 11, 1918), has been transformed into Veterans Day. “Support the troops,” right? Hardly, not all of them deserve respect, and not all of the time.

As I write this, it is also the 50th year since the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. We were reminded about the great Hugh Thompson’s heroic role in stopping that massacre by threatening to kill US troops that were murdering the villagers and brutally raping the women. My response to that is “pick any day during the year and I am sure that someone will be able find a US war crime to remind us about.”

The grim reality is that My Lai was not an aberration. War was a crime then and it is now. The obvious lies that led to the invasion of Iraq have been repeated since in other places and with other "our sons of bitches" and are the true legacy and pattern of the Imperial United States of America. In fact, one of the men who worked overtime to cover up My Lai also went to the UN in 2003 to show “proof” of Saddam’s crimes to try and justify a US invasion of Iraq: yep, that’s right: the war criminal/liar Colin Powell.

I have a rule of thumb, that really should be termed an “irrefutable fact.” When the US and its purveyors of fake news, The Pentagon Press Release Readers (otherwise comically known as “journalists) in the toady media are ginning up reasons to hate a country and/or its leader(s), THEY ARE LYING.

So what “legacy” do we “celebrate” on March 20th?

To call the 2003 US invasion and subsequent (and ongoing) occupation of Iraq a "mistake" would also be highly inappropriate. The US war machine and its "coalition" knew exactly what they were doing---the destruction of Iraq to seize the oil fields and enrich the war profiteers has been highly successful for them. The destructive US foreign policy is policy, not “oops, we just fell into a war and made a mess.”

The consequences for today are a horrid legacy of poverty and disease for the people of Iraq. Depleted uranium and poisoned water and land are still killing the people there and the US is still occupying the country despite the fraud of Commander in Grief Obama ending the war in 2009; as agent orange and unexploded land mines are still haunting the people of Vietnam, who "won" the war, but have lost the peace.

According to a real journalist Dahr Jamail in a 2013 article titled: Iraq: War’s Legacy of Cancer:

“Official Iraqi government statistics show that, prior to the outbreak of the First Gulf War in 1991, the rate of cancer cases in Iraq was 40 out of 100,000 people. By 1995, it had increased to 800 out of 100,000 people, and, by 2005, it had doubled to at least 1,600 out of 100,000 people. Current estimates show the increasing trend continuing.

As shocking as these statistics are, due to a lack of adequate documentation, research, and reporting of cases, the actual rate of cancer and other diseases is likely to be much higher than even these figures suggest.”
The destruction of Iraq has also left a legacy of the rise of IS or Daesh and the consequence of further destabilization in the Middle East and Northern Africa.


I hate to mention the legacy of Iraq here in the US, after all, didn't this country savagely and with no regard to loss of life, or the ruination of a culture, attack another country that was absolutely no threat to them, based on dozens of lies, for the profit of a few? Don't we here in the Empire deserve the blowback?


The very pitiable aspect of the almost incalculable negative effects on the people of this country is that the negative effects aren't even known by the people of this country. While the war killed or maimed thousands of US troops and while eight Iraq/Afghanistan veterans kill themselves each and every day, the average person in the US doesn't know these facts, or could not care less about them. 

However, while bridges are collapsing, trains are derailing, people are unemployed or underemployed, healthcare is still financially out of reach for tens of millions, children are being shot down in their schools, people of color are being murdered by cops in the streets, the environment is collapsing rapidly, and college tuition keeps climbing, the US has spent/lost/stolen a couple trillion dollars since the war OF terror began in 2001. All of the ills of the US can be directly traced back to the cruel barbarity of its foreign policy.

On October 21st, 2018 (51 years after the first huge March on the Pentagon), many of us are calling for another march on that cesspool of violence and money-pit of sorrow.

The Empire isn’t going to stop its legacy of death until we are organized in a much better way in solidarity with all of the occupied and oppressed people of the world to force it to stop.

www.MarchonPentagon.com

Follow US on FACEBOOK.

