Cablegate: Chavez Calls Protesting Students "Fascists"; "Real Students

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SUBJECT: Chavez Calls Protesting Students "Fascists"; "Real Students
Support the Revolution"

1. (SBU) Speaking to his cabinet in a nationally televised
broadcast on February 5, President Chavez called the students who
protested February 4 "fascists, subversives, violent, filled with
hate and anger." He said they "destroyed part of the Metro, and
wanted to fill Caracas with violence, so we did not allow them to
do so, and we will not allow them to do so." He praised the
Metropolitan Police, the National Police, the intelligence service,
and the National Guard for their efforts to react "firmly." Chavez
also said Ambassador Shannon had criticized Venezuela from Brazil,
apparently referring to Ambassador Shannon's statements to the
media February 4 regarding the need for dialogue rather than
repression in Venezuela. Chavez said "the United States is in
favor of this plan to try to foment violence in Venezuela."

2. (SBU) On February 7, Chavez said on his "Alo Presidente" show
that "the real students support the revolution. These [other]
small groups are fascists...who can be manipulated and confused."
He said these groups wanted to "set fire to trees and cars, to have
deaths and wounded people for the fascist television cameras behind
them. Why? So that they can transmit to the world the idea that
this is a repressive government."
DUDDY

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