usinfo.state.gov 25 February 2003

Q: And next question, on Venezuela, President Chavez has criticized directly the United States government, Spain, Colombia and even the Secretary General of the OAS -- to mediate the Venezuelan crisis. What is the White House position on the criticism of Mr. Chavez?

MR. FLEISCHER: One of the key issues here in bringing a peaceful resolution to the situation in Venezuela is for the will of the international community to be listened and not be disregarded when the international community focuses on peaceful dialogue. So this is -- any such language from President Chavez, the confrontational rhetoric is unwarranted, is unnecessary and is not helpful. Inflammatory statements by President Chavez are not helpful in advancing the dialogue that is necessary to maintain peace in Venezuela.

www.theaustralian.news.com.au From correspondents in Washington February 26, 2003

THE US has condemned twin bomb blasts near the diplomatic missions of Colombia and Spain in the Venezuelan capital and chastised President Hugo Chavez over his sharp rhetoric. Washington stopped short of blaming Chavez directly for inciting the attacks in Caracas, after he had earlier attacked both nations and the United States for their stand on the Venezuelan political crisis.

But a senior US official said: "(Chavez) says these things and that is followed by this."

Authorities in Venezuela said three people were hurt at the Colombian consulate and one at the Spanish Embassy. The blasts also damaged buildings and cars nearby.

"We strongly condemn today's bombings and the use of any form of violence," said US State Department deputy spokesman Philip Reeker.

"We note that these bombings followed the sharp verbal attacks by President Chavez on the international community as well as Venezuelans."

He called on Venezuela to launch an expeditious and thorough probe into the violence and to punish those responsible.

Chavez spoke out against Spain and the United States after they criticised the arrest of business leader Carlos Fernandez who headed a 63-day anti-government strike.

He also slammed Colombia, reacting to a statement by Colombian Interior Minister Fernando Londono who criticised the Venezuelan leader's contacts with Colombian rebels.

Asked whether there was concern that US diplomatic missions in Caracas could be the next to be attacked, the senior US official said: "Certainly, we worry about security all the time at all of our posts, but the tone and the atmosphere have taken a turn for the worst in the last few days."

Washington called on Chavez to live up to the terms of a non-violence pledge reached by the government and the opposition last week, which included a provision emphasising the need to curb inflammatory statements.

www.utusan.com.my

CARACAS (Venezuela) Feb 25 - An explosion rocked a Spanish Embassy building and another blast hit the front of the Colombian consulate in the Venezuelan capital Caracas early on Tuesday, buckling steel gates and blowing out windows in nearby buildings. Five people were injured.

A security guard and two people were injured at the Colombian consulate building, where shards of glass and concrete debris from the badly damaged facade lay scattered across the street, authorities said. Two others were also hurt by fragments at the Spanish embassy site.

The blasts came after President Hugo Chavez, whose self-styled ``Bolivarian Revolution'' promises to ease poverty, accused the United States and Spain of siding with his enemies and warned Colombia he may break off diplomatic ties.

``If this had not been at two in the morning and instead at two in the afternoon we would have had a lot of dead from the impact,'' Chacao district mayor Leopoldo Lopez told reporters.

Police officials could not immediately say what caused the two explosions.

At the cooperation suboffice of the Spanish embassy in the east of the capital, the gate of the building was blown off and a hole punched in its wall; across the street, windows of another building were smashed. The blast at the Colombian consulate, not far from the Spanish embassy site, ripped into the glass facade of the four-story building.

Leaflets scattered at both sites referred to the ``Bolivarian Liberation Front,'' a previously unheard of group.

``Our revolution will not be negotiated, only deepened,'' one of the leaflets read.

Venezuela's bitter political struggle between Chavez and his opponents has often flared into violence and street clashes; media outlets critical of the president have been the targets of grenade attacks.

The Venezuelan leader's criticisms of the United States and Spain on Sunday followed expressions of international concern over the arrest of Carlos Fernandez, a prominent opposition businessman who was charged with rebellion for leading a two-month strike to pressure Chavez into accepting elections.

