| Amnesty withdrawal of documentary on Venezuela coup and why the
film would benefit debate on Iraq
Unpublished letter to Guardian, November 2003 Dear Editor, If Amnesty International withdrew "The Revolution Will Not be Televised" from its film festival because of a "threat to the physical safety" of its staff in Venezuela, does this mean that its policy is shaped by the people they are supposed to protect us from? ("Chávez film puts staff at risk, says Amnesty", Gdn 22 November 2003) Why doesn't it investigate and speak out against those who pose such a threat, and their connections to the US government? Or are such connections the real reason for withdrawing the documentary? The present debate on the US occupation of Iraq and their claims that they have "tolerated dictatorships for too long" would benefit greatly from a documentary which shows the Bush government backing a coup against an elected government and endorsing a dictatorship of their own making in 2002. This is not the first time that Amnesty lends a helping hand to the US. In 1991 it reported as fact the false allegation -- widely used by the US to justify the first Gulf War -- that Iraqi troops had thrown babies out of incubators in a Kuwaiti hospital. It was forced to apologise but that was after the war when the damage had been done. Unlike Saddam Hussein, President Chávez is no dictator, but he is no puppet of the US. He has refused to privatise Venezuela's oil and he is using its revenue to tackle poverty. He is also using its military to build houses and provide healthcare. A dangerous example for those intent on profiteering from oil, a war with no end and spiralling military spending. Yours sincerely,
Nina López |