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CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX 

The Real Norma Rae: Crystal Lee Sutton (SOAPBOX PODCAST 3/11/2018)

March 11, 2018

TOPIC: WOMEN IN LABOR HISTORY/

THE REAL NORMA RAE

GUEST: RAY LIGHT

(COLLEAGUE OF CRYSTAL LEE SUTTON) 

Crystal Lee Sutton (née Pulley; December 31, 1940 – September 11, 2009) was an American union organizer and advocate who gained fame in 1979 when the film Norma Rae was released, based on events related to her being fired from her job at the J.P. Stevens plant in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, on May 30, 1973, for "insubordination" after she copied an anti-union letter posted on the company bulletin board.

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CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX 

WOMEN'S MARCH ON PENTAGON ORGANIZING CONFERENCE CALL MARCH 21st, 2018

WOMEN'S MARCH ON THE PENTAGON

Organizing Conference Call

When: Weds, March21st

Time: 4:30pm pacific
5:30 mountain 
6:30 central
7:30 eastern

Who is Invited?
Anyone who is interesting in helping organize the 
Women's March on the Pentagon

Or, anyone who wants more information.

TENTATIVE AGENDA:

:3O to :35
Waiting for Everyone to Call

:35
Call Closed

:35 to :40
Welcome by Cindy Sheehan

:40 to :50
Status of Organizing

:50 to :00
 Volunteer Opportunities.

:00 to :10
Stack for Comments/Questions

:10 to :20
Update on Website

:20 to :30
Final Comments/Question

:30
Closing Remarks

If you'd like to join the call, please email
Cindy Sheehan for call-in number and code

CindySheehan@MarchonPentagon.com 


 

Hugo Chåvez: A Tribute by Cindy Sheehan (English y español)

 Hugo Chavez Frias

July 28, 1954 to March 5, 2013

A wonderful human being left us five years ago

Many people know about Hugo Chåvez, the president, and constant thorn in the side to El Imperio the meddlesome and harmful Empire to the north. But I want to eulogize Chåvez the man I knew.

Hugo Chavez, (Maria-translator) and Cindy Sheehan: Palace Miraflores, 2006

He was my comrade in the way where we were united in the struggle for peace and economic justice and equality. It’s not like I could text him, or we would chat about current events, but whenever I had the privilege to be with him, warmth radiated from his heart and I was able to connect with him in very real and human ways. Compared to the palpable realness of Chåvez, most of the US politicians I have met with are walking and talking ice sculptures.

The first time I met him in Caracas was in early 2006 at the World Social Forum. I had been invited to sit on the stage while he gave a speech to those gathered there from around the world. He introduced me as, “Señora Esperanza,” “Mrs. Hope,” in contrast to his nickname for George Bush: “Señor Peligro,” “Mr. Danger.” However, our brother, Hugo Chavez, was the one who gave us much hope.

I have met and interviewed so many people in Venezuela whose lives were immeasurably improved by the vision and dedication of Hugo Chavez. How can one put a price on going from being illiterate to being able to read? A 65-year-old woman told me her life was transformed by the adult literacy program. Education in the US is just a commodity, but the Bolivarian Revolution of  Hugo Chåvez put people first.

.
That is just one story out of millions and my heart still breaks with sorrow for the People of the Bolivarian Revolution.

I was with Chåvez in Montevideo, Uruguay, for the presidential inauguration of Felipé Mujica in 2010. I was amazed that Chåvez could just plunge into the crowds and interact with the people without a phalanx of bodyguards, anti-aircraft missiles and assault weapons. His security detail was prepared, but not paranoid like up here in the Empire. Someone who was universally loved by the 99% need have no fear. Chavez had no fear.

Chåvez’s courageous battle against the Empire was more successful than his battle against cancer. He was able to inspire more leftist leaders in Latin America and my friends in Cuba will always be grateful for the friendship between Venezuela and Cuba. The struggle against neo-liberalism and the Empire had been far advanced under Chåvez’s inspirational leadership.

US Presidents come and go with destructive, yet boring and predictable regularity, and are numbered for History's convenience when they should all have had black and white striped clothing and be behind bars. However, it is my belief that Hugo Chåvez Frias will go down in World History as one of the most significant figures of the early 21st Century and his passing was a tragic and profound loss to us all, as his life was an inspiration.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul. His light was far too bright to be extinguished by something as cruel as death and his light shines in all of us whose hearts burn with revolutionary love for all the people.

