Had a long talk with my Venezuelan friend last night and came up with a negative impression of post-presidential Jimmy Carter
After Hugo Chávez was elected president in 1998, citizens became mightily disenchanted with his socialist policies.
There was a general strike. Virtually everything shut down.
There were huge demonstrations on the main road though the capital. My friend took part.
A petition was passed triggering a recall referendum, which was held.
Chevez forces, according to the Heritage Foundation, “packed the voter registry by awarding citizenship to nearly a half million foreign nationals, in expectation of their support at the polls. In June, witnesses saw election officials in military trucks cruise pro-regime barrios, registering new voters. Meanwhile, registrations were blocked in opposition districts.
“Newspapers also reported massive fund transfers from the state oil company to social programs to bolster loyalty among the poor. Government-supported, pro-Chávez gangs harassed the president’s opponents in the streets, while government workers who had signed the petition for a recall lost their jobs…
“In his initial post-election reports, former president Carter described the process as clean and urged both sides to accept the results on ‘good faith.'”
There was passion in my friend’s voice when he described how Jimmy Carter had sold out the wishes of the majority of Venezuelans.
Not mentioned in articles like this from the Daily Herald:
