THE DEATH TOLL IN VENEZUELA HAS INCREASED, AMID PROTESTS
OVER A CONTROVERSIAL BOAT THAT JUST TOOK PLACE.
THIS VOTE WAS ALL ABOUT REPLACING SOMETHING KNOWN AS THE
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE BODY IN VENEZUELA, WITH A
PRO-MADURO BODY, WHICH NOW ESSENTIALLY HAS THE POWER
TO REWRITE THE CONSTITUTION.
NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, MADURO AND HIS CRONIES ONE IN THIS VOTE,
AND OF COURSE PEOPLE ARE CALLING THIS ENTIRE ELECTION A FRAUD,
AND I WILL TELL YOU WHY IT JUST A SECOND, BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU
ONE OF A BIT OF A BACK STORY BEFORE I GET INTO THE DETAILS OF
THIS RECENT STORY IN VENEZUELA, THERE HAVE BEEN PROTESTS IN
VENEZUELA BECAUSE OF RAPID INFLATION, RAPID LOSS OF
RESOURCES.
BECAUSE THE ECONOMY THERE WAS SO RELIANT ON OIL, AND ALSO AN
IMPORTING PRODUCTS, AS SOON AS WILL PRICES WENT DOWN, PEOPLE
STARTED GOING HUNGRY, AND SO NOW PEOPLE ARE TAKING TO THE
STREETS, AND MADURO'S RESPONSE TO WHAT HAS BEEN TONY IN, AND
INSTEAD OF TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS ACTIONS, HE HAS DECIDED
TO ESSENTIALLY OVERTHROW THE LEGISLATIVE BODY, AND PUT IN
CHARGE A PRO-MADURO ASSEMBLY, AGAIN KNOWN AS THE ñ
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IS CALLED IN JUST A 2ND.
JUST TO THE DEATH TOLLS IN REGARD TO THESE PROTESTS, THE
DEFT ROLE IS AT LEAST ONE DATA UNDER 22
KILLED AND FOUR MONTHS OF PROTESTS.
VENEZUELANS APPEARED TO BE ABSTAINING IN MASSIVE NUMBERS ON
SUNDAY IN A SHOW OF SOUND PROTEST AGAINST A BOAT TO SELECT
A CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY, GIVING THE GOVERNMENT VIRTUALLY
UNLIMITED POWERS.
THESE PEOPLE WILL BE ALLOWED TO REWRITE THE CONSTITUTION, AND
SO, AS A RESULT, IN PROTEST, PEOPLE REFUSED TO TAKE PART
OF THE ELECTION, THEY BOYCOTTED IT.
SO, AT LEAST 5500 CANDIDATES FOR THE 545
SEATS IN THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY ñ
THAT'S WHAT THE NEW ASSEMBLY IS CALLED ñ ARE HIS SUPPORTERS.
THE SPECIAL ASSEMBLY THAT WAS SELECTED LAST SUNDAY WILL HAVE
POWERS TO REWRITE THE CONSTITUTION ñ
THE COUNTRY'S 1999 CONSTITUTION ñ
BUT WILL ALSO HAVE THE POWERS ABOVE AND BEYOND OTHER STATE
INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING THE OPPOSITION-CONTROLLED CONGRESS.
SO, THINGS ARE REALLY REALLY BAD IN VENEZUELA, AND AGAIN,
MADURO CONTINUES TO COMPOUND THE PROBLEM, INSTEAD OF TAKING
RESPONSIBILITY AND STEPPING DOWN.
I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE OTHER SIDE IN ONE
SECOND, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT TOO.
SO, NOW, BECAUSE THE OPPOSITION DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THESE
ELECTIONS, AS ANA TOLD YOU, EVERY SEAT BELONGS TO
MADURO'S PARTY.
IN THE PREVIOUS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, HUNDRED AND 12 OF
HUNDRED 70 SEATS WAS THE OPPOSITION, AND MADURO, RIGHT
BEFORE THE OPPOSITION GOT INTO POWER AFTER THE ELECTIONS,
BASICALLY THE SUPREME COURT ñ IT'S A SIMPLE WAY OF EXPLAIN
WHAT HAPPENED THERE - AND THE SUPREME COURT PROTECTED
HIM, SO THAT HE COULD NOT BE IMPEACHED.
