Venezuela student leader wins award for challenging Chavez

TrueBlueAmerican · 04-24-2008, 06:26 PM

Title
Venezuela student leader wins award for challenging Chavez

Link
The Associated Press: Venezuela student leader wins award for challenging Chavez
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Excerpt

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A U.S.-based think tank has awarded a $500,000 prize to the leader of a student protest movement that has posed a potent challenge to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

University student Yon Goicoechea became a household name in Venezuela last year after he led protests that were widely seen as a key factor in the defeat of sweeping constitutional changes proposed by Chavez.

The Washington-based Cato Institute said it would announce the 23-year-old as winner of the Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty on Thursday.

"I see it as a collective prize. The prize is being given to me, but it's being given to me as a representative of something much bigger," Goicoechea told The Associated Press in an interview. "It's an acknowledgment of the work that has been done in promoting freedom."

Goicoechea took a central role last year in rallying students to oppose what he sees as threats to personal liberties and democracy in Venezuela. The constitutional changes rejected by voters in December would have let Chavez run for re-election indefinitely and would have granted him broad powers to reshape the economy and society in a socialist mold.

The libertarian think tank said Goicoechea was chosen for his leadership in advocating for democratic values.

"He managed to effectively give voice to millions of Venezuelans who believed in democracy, tolerance and modernity, and who felt that they were being left out of politics," said Ian Vasquez, director of the institute's Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity.

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Comment:

I bet he also believes that the right wing coup was a 'democratic transiton'.

TrueBlueAmerican · 04-24-2008, 06:39 PM

Real Democratic...

TrueBlueAmerican · 04-24-2008, 06:40 PM

TrueBlueAmerican · 04-24-2008, 06:40 PM

TrueBlueAmerican · 04-24-2008, 06:43 PM

TrueBlueAmerican · 04-24-2008, 06:50 PM

TrueBlueAmerican · 04-24-2008, 06:57 PM

04-24-2008, 06:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
TrueBlueAmerican Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,229 Thanks: 30 Thanked 34 Times in 25 Posts	Venezuela student leader wins award for challenging Chavez Title Venezuela student leader wins award for challenging Chavez Link The Associated Press: Venezuela student leader wins award for challenging Chavez ----------------------------------------------------- Excerpt CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A U.S.-based think tank has awarded a $500,000 prize to the leader of a student protest movement that has posed a potent challenge to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. University student Yon Goicoechea became a household name in Venezuela last year after he led protests that were widely seen as a key factor in the defeat of sweeping constitutional changes proposed by Chavez. The Washington-based Cato Institute said it would announce the 23-year-old as winner of the Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty on Thursday. "I see it as a collective prize. The prize is being given to me, but it's being given to me as a representative of something much bigger," Goicoechea told The Associated Press in an interview. "It's an acknowledgment of the work that has been done in promoting freedom." Goicoechea took a central role last year in rallying students to oppose what he sees as threats to personal liberties and democracy in Venezuela. The constitutional changes rejected by voters in December would have let Chavez run for re-election indefinitely and would have granted him broad powers to reshape the economy and society in a socialist mold. The libertarian think tank said Goicoechea was chosen for his leadership in advocating for democratic values. "He managed to effectively give voice to millions of Venezuelans who believed in democracy, tolerance and modernity, and who felt that they were being left out of politics," said Ian Vasquez, director of the institute's Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity. ------------------------------------------------------ Comment: I bet he also believes that the right wing coup was a 'democratic transiton'.
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04-24-2008, 06:39 PM	#2 (permalink)
TrueBlueAmerican Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,229 Thanks: 30 Thanked 34 Times in 25 Posts	Real Democratic...
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04-24-2008, 06:40 PM	#3 (permalink)
TrueBlueAmerican Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,229 Thanks: 30 Thanked 34 Times in 25 Posts
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04-24-2008, 06:40 PM	#4 (permalink)
TrueBlueAmerican Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,229 Thanks: 30 Thanked 34 Times in 25 Posts
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04-24-2008, 06:43 PM	#5 (permalink)
TrueBlueAmerican Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,229 Thanks: 30 Thanked 34 Times in 25 Posts
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04-24-2008, 06:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
TrueBlueAmerican Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,229 Thanks: 30 Thanked 34 Times in 25 Posts
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04-24-2008, 06:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
TrueBlueAmerican Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,229 Thanks: 30 Thanked 34 Times in 25 Posts
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