According to a report by the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) has shown that the US has spent at least $9.29 million on efforts to subvert the Bolivarian democracy. They said it was to “support US foreign policy objectives… and promote democracy” in Venezuela. The report shows that it was an increase of about $2 million over last year of $7.45 million. All of this went to anti-Chavez propaganda and agitation.

Traditionally the Office of Transition Initiatives is only supposed to remain in a country a short time to “advance democracy in priority countries in crisis”. They first showed up in Venezuela in 2002 after the failed military overthrow of Chavez. However the office has remained there ever since, completely destroying the supposed “short term” intention. In fact they have remained in Venezuela longer than any country in history.

Most of the $9.29 million (US tax payer money) went to funding opposition parties and campaigns for the legislative elections. The report literally said it was for “implementing partners drawn from the spectrum of civil society… offering technical assistance to political parties… and supporting efforts to strengthen civil society”.

By the way, “civil society” is code Chavez opponents.

Much of them money went through a US private company called Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI) From there, money in $100,000 increments were given out to 600 anti-Chavez groups, journalists and private, opposition media campaigns. Basically they function as a US tax payer funded propaganda campaigns.

A report published in May 2010 by the Spanish think tank FRIDEassessing “democracy assistance” to Venezuela revealed that a significant part of the more than $50 million annually in political funding from international agencies to anti-Chavez groups in Venezuela was entering illicitly. According to the report, in order to avoid Venezuela’s strict “currency control laws”, US and European agencies bring the monies in dollars or Euros into the country and then change them on the black market to increase value. This method also avoids leaving a financial record or trace of the funds coming in to illegally finance political activities.

US imperialism is stepping up in the Bolivarian democracy in order to cut short what victories the people have gained in Venezuela. US imperialism needs to get its hands off South America.