AND THEN HE WENT ON TO DO THIS ELECTION IN WHICH OTHERS,
INCLUDING THE U.S., MEXICO, AND CANADA, ARE CALLING A SHAM
ELECTION, INCLUDING PANAMA AND MANY OTHER COUNTRIES AROUND
THEM, BUT ñ
SO, I THINK THAT IS VERY LIKELY WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE.
THE REASON I SAY BUT IS THAT THERE IS A DEEP HISTORY OF
PROPAGANDA IN LATIN AMERICA THAT THE U.S. HAS DONE WITH COUNTRIES
THAT WE DON'T LIKE, SO THERE ARE, I WANT YOU TO KNOW, OTHER
COUNTRIES THAT SAY THAT THESE ELECTIONS WERE FINE, AND THAT
MADURO'S GOVERNMENT IS OKAY, AND THAT IN FACT WHAT IS HAPPENING
IS ORCHESTRATED PROTESTS BY THE FORCES THAT DON'T WANT SOCIALISM
TO WORK IN LATIN AMERICA, AND THEY ARE TRYING TO BRING
DOWN HIS GOVERNMENT.
SO, NICARAGUA IS ON HIS SIDE, LIBYA IS ON HIS SIDE.
NOW, AGAIN, MORE COUNTRIES ON THE OTHER SIDE.
BRAZIL AGAINST IT, GUATEMALA AGAINST IT, SO GIVING YOU
THE FULL CONTEXT.
BY THE WAY, MADURO SAYS THE PEOPLE PROTESTING HIM ARE
TERRORISTS.
NOW HOLD ON, THE REASON I GIVE YOU FULL CONTEXT IS BECAUSE
THERE WAS A BOMB THAT WENT OFF, BY THE POLICE, AND THEY GOT
INJURED.
AND SO, MOST OF THE VIOLENCE HAS BEEN DIRECTED AT THE PROTESTERS;
SOME OF THE VIOLENCE HAS BEEN DIRECTED AT THE POLICE,
WHICH ARE WITH MADURO.
SO, NOW, IF IT WAS US, THE MINUTE THERE IS ANY POLICE
VIOLENCE WE WOULD SAY, YES THEY ARE TERRORISTS, ALL OF THE
PROTESTERS ARE TERRORISTS, SO WHEN WE DO A CRACKDOWN, WE
CAN SAY WE ARE JUSTIFIED.
NOW, I DON'T THINK MADURO IS JUSTIFIED, BUT WHY A HATED
ALL THE PROPAGANDA WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST IS BECAUSE, IN
A SITUATION LIKE THIS, IT MAKES US A LITTLE UNSURE THAT WE
UNDERSTAND THE FULL STORY.
DO YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING BY THAT?
RIGHT, SO, LISTEN, I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE & THAT I AM AN
EXPERT ON THIS, BUT I FIND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN VENEZUELA
FASCINATING, SO I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME LOOKING INTO IT, AND
RESEARCHING, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, AND
I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE PROPAGANDA ON BOTH
SIDES, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOCIALISM IS INVOLVED, AND I WANT TO FALL
VICTIM TO THIS KIND OF PROPAGANDA.
BUT HERE IS WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE, AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE
WE HAVE COVERED STORIES ABOUT VENEZUELA: IT IS NOT JUST ONE
THING, IT IS NOT JUST A SOCIALISM ISSUE, IT IS A NUMBER
OF ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN THE DOWNFALL OF
THE COUNTRY.
THERE WAS WAY TOO MUCH RELIANCE ON OIL, AND VENEZUELA WAS
DOING GREAT WHEN HE WILL PRICES WERE HIGH, BUT WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN THE OIL PRICES GO DOWN?
SO, WHAT THEY FAILED TO DO ñ WHAT HUGO CHAVEZ, AND THE
PREVIOUS LEADER FAILED TO DO, WAS TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THOSE WILL PRICES DIP.
THOSE OIL PRICES DIPPED.
THEY DID OVER SPEND MONEY ON SOCIAL PROGRAMS.
