USA brands President Chavez' comments as "inflammatory"

www.vheadline.com Posted: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

President Hugo Chavez Frias has been slammed by the US following recent comments which the US sees as "inflammatory" after a US State Department spokesman claimed that the President's aggressive rhetoric may possibly be contributing to violence between government and opposition supporters. "Inflammatory comments such as those being attributed to President Chavez are not helpful in advancing the dialogue between the government of Venezuela and the opposition ... we are concerned that heightened political rhetoric has contributed unnecessarily to some of the recent violence in Caracas."

"What we remain concerned about is the government's rhetoric and some of the actions that have been undermining the dialogue process ... we would note that according to the Venezuelan Constitution the judiciary, not the President, decides what charges to bring in criminal cases."

This follows comments by the President that there must be an offensive against the terrorists and that Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Fedecamaras) and Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV) presidents Carlos Fernandez and Carlos Ortega should be imprisoned for twenty years each.