And yet, we have Pilger’s testimony that Venezuela is not the catastrophe the global media has painted. Even more depressing is the fact that his far-right replacement, Jair Bolsonaro, is a self-confessed racist who romanticises Brazil’s military dictators in the days of yore — an unadulterated fascist.

Mr Lula, a socialist with his own characteristics, did the impossible when the World Economic Forum in Davos conferred on him the Global Statesmanship Award.John Pilger, who knows Venezuela well, considers the East Caracas elite who regard themselves as "white" as the powerful core of what the media calls "the Opposition". Ted G. These are, by Mr Bolton’s definition, "the Troika of Tyranny". He cites a journalist and filmmaker friend of his, Pablo Navarrete: "I have filmed videos of plenty of food in the markets all over Caracas — it is Friday night and the restaurants are full. It was wonderful for as long as it lasted. The oil industry was on this curve when the mantle fell on Mr Maduro. Goertzel’s book "Lula".." Moore was not the only one showering superlatives on Mr Lula.There has been so much drum beating in the media that for the United States to give up the military option would involve a loss of face. The fall of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua will complete Mr Bolton’s "Troika of Tyranny".Without the Western media tilting the story totally against President Lula, it is difficult to imagine how meekly the world acquiesced in the fall of one of history’s most popular leaders. How does the US cajole Kim Jong-un to surrender his nuclear weapons when Kim can see Washington bullying Nicolas Maduro to hand over power to America’s favoured man, Juan Guaido, so that he can protect the world’s largest reserves of oil for imperial interests?By this one act of recognising a handpicked individual, interested governments hope to dethrone a popularly elected President. He had the support of the indigenous Mestizos and Afro-Venezuelas, by far the majority.

The elite amused themselves by calling Mr Maduro "the bus driver". They were stoutly with him because they had access to a comprehensive welfare system of which he was the much-adored author. To support the sloganeering crowd is to "side with the people". This "Opposition" is now going for the regime’s jugular. Carter is on record having said: "Of the 92 elections that we have monitored, I would say the election process in Venezuela is the best in the world. But Chavez’s Venezuela was hugely helped by high oil prices.As for the certification of fair elections anywhere, the world’s most credible outfit is the institute established by former US President Jimmy Carter. On his ascent as President, journalist and filmmaker Michael Moore wrote: "The country’s robber barons nervously checked fuel gauges in their private jets for a quick escape. One of his targets, President Lula da Silva, has already been pulverised out of action. It bears his name.

Instead, a rank fascist, Jair Bolsonaro, was preferred. But as the economy showed no signs of picking up, as oil prices showed no signs of picking up, the vested interests in their country clubs, the East Caracas elite with their palatial houses in Miami plus neighbouring countries — the US included — began to plot a change of regime, their eyes fixed on the world’s largest oil reserves. But such is the penetration of Latin American establishments by the CIA that the courts were mobilised to bar Mr Lula from contesting the 2018 presidential election. In the American media, unquantifiable election fraud has triggered a large rally against Mr Maduro." According to Moore: "What Lula wants for Brazil is what used to be called the American Dream. Once Venezuela is out of the way, the media will suddenly discover all sorts light box signs Suppliers of horrors in Nicaragua. The reason Grenada came to mind is because this island of 91,000 inhabitants is barely 90 miles north of Venezuela, the country currently in the eye of a storm.

Time magazine considered President Lula as one of the most influential leaders in recent history. Before he could embark on diversification, oil prices began to fall, and fall abysmally. Plummeting oil prices have caused hyperinflation."To some extent the seeds of Mr Maduro’s trouble lay in an exaggerated self-confidence, a sort of risky bravado with which his much more charismatic guru, Hugo Chavez, allowed the Opposition to retain their monopolies and corruption. A media totally biased against him was left untouched because Chavez could cushion the relentless media invective."Meanwhile, John Bolton, the gun-slinging national security adviser in the White House, has made no secret of his targets in Latin America — Brazil, Venezuela and Nicaragua. The reason for a delay in military action may well lie in remote Hanoi, Vietnam." He added, in parenthesis: "The US is the worst, with its emphasis on campaign funds.Mr Maduro is having to pay for Chavez’s cardinal error: while setting up a welfare state he ignored the next stage, that of deploying this vast wealth into large-scale diversification of the economy. Someone as benign as Mr Bolsonaro will soon be wheeled in. Not even Mr Maduro’s greatest supporters will claim for him the magical charisma of Chavez.

Most people have forgotten how cross Margaret Thatcher was with Ronald Reagan for having invaded Grenada to affect a regime change in 1983 without having taken her into confidence. That’s what Mr Bolsonaro is. In that case, the Yellow Vests who have been protesting all across France for over three months now must attract outside support too. When military action does bring about a change of regime, it will the 68th time that the US has affected regime change by a coup or invasion. Little wonder that he won eight elections and referendums, something of a record. Mr Obama quoted the title of Prof. President Barack Obama said of him — "this is my man right there". The distinguished professor of sociology at Rutgers University described Mr Lula as "the most popular politician on earth".