I AM NOT AGAINST SOCIAL PROGRAMS, I THINK YOU NEED
PRIVATE INDUSTRY MIXED WITH PUBLIC PROGRAMS AS WELL, BUT IN
THIS CASE THEY DID OVERSPEND, THEY DID NOT SAVE IN CASE THERE
WAS A DOOMSDAY, AND WHEN THINGS STARTED GETTING REALLY BAD, AND
PEOPLE STARTED PROTESTING MADURO BECAUSE THE INFLATION WAS SO
HIGH, HE GOT DICTATORIAL, AND AGAIN, HE MADE THE PROBLEMS
WORSE.
SO, IT'S A COMBINATION OF THINGS, AND BY THE WAY, ONE
OTHER FACTOR: THEY WERE TO RELIANT ON IMPORTED PRODUCTS.
THEY STOPPED MAKING AND MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS IN
THEIR OWN COUNTRY, AND SO NOW THEY ARE SUPER RELIANT ON
IMPORTS, AND PLUS THAT IS WHAT YOU RAISE THE COST OF THE
PRODUCTS THAT THEY NEED TO SURVIVE.
SO, IT'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS, AND UNFORTUNATELY PEOPLE
WANT TO LATCH ONTO ONE TOPIC OR THE OTHER IN ORDER TO
PROMOTE THEIR PROPAGANDA.
SO, LET ME GIVE YOU ONE MORE DETAIL, AND THEN FINALLY
GIVE YOU MY OPINION.
SO, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE PROTESTS WERE ORCHESTRATED TO
TAKE DOWN THE GOVERNMENT THAT ACTUALLY PRESENTED THEIR OWN
PEOPLE IN LATIN AMERICA IN THE PAST, AND IN IRAN IN THE 1950S,
ORCHESTRATED BY THE CIA, IS WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
I'M NOT SAYING THEY ARE IN THIS CASE ñ
ON WHAT YOU VALUE IN A SECOND WHAT I THINK ñ BUT THIS IS WHY
THOUGH, WHEN WE SEE A SITUATION LIKE THIS, WE GO, OKAY,
BECAUSE OF THE WRONGDOING WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, IT MAKES
US PAUSE AND GO, ARE WE FALLING VICTIM TO YET ANOTHER RUSE?
AND BY THE WAY, IN THOSE INSTANCES, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD
USE ñ NOW, THIS WAS DECADES AGO ñ WOULD USE REPUTABLE
ORGANIZATIONS, LIKE THE NEW YORK TIMES, DEFINITELY TIME MAGAZINE,
OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BECAUSE IT WAS RUN BY CONSERVATIVES
WHO HAD DEEP CONNECTIONS TO THE CIA.
THEY WOULD PUT OUT THINGS LIKE, THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER IS
DICTATORIAL, THERE'S PROTESTS IN THE STREETS.
WE DID IT WITH PANAMA.
WE HAD ECONOMIC INTERESTS WITH PANAMA.
WE WANTED TO HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR CANAL, AND I'M NOT GOING
TO SIT HERE AND SAY THAT NORIEGA WAS A GREAT GUY, BUT WHY DO YOU
THINK THE U.S. WAS SO INTERESTED IN OVERTHROWING NORIEGA?
IF HE WAS SUCH A BAD GUY, WHY DID YOU DO A DEAL WITH THEM
IN THE FIRST PLACE?
AND THEN WE WOULD CALL THEM BANANA REPUBLICS IN THE
FIRST PLACE BECAUSE WE WOULD DO COUPS ON BEHALF OF THE
FRUIT COMPANIES.
THERE IS ANOTHER THING THAT IS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR HERE, SOMETIMES
THE BANK WOULD START SAYING, WE ARE NOT ALONE YOU ANY MONEY, AND
PUT FINANCIAL PRESSURE ON, WHICH WOULD MAKE SOME OF THESE
FINANCIAL SITUATIONS EVEN MORE DIRE, THAT WOULD MAKE REAL
PEOPLE ANGRY, AND THEN ACTUALLY PROTEST THE GOVERNMENT.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU PUT PRESSURE ON THE GOVERNMENT.
NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, IN THIS CASE, LOOKING AT THE
TOTALITY OF IT, I DON'T THINK THAT IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED,
AND I BASE THAT ON A NUMBER OF THINGS.
BECAUSE, MADURO, IF YOU WERE GENUINE ABOUT THIS, YOU
WOULDN'T HAVE PADDED THE SUPREME COURT, AND YOU DID.
IT'S OVER SIMPLE FLYING IT A BIT TO SAY THAT, BUT THAT
IMPACTED THE DECISIONS OF THE SUPREME COURT.
AND THEN WHEN YOU HAVE AN ELECTION WHERE THE
OPPOSITION IS NOT PARTICIPATING, YOU DON'T GO, I GUESS I WON
ALL THE SEATS, THEY ARE MINE, AND BY THE WAY I'M GOING TO
NOW CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION, AND IMPRISONED MY POLITICAL
OPPONENTS, WHICH IS WHAT HE IS PROMISING TO DO.
NO NO NO, IMPRISONING YOUR POLITICAL OPPONENTS IS NOT
THE RIGHT THING TO DO UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.
RIGHT, ACCORDING TO CBS, MADURO WANTS THE ASSEMBLY TO STRIP
OPPOSITION LEGISLATORS OF THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL IMMUNITY
FROM PROSECUTION, AND INDICATED HE IS EAGER TO PROSECUTE
MANY MORE MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITION PARTIES THAT
CONTROL A HANDFUL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS ALONG WITH THE
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, PROVIDING ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING CHECKS
ON THE POWER OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY.
AND BY THE WAY, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN IDEA OF
HOW THE PUBLIC FEELS IN VENEZUELA, WITH REGARD TO
WHAT HAS HAPPENED, OPINION POLLS SAY THAT MORE THAN 70%
OF THE COUNTRY AS OPPOSED TO SUNDAY'S VOTE.
AND SO, IT'S KIND OF AMAZING, 70% AS OPPOSED TO IT, IT'S
JUST LIKE AMERICA, WHERE YOU ARE LIKE, HOW?
WHO IS THE OTHER 30%?
WHERE HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN, AND HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT WAY?
MADURO SAYS, THE REASON YOU ARE SUFFERING IS NOT BECAUSE OF
ME, BUT BECAUSE OF OUTSIDE FORCES THAT ARE DRIVING
THESE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
NOW, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THE FACTS ARE ON HIS SIDE WITH
THAT, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT PROPERLY INVESTMENT WILL
PRICES WERE HIGH, AND THEY ARE DOING PRICE CONTROLS.
PRICE CONTROLS ARE, GENERALLY SPEAKING, A DISASTROUS
FINANCIAL IDEA.
YOU MIGHT SAY THAT I AM A CAPITALIST, WE CAN ARGUE OVER
THE TERMS, BUT I THINK THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROVIDE
HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION, I DO THINK THAT COMPANIES MAKE BETTER
SNEAKERS AND CARS, BUT WHEN YOU DO PRICE CONTROLS, I HAVE
NEVER SEEN IT WORK, IN ANY ECONOMY.
SO YOU SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED THAT THAT DECIMATED YOUR
ECONOMY, AND HE HAS PRESSURED 2.8 MILLION STATE EMPLOYEES TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE ELECTIONS.
PRESSURING PUBLIC EMPLOYEES DEVOTE YOUR WAY, AND THEN THEY
WERE GIVING OUT SANDWICHES, I MEAN THERE'S CLEARLY THINGS THEY
ARE DOING WRONG, AND WHEN 70% OF THE COUNTRY DISAGREES WITH WHAT
YOU ARE DOING, IT IS NOT JUST FOREIGN JOURNALISTS, OR FOREIGN
ACTORS DRIVING IT, OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE LOST POPULAR SUPPORT IN
YOUR COUNTRY, AND IF YOU HAVE 70% OPPOSED TO YOU, AND THAT YOU
CLAIM, ALL THE SEATS IN THE US AND WE ARE NOW MINE, YOU KNOW
THAT IS NOT A LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT.
SO, THAT IS MY SENSE OF THE SITUATION, BUT I WANTED YOU
TO KNOW ALL OF THE FACTS.