Chavez Claims Anti-Venezuela Campaign

www.kansascity.com Posted on Sun, Mar. 09, 2003 STEPHEN IXER Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez claimed Sunday an international campaign involving the United States was trying to discredit his government and he warned other countries not to be fooled by the so-called smear tactics.

"There are still newspaper headlines in various parts of the world (and) officials from some governments ... that are spreading lies," said Chavez, who has been fighting a national movement attempting to force him to resign or call early elections.

The opposition claims Chavez has undermined the country's democracy and hurt the economy.

Last week, local media published a letter signed by seven U.S. congressmen calling on Chavez to refrain from persecuting his opponents and investigate the recent murders of dissident soldiers.

Days later, Caracas police arrested a man in connection with the killings of three dissident soldiers and an anti-government activist whose bound, tortured bodies were found last month. Detectives said the deaths were not politically motivated.

Chavez said the letter was drafted by foes using their "great lobbying power" backed up by "unethical" Venezuelan media outlets to fool U.S. legislators.

"They don't know this land or anything about what is really happening here," Chavez said. "Some lobbyists go there, write them a letter and get them to say some lies that make them look ridiculous in front of the whole world. But everyone is free to look ridiculous."

U.S. officials could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Two weeks ago, Chavez strongly criticized the United States, Spain and Colombia for allegedly meddling in Venezuela's domestic affairs. Within days, bombs ripped through the Spanish and Colombian diplomatic missions in Caracas.

The U.S. Embassy later closed temporarily because of a security threat. No one has been arrested for the bombings.

Meanwhile, Chavez opponents from Washington to Atlanta to Santiago, Chile, marched Sunday.

Venezuela is trying to emerge from a failed two-month general strike against Chavez. The protest, which ended last month, was strongest in the oil industry, the source of half of government revenues and 80 percent of export earnings.

Venezuela was the world's fifth-largest oil exporter before the strike began Dec. 2 and still is importing gasoline because of difficulties in bringing refineries back online.

The Organization of American States and other mediators so far have failed to advance peace talks.

Chavez, who was first elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000, says his foes want to replace him with the old status quo, when an elite minority held power for decades.