<a href=usinfo.state.gov>News from the Washington Files 12 April 2003

(Both sides must endorse dialogue teams' work on recall referendum) (370)

The United States welcomes the Organization of American States (OAS) announcement that teams representing the administration of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Venezuela's opposition Democratic Coordinating Committee have reached an agreement that provides a peaceful electoral solution to Venezuela's political crisis, says Philip Reeker, deputy spokesman of the U.S. Department of State.

Both sides must now endorse the work of the dialogue teams in providing for a recall referendum concerning Chavez's continued tenure, Reeker said in a State Department press release issued April 11.

"This agreement brings Venezuelans closer to reaching the constitutional, democratic, peaceful and electoral solution called for in OAS Permanent Council Resolution 833," Reeker said.

Following is the text of the State Department's April 11 press release on the electoral agreement reached in Venezuela and facilitated by the OAS:

(begin text) Department of StatePress Statement Philip T. Reeker, Deputy Spokesman Washington, D.C. April 11, 2003Support for Election Agreement Reached by Organization of American States-led Dialogue in Venezuela

We welcome today's statement by the facilitator of the Organization of American States in Caracas announcing that the government and opposition dialogue teams had reached an agreement that advances an electoral solution to Venezuela's ongoing political crisis. This positive development paves the way for a constitutionally provided recall referendum concerning the President's continued tenure. Both sides pledge not to impede or obstruct implementation of a recall effort.

The Chávez Administration and the opposition's Democratic Coordinating Committee now must expeditiously endorse the dialogue teams hard work.

This agreement brings Venezuelans closer to reaching the constitutional, democratic, peaceful and electoral solution called for in OAS Permanent Council Resolution 833.

We applaud the government's and opposition's dialogue teams for their extraordinary efforts to plot the path forward for Venezuelans to peacefully and democratically build a better tomorrow for themselves.

We commend OAS Secretary General César Gavíria for his tireless facilitation effort, supported by the Carter Center, and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

We call on all Venezuelans to support this carefully negotiated agreement and to work assiduously over the coming months to turn this agreement into a reality.

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<a href=www.rpp.com.pe>AFP

El presidente Hugo Chávez evocó a "Dios y Alá" para pedir por la paz en Irak y volvió a abogar por la resolución pacífica de los conflictos internacionales.

En su programa "Aló presidente", el mandatario pidió "a Dios y a Alá, el misericordioso, que le lleve paz al mundo árabe, sobre todo, por los niños y las niñas de Irak".

El mandatario fustigó la ofensiva bélica impulsada los últimos días por Estados Unidos Gran Bretaña en Bagdag al resaltar que "no tienen por qué sufrir los inocentes". Por ello, reiteró que Venezuela apoya la resolución pacífica de los conflictos en el mundo.

Chávez también criticó la labor de los medios de prensa internacional, en especial la cadena estadounidense de noticias CNN, de querer hacer ver un solo lado de las noticias.

Señaló que los medios querían "meter por un tubo" a las personas con sus informaciones, pero con la presión internacional por las muertes de civiles en Irak, se vieron obligados a "abrir el compás" en sus labores periodísticas.

"¿Cuántas veces no se ha utilizado la información para mentir, desinformar, contra-informar?", se preguntó Chávez, quien aclaró que sus críticas las hace como un simple "lector", "observador" y "analista".

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Friday, April 04, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

During a visit to Apure State President Hugo Chavez Frias says Venezuela needs a Judiciary that really administers justice and that does not side with the rich. In an obvious reference to powerful agricultural sectors of Apure, the President commented that there are cases of rich people who rape, rob and murder and never go to prison and if they do, they are let free within two weeks. 

Chavez Frias signed an agreement with local economic sectors at Apure State Ezequiel Zamora College to promote integral development, especially in grazing and forage quality, cattle, buffalo rearing, pig farming, fisheries and tourism. 

"We must free this State of feudal landownership." 

Guasdualito town will receive 5 billion bolivares for housing reconstruction projects and another 10 billion for 750 new housing solutions. 

• $2 million will be channeled into recovering the 64-kilometer Elorza-Mantecal highway and $4 million has been allotted to improving the Bruzual-Elorza highway. 

Storekeepers whose businesses were hit by last year's severe floods will also receive credits.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

President Hugo Chavez Frias is set to meet his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe on April 23 in the Venezuelan town of San Cristobal, according to a statement from the Colombian Foreign Ministry.

During the meeting the two leaders will discuss border security and in particular the activities of Colombian guerilla groups in the area.

Colombian officials have complained that Venezuela is not doing enough to prevent these groups from setting up bases in Venezuela, but efforts to prevent this appear to have been stepped up recently with Venezuela's army being called into action several times over the past few weeks.

Also tabled for discussion will be bilateral trade issues, which have become more worrying since the two month long opposition work stoppage and the seven week old foreign currency trading suspensions.

Colombian exports to Venezuela have fallen significantly over the past few months due to the Venezuelan economic and political crisis.

The Miami Herald Posted on Wed, Apr. 02, 2003

CARACAS - (AP) -- Venezuela's foreign minister Tuesday rejected a U.S. State Department report that denounced human-rights violations by President Hugo Chávez's government.

''In this country, human rights are not violated,'' Roy Chaderton told reporters. The foreign minister criticized the United States for ``erecting itself as the judge of other country's conduct.''

In its annual human-rights report released Monday, the U.S. State Department said Venezuela's ''human-rights record remained poor'' and ''government intimidation was a serious problem'' in 2002.

''The president, officials in his administration, and members of his political party frequently spoke out against the media, the political opposition, labor unions, the courts, the Church, and human-rights groups,'' the report said. ``Many persons interpreted these remarks as tacit approval of violence, and they threatened, intimidated, or even physically harmed several individuals from groups opposed to Chávez during the year.''

Venezuela has been mired in more than a year of upheaval, including a military coup that ousted Chávez for two days in April and an unsuccessful two-month strike to remove the president. The strike ended in February.

Chávez opponents accuse the former army paratrooper of wrecking the economy with leftist policies and using neighborhood political groups to intimidate dissenters. Chávez, whose six-year term ends in 2007, denies the allegations and counters foes are intent on ousting a democratically elected president because they feel threatened by his efforts to end social inequality in Venezuela.

The report noted that ``individuals and the media freely and publicly criticized the government.''

But it added that Chávez's verbal attacks against individual media owners and editors ``resulted in a precarious situation for journalists, who were frequently attacked and harassed.''