US sorry about Chavez skit

news24.com, 20/05/2003 10:11  - (SA)  

Washington - The United States on Monday again apologised for a skit lampooning Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez performed at the US ambassador to Venezuela's residence last week, saying it was inappropriate and not representative of US policy.

State department spokesperson Richard Boucher said the skit at ambassador Charles Shapiro's home as part of an event marking International Press Freedom Day had "caught everyone by surprise" and was an abuse of the envoy's hospitality.

"It was inappropriate," he said in a written answer to a question posed at Monday's state department news briefing. "All should understand that this Venezuelan comedian does not represent the US government.

"He abused Ambassador Shapiro's hospitality," Boucher said.

During the routing, the comedian poked fun at the controversial Chavez, including presenting a uniformed puppet of the former coup leader turned president.

Portions of the skit were videotaped and aired on Venezuelan television, causing an uproar and an accusation from vice-president Jose Vicente Rangel that Shapiro had violated the Vienna Convention governing diplomatic relations.

The US embassy in Caracas apologised for the incident on Friday, saying "part of the presentation's political content was in bad taste" and regretting that some were offended.

Venezuelans, however, appear to have not entirely accepted the apology and on Sunday the parliament denounced the skit as an "unfriendly act" by the envoy.

The parliamentary leadership said in a statement that it "fervently and categorically condemned the regrettable promotion of unfriendly acts...by Ambassador Shapiro". - Sapa-AFP