Venezuela's crisis has drawn in the international community, with leaders fearing the world's fifth largest oil supplier could slide deeper into violence as Chavez allies and enemies battle over his government.

The US, Spain and four other countries have backed efforts by the Organization of American States (OAS) to broker a deal on elections to defuse the crisis. But the talks have been caught up in wrangling and Chavez on Sunday appeared to brush aside members of the six-nation group.

He warned OAS chief Cesar Gaviria, who is chairing the talks for three months, not to ``step out of line.''

Chavez on Sunday also criticised Colombia after a cabinet minister in the neighboring country said the Venezuelan leader had met with left-wing rebel leaders.

Chavez and his foes have been locked in a fierce political battle over his rule since April when he survived a short-lived coup by rebel military officers. The president has recently hardened his stance against critics he brands ``terrorists'' trying to topple him by sabotaging the oil industry.

The opposition strike began on Dec. 2; it severely disrupted the vital oil exports that account for half of Venezuelan government revenues. The shutdown fizzled out in February though the oil sector is still struggling to recover.

But Chavez, elected in 1998, has so far resisted calls for an early vote of confidence on his leadership from opponents. They accuse him of ruling like a dictator and inspiring supporters to violence with his fiery speeches laced with threats and class warfare rhetoric.

His self-styled ``revolutionary'' government mingles left-leaning policies, such as land reform and cheap credits for the poor, with nationalism styled after 19th century South American liberation hero Simon Bolivar.

A grenade exploded in January at the Venezuelan residence of the ambassador from Algeria. That explosion followed bomb threats made against several foreign embassies in Caracas and the German, Canadian and Australian embassies were evacuated. - Reuters

abcnews.go.com The Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela Feb. 25 —

Two powerful explosions damaged the Spanish embassy and the Colombian consulate minutes apart in the Venezuelan capital early Tuesday, injuring four people and raising tensions in a city still recovering from an anti-government strike.

The blasts twisted the steel gates of the buildings and blew out windows in residences almost a block away. Leaflets supporting President Hugo Chavez were found outside the Spanish Embassy.

"We believe these were very potent bombs judging by the damage done," said the mayor of Caracas' Chacao district, Leopoldo Lopez.

The first blast was outside the Spanish embassy in eastern Caracas at about 2 a.m. The second explosion, 15 minutes later, rocked the Colombian consulate. The blasts slightly injured four people, including a night watchman, Lopez said.

Chacao police chief Leonardo Diaz said there was a "direct relation" between the blasts, which came two days after Chavez warned Colombia and Spain not to meddle in Venezuela's domestic affairs.

Both nations had expressed concern over the arrest of opposition leader Carlos Fernandez, who was arrested last week for his role in leading a two-month general strike against Chavez.

The strike, which ended Feb. 4 in all but the oil industry, brought Venezuela's economy to a virtual standstill and crippled oil production. Opposition leaders staged the protests in a bid to force Chavez to step down or hold early elections.

Federal agents are hunting for another opposition leader, labor boss Carlos Ortega, who is also wanted for alleged crimes linked to the work stoppage.

Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister Arevalo Mendez said the government would investigate the attacks and bring those responsible to justice. No arrests had been made.

Ruling party lawmaker Tarek Saab denied Chavez's government was involved calling the attacks "reprehensible." "We would never encourage any actions like this," Saab said.

A statement issued by the Colombian Embassy said the government "rejects any manifestation of violence or terrorism."

Manuel Viturro de La Torre, Spain's ambassador to Venezuela, said relations between Spain and Venezuela remain "excellent."

Chavez responded angrily Sunday to foreign critics of the charges against the two strike leaders. He directed warnings at some members of a "Group of Friends" initiative created to bolster the negotiating process.

"Don't mess with our affairs!" Chavez said, singling out Cesar Gaviria, secretary general of the Organization of American States, the United States, Spain and Colombia.

On Monday, opposition representatives sent a letter to Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, coordinator of the "Friends" group, calling for an urgent meeting to discuss "the worsening of the Venezuelan situation."

