US National Director of Intelligence Admiral Dennis Blair presented the "annual threat assessment" before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on February 2
The report details the principal threats to the interests and security of the US worldwide. This year, in addition to mentioning the usual suspects — Iran, North Korea, the Taliban, Al Qaida — the report dedicated significant space to Venezuela.
In the section referring to threats in Latin America, a large portion is dedicated to Venezuela. "In ... countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua, elected populist leaders are moving toward a more authoritarian and statist political and economic model, and they have banded together to oppose US influence and policies in the region.
"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has established himself as one of the US's foremost international detractors, denouncing liberal democracy and market capitalism and opposing US policies and interests in the region."
Further down, a section titled "Venezuela: Leading Anti-US Regional Force", further confirmed the official US vision of Venezuela as a major adversary.
It said: "Chavez continues to impose an authoritarian populist political model in Venezuela that undermines democratic institutions. Since winning a constitutional referendum in early 2009 that removed term limits and will permit his reelection, Chavez has taken further steps to consolidate his political power and weaken the opposition in the run up to the 2010 legislative elections."
There is no question that the flow of US dollars will increase this year to fund campaigns of opposition candidates and aid in the execution of strategies to undermine the Chavez government.
The intelligence assessment utilised every claim made by opposition groups and media in Venezuela against Chavez: "Chavez has curtailed free expression and opposition activities by shutting down independent news outlets, harassing and detaining protestors, and threatening opposition leaders with criminal charges for corruption.
"Chavez's popularity has dropped significantly in recent polls as a result of his repressive measures, continued high crime, rising inflation, water and power shortages, and a major currency devaluation, raising questions about his longer term political future."
Not only is the US intelligence community demonstrating poor intelligence collectionand analysis, but also showing its clear dependency on opposition sources inside and outside Venezuela.
No news outlets have been shut down in Venezuela. Some have been fined and sanctioned for not following legal regulations, but that happens frequently in the US as well.
Furthermore, not only has the Chavez administration not detained protesters that regularly violate all kinds of laws, but has actually ordered police to refrain from carrying deadly weapons when dealing with public protests and to respect demonstrators' human rights.
In the US, protesters are regularly detained and violently repressed by police forces — almost at every demonstration — and constantly denied permission to march or protest near any government building.
Also, Chavez's popularity has not "dropped significantly". It remains well above 60%, as it has been during the past several years.
The report accused Chavez of forming an "anti-US alliance" in Latin America. "On foreign policy, Chavez's regional influence may have peaked, but he is likely to continue to support likeminded political allies and movements in neighboring countries and seek to undermine moderate, pro-US governments.
"He has formed an alliance of radical leaders in Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and until recently, Honduras."
Honduras was part of the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas (ALBA — intiated by Venezuela and Cuba), until the recent US-backed coup.
The US intelligence report also related Chavez and ALBA nations to drug-trafficking and terrorism: "He and his allies are likely to oppose nearly every US policy initiative in the region, including the expansion of free trade, counter drug and counterterrorism cooperation, military training and security initiatives, and even US assistance programs.
"Chavez's relationship with Colombia's President Uribe is particularly troubled. His outspoken opposition to Colombia's Defense Cooperation Agreement with the US has led to an increase in border tensions. Chavez has called the agreement a declaration of war against Venezuela. "
The US again accused the Chavez government of supporting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), yet has never presented any solid evidence to back this claim, which has been repeatedly denied by the Venezuelan government.
Cynically, the US is also accusing Chavez of somehow "increasing tensions" with Colombia because he opposes the establishment of seven US military bases in Colombia — right across the Venezuelan border.
A May 2009 US Air Force official document detailed how one of the Colombian military bases in Palanquero would be used by US armed forces to "combat the constant threat of anti-US governments in the region" and would improve the US's capacity to execute "expedentiary warfare".
As the report classified Venezuela as the "anti-US leader" in the region, that would indicate, as outlined in the US Air Force document, that the increased US military presence in Colombia is precisely to threaten and/or attack Venezuela.
The report ended by mentioning Venezuela in the section on "Significant State and Non-State Intelligence Threats", claiming that "North Korea and Venezuela possess more limited intelligence capabilities focused primarily on regional threats and supporting the ruling regime ... Venezuela's services are working to counter US influence in Latin America by supporting leftist governments and insurgent groups."
The other countries mentioned in this section are China, Russia and Cuba, along with non-state actors Al Qaida and Hezbollah.
What this intelligence report means is that operations against the Chavez government will substantially increase this year. The report will be used to justify a larger budget allocation to intelligence missions against Venezuela.
[Abridged from www.chavezcode.com.]