The US is involved because it doesn't want to see another Cuba. The US will play the same cards it used in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Chile, Afghanistan...
While the US has alot to gain from a "democratic" (read: Capitalist) Venezuela, it is what it stands to lose that is more important. When Venezuela becomes Socialist it will be easier for other surrounding countries to follow, eg Bolivia.
Regarding US activities, in the run up to the referendum process there had been extremely harsh pressure on the part of US imperialism and the opposition to say that if the referendum was not called, then this meant Chavez was a dictator and measures would be taken (economic embargo and military intervention etc). The Carter Centre and the Organisation of American States, which were allegedly "observing" the voting process, were the frontmen. In reality they started interfering directly with the work of the National Electoral Council. It was made clear that a referendum was going to take place, even when the opposition couldn't find the 2.7mill votes required to make it happen.
In any case the opposition will not recognise the results of the referendum since it does not give them victory. They immediately started a new campaign of pressure and imperialist meddling, which will no doubt include threats, murder and all sorts of dirty tricks that have served them so well in the past.
I wouldn't say Chavez is a little left, I would say he is alot left.
Chavez has said that if US imperialism dares to interfere in Venezuelan politics and tries to remove the democratically elected government of the country, not one drop of Venezuelan oil would go to the United States. Venezuela exports about 1.5 mill barrels of oil daily to the US at the moment. He has also spoken about the possibility that the US may be tempted to carry out a military intervention. In such a case there would be "enough mountain, enough jungle, enough savannah, enough dignity and also enough guts to confront such an attack".
Since Chavez has been reaffirmed as president, the opposition (and no doubt US "observers") will say that the referendum was rigged and this proves Chavez is a dictator. The opposition is lead by the oligarchy, the rich and the bankers, the owners of the means of production, and is closely linked to the interests of the US. They see their fundamental interests threatened by the revolution which is developing in Venezuela.
Their use of democratic means (like the recall referendum) is just a small part of their strategy which includes the use of paramilitary forces (several leading pro-Chavez activists have been assassinated), riots in the streets, sabotage of the economy (i.e the 2002 lockout) and eventually foreign intervention. This is exactly what happened in Nicaragua.
Regarding Sumate: What Pub said. Sumate is on the payroll of all the major players in the opposition. If a search function were available you might find something from my old posts.
Sumate helped make the vote on whether to hold a recall of Chavez make George W's election look like a respectable way to conduct affairs. People voting two or three times, dead people voting, babies voting... They even stole peoples signatures from their bank details, and of course the banks turned a blind eye... Police seized over 600 false ID papers, printers, scanners and Sumate documents from an opposition leaders house.
All of this is nothing for the US to be ashamed of financing, apparantly.
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...as the article suggests...
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I'll take that as a compliment. I get alot from
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/
The rest is just my opinion.
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