The opposition says Chavez has ruined the economy and is amassing power in his own hands. Chavez accuses his critics of trying to spark a coup.

Negotiations between the government and the opposition were suspended last week because Gaviria had commitments abroad but are to resume Wednesday.

Por: Robinson Salazar

VENEZUELA: Lo peor podría estar por llegar

Caracas.- En Venezuela la situación es dramática, pero "lo peor está aún por llegar", afirma Teodoro Petkoff. ¿Peor que ahora? "Violencia callejera generalizada y, además, colapso económico". Ésta será la herencia envenenada que el tremendo enfrentamiento que estamos viviendo dejará al próximo gobierno, tanto si lo encabeza Chávez como si lo hace algún personaje de la oposición. Teodoro Petkoff fue guerrillero en los años 60, más tarde fundó el MAS ?el Movimiento al Socialismo? y hoy es intelectual, periodista y político. Conoce muy bien Il Manifesto ("¿cómo están Rossanda y Magri?"). En la segunda mitad de los años 90 fue ministro de planificación en el gobierno de Rafael Caldera, predecesor de Chávez. En la actualidad dirige el diario Tal Cual, en cuya sede me recibe.

Petkoff es un discrepante nato. Nunca ha considerado a Chávez hombre de izquierdas aunque sea víctima del viejo "infantilismo de izquierdas", hasta el punto de que, cuando el Mas decidió apoyarlo en las elecciones del 98, él se fue del partido (más tarde, el Mas también abandonó la alianza chavista). Pero, mientras tanto, tampoco se suma a la oposición, que considera "manipulada por la extrema derecha", aunque en su seno haya todo un abanico de posturas que van desde las clases medias asustadas y furiosas hasta los grupos de extrema izquierda ?como la ultragauchista Bandera Roja?. "Otro éxito de Chávez": haber logrado unificar clases sociales, sectores económicos y movimientos políticos tan distantes entre sí.

El paro "es una estupidez", dice, porque la oposición debería haberlo dejado a su suerte, se daban todas las condiciones para hacerlo caer por medios electorales. Con todo, reconoce que todos los líderes de la oposición que se enfrentan a Chávez son enanos. Por el momento no ve salidas. La solución debería ser "política", pero en Venezuela hay "un vacío político" dramático en el que está creciendo "una violencia callejera ya prácticamente incontrolable". En un país armado hasta los dientes que sufre una marcada polarización social, política, antropológica, un odio visceral entre ?valga la simplificación? la clase media, por un lado, y los estratos más bajos del pueblo, que recuerda, incluso a Petkoff, el Chile de antes de Pinochet. "Los errores infantiles de Chávez, como su amistad con Fidel anunciada a los cuatro vientos, han sembrado el pánico en la clase media, manipulada por la extrema derecha dura".

Más allá de las palabras, dice, en la Venezuela de Chávez "no ha habido revolución alguna, y sin embargo hay una contrarrevolución". ¿Un golpe? "No, no creo. Creo que las fuerzas armadas deberían intervenir obligando a las partes a encontrar una solución política".

Para Petkoff no hay alternativas a una opción electoral, y Chávez está condenado "a perder cualquier elección: el 65 - 70 % contra él y el 30 - 35 % a favor". Su única esperanza está en la fragmentación de la oposición: el antichavismo es lo único que la mantiene unida. Tanto si Chávez cae como si no, él u otro deberán hacer frente al "colapso económico: en el 2002 la economía cayó un 8 - 9 %, y esto con un PIB que se debe en un 25 - 30 % a los tres millones de barriles diarios de petróleo. En el 2003, si todo va bien, no se puede prever una producción superior al millón y medio de barriles diarios. Es fácil echar cuentas. Y el desempleo, que en el 2002 alcanzaba ya el 16 - 17 %, este año superará el 20 %".

Aunque no es en absoluto simpatizante de Chávez, Petkoff reconoce que "si cae Chávez, será un desastre para la izquierda en Venezuela. Quedará excluida durante años, y tendrá que pagar el precio de la derrota de Chávez". Amén.