Will Oliver...

Medellin Traveler says on Dec 28, 2007, 17:14:

WHAT!?!

La cuidad de la primavera, estoy feliz porque te vuelvo a ver - www.medellintraveler.com

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Desideria (Moderator) says on Dec 28, 2007, 17:34:

Yeah, Oliver Stone will be there. He's in Venezuela making a documentary about Latin America.
So, perhaps Tirofijo Manuel Marulanda will turn into a Hollywood star before this is over.

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Sr Tertius says on Dec 28, 2007, 17:36:

What Hollywood actor would play Marulanda or Jojoy?

"When the finger points to the moon, the fool looks at the finger" (Chinese proverb)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Sr Tertius says on Dec 28, 2007, 17:39:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/29/arts/LA-A-E-CEL-Venezuela-Pe...

"When the finger points to the moon, the fool looks at the finger" (Chinese proverb)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Atrevido says on Dec 28, 2007, 19:09:

I think they will play themselves. That way they´ll get visas to the US.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Medellin Traveler says on Dec 28, 2007, 19:37:

Thanks for the link.

If it's a documentary, they will play themselves, obviously.

La cuidad de la primavera, estoy feliz porque te vuelvo a ver - www.medellintraveler.com

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Sr Tertius says on Dec 28, 2007, 19:50:

I thought maybe O.S. could use some of the material for a fictionalized drama, like he did with Salvador. That's when it occured to me... is there anyone in Hollywood who could play Marulanda? Fred Thompson is retired right? What about Uribe? I'd cast Ed Norton.

"When the finger points to the moon, the fool looks at the finger" (Chinese proverb)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Medellin Traveler says on Dec 29, 2007, 06:14:

Venezuela Launches Hostage Recovery
IAN JAMES

The Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez sent two helicopters into Colombia on Friday on a delicate mission to pluck three hostages from the rebel-held jungle.

"The operation has begun. With these two helicopters goes great hope," Chavez said as the two Russian-made MI-172 helicopters lifted off, bearing Red Cross insignia and Venezuelan flags. "We're going to get those three people in the coming days."

Wearing the red beret and fatigues of his paratrooper days, Chavez was accompanied by American filmmaker Oliver Stone and a group of international observers at the Venezuelan airstrip.

Chavez called the mission "Operation Emmanuel," after the captive child who is believed to be the son of hostage Clara Rojas and a guerrilla fighter.

Colombia's U.S.-allied government agreed to allow the helicopters to land south of Bogota and then take off Saturday morning to pick up former congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez, Rojas and the boy, who is thought to be 3 years old. The women have been held captive for about six years.

"I'm hoping it works," said Stone, a fan of the socialist leader who said he was there to film "a documentary about Latin America and also about North America."

"There are some good Americans. That's why I'm here," Stone added after Chavez joked that he was an "emissary" from U.S. President George W. Bush.

Chavez said former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner and the other observers would follow the helicopters to Villavicencio, about 50 miles south of Bogota, as soon as the Venezuelans receive word from the guerrillas about where to pick up the hostages.

"Tomorrow begins the second phase , which is the rescue of our compatriots and our little compatriot Emmanuel," Chavez said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is helping coordinate the handover, and Colombia's top peace negotiator, Luis Carlos Restrepo, said his government fully supports the mission and would keep its military operations from interfering.

For security reasons, Chavez said, the rebels have demanded that the Venezuelan pilots not be told where they will fly until they're airborne.

The secrecy reflects the mistrust of both sides in Colombia's civil conflict. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, has been fighting for more than four decades, and its guerrillas are dispersed in remote camps in the jungles and countryside.

Rojas, an aide to former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, was kidnapped along with the French-Colombian politician and her pending release has raised hopes for relatives of Betancourt and dozens of other high-profile hostages, including three Americans.

The FARC's decision to release the hostages to Chavez has enabled the socialist leader to reassume a mediating role Colombian President Alvaro Uribe abruptly ended last month after accusing him of overstepping his mandate. Chavez hopes to broaden this role and take "a first step to open a door toward the path for Colombia to have peace soon."

Thanks to aggressive American intelligence sharing backed by US$600 million (euro400 million) in annual military aid, Colombia's security forces have pushed the FARC into a strategic retreat. They can no longer concentrate in large numbers without being detected, and tend to use human couriers rather than cell phones or other technology that can be spied upon.

