Goicoechea

Greg Weeks criticizes CATO's bizzare decision to give $500,000 to Venezuelan student activist Yon Goicoechea: Think tanks are certainly free to give their money to whomever they wish, but my immediate reaction was that this prize could permanently derail his political career and end up having the opposite effect the Cato Institute and others who hate Chávez want.

Archive 2008-04-01 2008

Goicoechea led student-organized street violence against Venezuela's democracy, but don't look for Cato to say that.

Grow Them Young, Pay Them Well - Anti-Chavistas, That Is 2008

In fact, there were no death threats but plenty of hard right intimidation targeting Chavistas with tools like Goicoechea a part of it.

Grow Them Young, Pay Them Well - Anti-Chavistas, That Is 2008

Yon Goicoechea was the fourth recipient of the "Milton Friedman Liberty Prize" in the amount of $500,000.

Grow Them Young, Pay Them Well - Anti-Chavistas, That Is 2008

Like others of his class, Goicoechea enjoys privilege and wants to keep it.

Grow Them Young, Pay Them Well - Anti-Chavistas, That Is 2008

Goicoechea received his award at a $500 a plate dinner at New York's Waldorf Astoria.

Grow Them Young, Pay Them Well - Anti-Chavistas, That Is 2008

Last year, Goicoechea responded by engaging in violent street clashes; targeting pro-Chavez students, police and the National Guard; smashing windows; turning over and setting cars alight; starting other fires; burning tires; throwing rocks and bottles; engaging in a shootout at Caracas 'Central University; seeing Venezuela's business media report "peaceful, civic and democratic" students were attacked without provocation; and getting full US (and Cato) backing for all of the above.

Grow Them Young, Pay Them Well - Anti-Chavistas, That Is 2008

Goicoechea now heads home fully briefed for his role, but don't expect Cato to explain it.

Grow Them Young, Pay Them Well - Anti-Chavistas, That Is 2008

Goicoechea is leader of Venezuela's "pro-democracy student movement" that in Cato's words "prevented Hugo Chavez's regime from seizing broad dictatorial powers in December 2007."

Grow Them Young, Pay Them Well - Anti-Chavistas, That Is 2008

Far right novelist Mario Vargas Llosa added that "freedom is disappearing" in Venezuela, and "Goicoechea is a symbol of (a) democratic reaction when (it's) threatened."

Grow Them Young, Pay Them Well - Anti-Chavistas, That Is 2008