My life and our world are far better today because of the life of Hugo Chåvez. 

 Version en español

Un maravilloso ser humano nos dejó hace cinco años:

Mucha gente sabe acerca de Hugo Chávez, el presidente, y la espina constante en el costado de El Imperio, el imperio entrometido y dañino del norte. Pero quiero elogiar a Chávez como el hombre que conocí.

Era mi camarada en el camino donde fuimos unidos en la lucha por paz y justicia económica e igualdad. No es como si pudiera enviarle un mensaje de texto, o que pudiéramos conversar sobre los acontecimientos actuales, pero cada vez que tenía el privilegio de estar con él, irradiaba calor de su corazón y podía conectarme con él de maneras muy reales y humanas. En comparación con la realidad palpable de Chávez, la mayoría de los políticos estadounidenses con los que me he encontrado están caminando y hablando sobre esculturas de hielo.

La primera vez que lo conocí en Caracas fue a principios de 2006 en el Foro Social Mundial. Me invitaron a sentarme en el escenario mientras daba un discurso a los reunidos allí de todo el mundo. Él me presentó como: "Señora Esperanza" (Mrs. Hope), en contraste con su apodo de George Bush: "Señor Peligro" (Mr. Danger). Sin embargo, nuestro hermano, Hugo Chávez, fue quien nos dio muchas esperanzas.

He conocido y entrevistado a tanta gente en Venezuela cuyas vidas fueron mejoradas inmensurablemente por la visión y dedicación de Hugo Chávez. ¿Cómo se puede poner precio a pasar de ser analfabeto a ser capaz de leer? Una mujer de 65 años me contó que su vida fue transformada por el programa de alfabetización de adultos. La educación en los EE. UU. Es solo una mercancía, pero la Revolución Bolivariana de Hugo Chávez puso a la gente primero.

Esa es solo una historia entre millones y mi corazón todavía rompe con dolor por el pueblo de la Revolución Bolivariana.

Estuve con Chávez en Montevideo, Uruguay, para la toma de posesión del presidente Felipe Mujica en 2010. Me sorprendió que Chávez pudiera simplemente sumergirse en la multitud e interactuar con la gente sin una falange de guardaespaldas, misiles antiaéreos y armas de asalto. Su personal de seguridad estaba preparado, pero no paranoico como en el Imperio. Alguien que fue amado universalmente por el 99% no tiene miedo. Chávez no tenía miedo.

La valiente batalla de Chávez contra el Imperio fue más exitosa que su batalla contra el cáncer. Pudo inspirar a más líderes izquierdistas en América Latina y mis amigos en Cuba siempre estarán agradecidos por la amistad entre Venezuela y Cuba. La lucha contra el neoliberalismo y el Imperio había sido muy avanzada bajo el liderazgo inspirador de Chávez.

Los Presidentes de los EE. UU. Van y vienen con una regularidad destructiva, aunque aburrida y predecible, y están contados para la conveniencia de la historia cuando todos deberían haber tenido ropa con rayas blancas y negras y estar detrás de las rejas. Sin embargo, creo que Hugo Chávez Frías pasará a la historia mundial como una de las figuras más significativas del comienzo del siglo XXI y su muerte fue una pérdida trágica y profunda para todos nosotros, ya que su vida fue una inspiración.

Gracias desde el fondo de mi corazón y mi alma. Su luz era demasiado brillante para ser extinguida por algo tan cruel como la muerte y su luz brilla en todos nosotros, cuyos corazones arden con diversión revolucionaria para toda la gente.

Mi vida y nuestro mundo son mucho mejores hoy debido a la vida de Hugo Chávez.

Translated by:

Tulio F. Virgüez

Coordinator of Culture & Solidarity

Vice Minister Office for North America

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Caracas - Venezuela

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Order a copy of Cindy's Book about Chavez and the 

Bolivarian Revolution

Revolution, a Love Story

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