While turning over the hostages, the FARC will try to give away as little information as possible about their whereabouts, said Alfredo Rangel, director of the Security and Democracy Foundation, a Bogota think tank.

The guerrillas "above all are going to make sure to prevent this operation , or information that could be deduced about them , from being used militarily by the government," said Rangel, who predicted that the captives will be delivered far from the camps where they were held.

,,,
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/world/20071228_ap_venezuela...

La cuidad de la primavera, estoy feliz porque te vuelvo a ver - www.medellintraveler.com

0 funny, 0 helpful.

pedro says on Dec 29, 2007, 06:59:

"Tomorrow begins the second phase , which is the rescue of our compatriots and our little compatriot Emmanuel," Chavez said.

Does compatriot have a different meaning in Spanish?

Why would you call them compatriots if they're Colombian are you're Venezuelan?

que nota!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Atrevido says on Dec 29, 2007, 07:15:

So a famous American movie maker who happens to be in Venezuela making a documentary and who claims to be an admirerer of Chavez just gets to go along for the ride for the hostage rescue. Is this Macondo or what!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Robert Jorge says on Dec 29, 2007, 12:27:

I am speechless.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Medellin Traveler says on Dec 29, 2007, 14:28:

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.... well you get the picture.

La cuidad de la primavera, estoy feliz porque te vuelvo a ver - www.medellintraveler.com

0 funny, 0 helpful.

john_stark says on Dec 29, 2007, 15:10:

Ya gotta love Chavez. Any guy who can fuck Bush in the ass without any lube and make him like it, you gotta love. Make him squeal like a pig, Hugo!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

catherine b says on Dec 29, 2007, 15:21:

Well I think that explains a large part of his popularity are his attacks on Bush.
It seems that some celebrities as well as others are cheerleading for Chavez just to irritate Bush. The mentality of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". However, I don't subscribe to that mentality. The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend. It's like cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Personally, I don't mind as I despise Bush but clearly that's not the way one head of state should publicly address another head of state even if they're both jerks.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

catherine b says on Dec 29, 2007, 15:34:

Actually, there may another ulterior motive for Oliver Stone wanting to participate in the hostage release. I just read that he's the executive producer of a movie on the life of Pablo Escobar titled "Escobar". Everything is in the pre-production stage right now as it would probably not be released until 2009. But he's looking to begin production in early 2008 in Puerto Rico and Colombia.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Medellin Traveler says on Dec 29, 2007, 16:56:

catherine b,

I don't think one has anything to do with the other.

Regardless of how one feels about Oliver Stone, he has a long track record of at least trying to educate through his films; good, bad, or otherwise. If he's a quack, at least he's not a bandwagon-jumping quack. If that makes any sense.

La cuidad de la primavera, estoy feliz porque te vuelvo a ver - www.medellintraveler.com

0 funny, 0 helpful.

diabloblas says on Dec 30, 2007, 12:48:

you have to ask yourself...who threatens the world more...hugo or george?...who has caused more innocent mw&c to be killed or maimed in more countries?...hugo or george?...who produces weapons of mass destruction & uses them...hugo or george? who believes that god walked the earth 2000 years ago & is going to return with a big boom?...hugo or george...who is unclear on the difference between science & religion? evolution or creationism (intelligent design)?..hugo or george. who know what real war is all about...hugo or george?...who knows what it's like to be poor...hugo or george?

manifest destiny or yankee imperialism is dead in the water but the idea is still trumpeted...the usa is on the way down...hopefully it will be a gentle let down & a non violent revolution...but the usa has definitely seen better days

0 funny, 0 helpful.

john_stark says on Dec 30, 2007, 12:50:

You're right, dude. And it's guys like GW who have caused the downfall of the US.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

catherine b says on Dec 30, 2007, 12:56:

Bush is definetely more dangerous than Chavez, but that part about religion...have you ever heard Chavez "preaching"? Or seen some of the posters his party had during the reform with images of Jesus and the slogan "Cristo era socialista!"?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Medellin Traveler says on Dec 30, 2007, 13:30:

Jesus is my HOMEBOY!

Sometimes you have to blame the campaign managers.

The US has seen better days, the worst is yet to come. It's all downhill from here. China, the sleeping dragon has awoke. And Russia is back with an agenda!

We have been investing our time, money, and resources on the wrong things.

La cuidad de la primavera, estoy feliz porque te vuelvo a ver - www.medellintraveler.com

0 funny, 0 helpful.