Tens of thousands march in protest of President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela

Link your sources please. Link a source that proves Chavez was refusing students the right to choose their own career path, and that children could not leave the country without his permission.

I agree! Finally some one said it!

For the record, not a single person marched and I thought Bush was bad. It doesn't take a rally one way or another for rational people to determine that.

Secondly, just because 10,000 people marched in protest does not mean he IS bad either. That logic flows both ways.

You thinking someone is bad doesn't translate to 10,000 people.

Nor is it the same seeing how America's population is 300+ million people.

Venezuela has a smaller population. 10,000 is a lot.

"You thinking someone is bad doesn't translate to 10,000 people."

Wha? I am not sure I understand what you mean here.

10,000 is a lot even in the US. I was not meaning the number, I was just stating that even if A LOT of people march in protest, it does not mean he IS bad.

Why are you defending him?

And before you state you are not and that you're just stating a "fact"----yes you are. So you better have a better answer than just stating.

Where did I say ANYTHING that is Pro-Chavez? Please cite a single, just one, a tinsey weensey little peep, case in which I have ever been Pro-Chavez?

You can't sit on the fence and so far you haven't said that you are against him for what he has done....therefore you are for him and your comment about how 10,000 isn't bad backs that. It's not just a statement it's a defense.

Do you throw your poo at people too? Because you sound like a talking monkey. If I am not AGAINST him, then I am FOR him? I also never said that 10,000 wasn't bad, I SIMPLY stated that it does not equate with him being inherently evil. This is the ONLY evidence you have provided, and there is another side to the issue. I like to weigh both sides before coming to a conclusion is all I am trying to say.

Why are you getting defensive?

It's not that hard to state your position on him. I suppose you have control issues. Do it however you want to, but so far it just seems I'm right. You're defending him. Why?

Show me a SINGLE instance in which I defended him? Just one...quote myself to me in a single, solitary case in which I defended him?

It works both ways....you can't post something that says you're against him.

Why would I be against him with nothing to cause to be opposed to him? You must prove your case for why I should be against him before I will decide one way or the other. Consider me the jury and you the prosecutor. Chavez is innocent until proven guilty.

If you don't know what he has done you are ignorant because you choose to be not because no one told you anything about him.

This just proves that your initial reply to me was a pointless comment with no merit and totally irrelevant.

Because you led people to believe you actually knew the person you were defending....and you don't know him. You probably barely know his name.

I never ever defended him, again, prove your claim or you're just a silly little child who will take his toys and go home if he doesn't get his way.

I have heard and read the stories of THOUSANDS of VENEZUELANS who support Chavez..as well as those of you who persecute him.

Who should I believe? Make your case.

I asked you if you supported or didn't and you can't even answer that.

That's not just sad, that's ridiculous.

I said, I DON'T KNOW. Now, make your case.

If Bush got to serve as President indefinitely would you love him more?

Nothing against showing both sides, but many people here wonders how many of those "pro-Chavez" marchers don't have something to gain from his "oil checkbook"...

It's quite big and juicy, you know?

Please post a link to the pro Chavez marches you speak of.

@ raulvalderrama: Im not here to judge the protests, since we could say the same thing about this anti-chavez protests.

All im saying is they should show both side's of the news. Its the only way to be objetive.

Also, its hard to get on english news about the pro-chavez protests since the international media has declared a complete demonization of Chavez.

Well, here's a pro-Chavez link:

www.venezuelanalysis.com

I just hope your IQ is high enough so it won't explode when you read it.
It's full of that intellectual stuff many Americans are so allergic to. Wish you luck.

Hit the REPLY button, your wasting valuable real estate.

"A little pushy"? Seriously?. With all due respect, but you don't know wtf you're talking about.

I'm a born-and-raised Venezuelan, and unlike you, I actually *live here*, and have had to see how for the past ten years this pathetic excuse for a dictator has been slowly -but quite effectively- stripping Venezuelans of our civil and economic liberties.

Opposition radio and TV stations have been shut down, newspapers editors and TV talk-show producers persecuted, political adversaries incarcerated. Basic food items like milk, coffee, sugar, beans, rice, flour have disappeared from store shelves for months on end, due to stupid "socialist" economic policies formulated for only one purpose: to totally annihilate private enterprise.

The issues are too long and complicated to explain in full detail here. Just FYI: protesters against the actual regime *have* been shot at in the streets before at the drop of a hat -both by police and the National Guard- *without provocation*. So, please get your facts straight, ok?

You did get the last two lines of your post right, though.

It's not like the rest of the world had enough information to dictate what President America should pick....oh wait...hahaha...they did it anyway.

That is very true... most people dont even understand and they think they have the room to talk or have their own opinion. But the reason venezuela refers chavez to a dictator is because of things that hes trying or has tried to do... like not letting student choose their own career path or liek when he tried to say that citizens under 18 were property of the government and that they couldn't leave the country if he didn't want them to. I'm not saying that everything he has done while he's been in office is horrible... but the bad does over shadow the good.

Raul, how old are you? I'm from Venezuela too and you talk as if the previous two political parties (AD and Copei) we had in power were nothing but angels.
Under AD-Copei Venezuela made in oil revenues 30 times the amount of money the US spent during its Marshall Plan to help rebuild Europe after World War 2 and at the end they had absolutely nothing, nothing, to show for it.
Nothing but a bunch of rich politicians filling up their pockest with oil money and then leaving the country at the end of their time in office never to be seen again.
Under AD-Copei Venezuela became one of the most corrupt countries in the world and its educational system was ranked as one of the 5 worst.
Under AD-Copei you had the directors of the second largest bank, Banco Latino, divide the bank money between themselves and then leave the country for good. Over 1.5 million Venezuelans were left without a penny to their name.
A feat that street criminals will not even get close to accomplish.
Chavez has won 14 elections and Venezuela has a very lively mass media, many of whom even call for the assesination of our president and yet they're allowed to keep their licenses.
God forbid if Chavez decided to revoke the license of anyone who's gone too far calling for his blood.
AD-Copei let Venezuela rot for over 40 years but now that they're out of power they're daring Chavez to fix everything overnight.
What a bunch of hypocrytes, I swear.

The banking corruption has infected the entire World. As we speak, the Nigerian Banking system has been nearly destroyed by poltical and entrenched business interests!

I am not sure how anyone could think Chavez is NOT a dictator. While I may take issue with the idea that his programs are "socialist." Chavez is a Dictator, not a socialist, therefore he is not instituting socialist ideas.

That being said, Chavez is indeed a freedom stifling dictator who is most assuredly as brutal and deadly as any that Latin America has ever seen.

After doing some further research, I a witholding judgement, and beginning to think I may have made that statement as an ignorant, typical American. I will wait until I have more facts to decide one way or the other.

Colombia is fighting for his freedom you ignorant jackass! Chavez is nothing more than a fucking murderer supporting dictator. Fuck Chavez and fuck the FARC.

You must mean Bush. That already happened.

It's not the leader man, it's the whole system, the whole
thing needs to be done by now.

i mean c'mon, people still don't realize that every politician is the same, they all want the same, they
just use different means to their goal.

in a sense you can't blame them, it us that are to blame.

Valentino--

You are so right on!

I know its the whole damn system, Why do you think.....I HATE THEM ALL?

Agreed!

Different color, same puppet.

i thought your name "i hate the mall" lol