Huge-Hugo Shouted Down by Soccer Fans in Venezuela

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/6/30/174304.shtml?s=os

Soccer Fans in Venezuela Shout Against Chavez

NewsMax.com Wires Sunday, July 1, 2007

MARACAIBO, Venezuela -- Thousands of Venezuelan soccer fans used an

international tournament to show opposition to President Hugo Chavez, rising

to their feet with chants of "Freedom!"

The chants -- which included "This government is going to fall!" -- began

shortly into the second half of Thursday's match between the U.S. and

Argentina in the western city of Maracaibo, a stronghold of opposition to

Chavez.

Chavez opponents are hoping the arrival of thousands of tourists for the

Copa America tournament will draw attention to their protests against the

president's refusal to renew the license of a popular opposition-aligned

television channel.

"We want the world to know we're not all with Chavez," said Gabriel

Gonzalez, a business student at the University of Zulia, who attended

Thursday's match.

About half the crowd of 40,000 appeared to join in the chants, which filled

the stadium for about three minutes.

Chavez, who was re-elected by a wide margin in December, has gone to great

lengths to keep Venezuela's bitter political divide from spilling into the

tournament, banning protests in and near stadiums and ordering state

security forces to crack down on any that do arise.

Only one match in the three-week-long tournament is being held in the

protest-prone capital of Caracas.

But opposition activists seem determined to voice their criticisms about

Chavez to the world.

"I don't really know whether it's spontaneous, semi-spontaneous or directed

from above" by the political opposition, said Steve Ellner, a political

science professor at Venezuela's University of the East. "This could be part

of a strategy to erode support and create uncertainty."

The chants on Thursday followed a heckling incident two days earlier, when a

small number of fans booed Chavez as he attended a ceremony. But none of

that has detracted much from the tournament.

U.S. head coach Bob Bradley has said Venezuelan organizers have welcomed his

team warmly despite Chavez's hostile relationship with Washington.

But pro-government advertising seems to be everywhere at the tournament.

At each of the nine stadiums, pictures of Chavez are displayed prominently

under giant banners like the one in Maracaibo reading "We're building the

motherland."

Banners and signs from opposing political camps make the streets of

Maracaibo look like a battlefield between left and right. The city's

pro-Chavez mayor competes with the state's opposition governor, former

presidential candidate Manuel Rosales, to take credit for spruced-up

infrastructure.

Chavez has spent $1 billion to build two new stadiums, renovate seven more

and add related infrastructure to project an image of efficiency and

civility following weeks of protests in the capital against his decision not

to renew the license of the private channel RCTV.

Many in the crowd made clear the point of their protest, chanting "RCTV!"

The same thing would happen if Shrub attended a sporting event.

"Patriot Games" <Crazy_Bastard@The_Beach.com> wrote in message

news:46879d92$0$31288$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...

> http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/6/30/174304.shtml?s=os

>

> Soccer Fans in Venezuela Shout Against Chavez

> NewsMax.com Wires Sunday, July 1, 2007

>

> MARACAIBO, Venezuela -- Thousands of Venezuelan soccer fans used an

> international tournament to show opposition to President Hugo Chavez,

rising

> to their feet with chants of "Freedom!"

>

> The chants -- which included "This government is going to fall!" -- began

> shortly into the second half of Thursday's match between the U.S. and

> Argentina in the western city of Maracaibo, a stronghold of opposition to

> Chavez.

>

> Chavez opponents are hoping the arrival of thousands of tourists for the

> Copa America tournament will draw attention to their protests against the

> president's refusal to renew the license of a popular opposition-aligned

> television channel.

>

> "We want the world to know we're not all with Chavez," said Gabriel

> Gonzalez, a business student at the University of Zulia, who attended

> Thursday's match.

>

> About half the crowd of 40,000 appeared to join in the chants, which

filled

> the stadium for about three minutes.

>

> Chavez, who was re-elected by a wide margin in December, has gone to great

> lengths to keep Venezuela's bitter political divide from spilling into the

> tournament, banning protests in and near stadiums and ordering state

> security forces to crack down on any that do arise.

>

> Only one match in the three-week-long tournament is being held in the

> protest-prone capital of Caracas.

>

> But opposition activists seem determined to voice their criticisms about

> Chavez to the world.

>

> "I don't really know whether it's spontaneous, semi-spontaneous or

directed

> from above" by the political opposition, said Steve Ellner, a political

> science professor at Venezuela's University of the East. "This could be

part

> of a strategy to erode support and create uncertainty."

>

> The chants on Thursday followed a heckling incident two days earlier, when

a

> small number of fans booed Chavez as he attended a ceremony. But none of

> that has detracted much from the tournament.

>

> U.S. head coach Bob Bradley has said Venezuelan organizers have welcomed

his

> team warmly despite Chavez's hostile relationship with Washington.

>

> But pro-government advertising seems to be everywhere at the tournament.

>

> At each of the nine stadiums, pictures of Chavez are displayed prominently

> under giant banners like the one in Maracaibo reading "We're building the

> motherland."

>

> Banners and signs from opposing political camps make the streets of

> Maracaibo look like a battlefield between left and right. The city's

> pro-Chavez mayor competes with the state's opposition governor, former

> presidential candidate Manuel Rosales, to take credit for spruced-up

> infrastructure.

>

> Chavez has spent $1 billion to build two new stadiums, renovate seven more

> and add related infrastructure to project an image of efficiency and

> civility following weeks of protests in the capital against his decision

not

> to renew the license of the private channel RCTV.

>

> Many in the crowd made clear the point of their protest, chanting "RCTV!"

>

>