26 February 2003
U.S. Concerned by Rhetoric of Venezuela's President Chavez
(U.S. envoy to OAS says rhetoric adds to "climate of tension") (1040)
Recent "belligerent rhetoric" by President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela
has contributed to a "climate of tension" that does not contribute to
the search for a peaceful solution to the political stand-off in that
Andean nation, says Roger Noriega, U.S. Permanent Representative to
the Organization of American States (OAS).
In February 26 remarks to a meeting of the OAS Permanent Council,
Noriega said the United States "strongly condemns" the February 25
bombings in Caracas of the Spanish Agency for Technical Cooperation
and the Colombian Consulate. Noriega said the United States hopes that
an "expeditious and thorough investigation into the bombings will be
conducted and that those responsible will be held accountable."
Noriega said that pamphlets found at the scene of these bombings
"echoed some of the heated rhetoric of Venezuelan government officials
from the previous days."
"This very fact," Noriega said, "reinforces why it is important that
all sides in the Venezuelan dispute respect a non-violence agreement,"
signed February 19 by the government of Venezuela and opposition
negotiators. That agreement, Noriega said, represents an important
step toward improving Venezuela's "troubled political climate."
The U.S. official expressed concern over intemperate comments by
Chavez, who on February 23 sharply criticized Spain, Colombia, and the
United States, and admonished all countries in the Western Hemisphere
to "stop meddling" in Venezuela's internal affairs, as well as telling
OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria that he was "out of line" for his
efforts to bring about a dialogue between the government and the
political opposition.
Noriega said Chavez' comments were "surprising in light of the fact
that the OAS member states and the OAS secretary general have become
involved in Venezuela at the invitation of the government of Venezuela
with the express purpose of helping Venezuelans overcome the current
polarization" in that country.
Following is the text of Noriega's prepared remarks:
(begin text)
Statement by Ambassador Roger F. Noriega
U.S. Permanent Representative to the OAS
Statement on Violence and Detentions in Venezuela
Meeting of the Permanent Council of the OAS
February 26, 2003
Last week on February 18, the Government of Venezuela and opposition
negotiators at the OAS dialogue table facilitated by OAS Secretary
General Gaviria signed a Non-Violence Agreement that committed both
the government and the opposition to:
-- Reject confrontational rhetoric and to moderate the tone, style and
content of the public discourse;
-- Denounce all types of violence;
-- Call on the Venezuelan people and authorities to respect the
Constitution and the laws;
-- Reject any manifestation of violence and intolerance;
-- Create the conditions for peace;
-- Call on the Venezuelan people to respect human rights and to reject
direct or indirect threats of violence; and
-- Respect freedom of expression, as established in the Venezuelan
Constitution.
The signing of this Non-Violence Agreement represented a very
important step forward toward improving Venezuela's troubled political
climate. The accord embodies the political will on both sides to take
advantage of the dialogue facilitated by Secretary General Cesar
Gaviria. It also represents an important step forward in fulfilling
the requirements of Permanent Council resolution 833, calling on
Venezuelans to work toward a "peaceful, democratic, constitutional and
electoral solution" to that country's political problems.
Immediately in the wake of this very hopeful development, however,
emerged a disturbing series of events that raises questions about the
Government of Venezuela's commitment to honoring the non-violence
agreement:
The following day, February 19, Venezuelan authorities arrested and
detained opposition leader Carlos Fernandez, the President of the
Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce (FEDECAMERAS), and issued arrest orders
for opposition leader Carlos Ortega, the President of the
Confederation of Venezuelan Workers (CTV). President Chavez noted that
this was a judicial measure, but nonetheless characterized Mr.
Fernandez as a "terrorist."
Four days later, on February 23, President Chavez sharply criticized
the Governments of Spain, Colombia, and the United States, and
admonished all of the countries of this continent to "stop meddling"
in Venezuela's internal affairs. President Chavez also used the media
to send a message to our Secretary General -- who has spent the past
four months arduously and delicately trying to facilitate dialogue in
Venezuela's polarized, political environment -- that he was "out of
line" and should keep his place.
President Chavez' comments are surprising in light of the fact that
the OAS member states and the OAS Secretary General have become
involved in Venezuela at the invitation of the Government of Venezuela
with the express purpose of helping Venezuelans overcome the current
polarization.
Two days after President Chavez' comments, on February 25, bombs
exploded at the Spanish Agency for Technical Cooperation and the
Colombian Consulate in Caracas. Pamphlets found on the scene of these
acts of terrorism echoed some of the heated rhetoric of Venezuelan
government officials from the preceding days. This very fact
reinforces why it is important that all sides respect the Non-Violence
Agreement's call for reducing rhetorical excesses.
In solidarity with the governments of Colombia and Spain, the United
States strongly condemns the recent bombings and the use of any form
of violence. We hope that an expeditious and thorough investigation
into the bombings will be conducted and that those responsible will be
held accountable. We note that Venezuelan authorities have pledged
such action.
What is of even greater concern is the fact that these attacks on
diplomatic missions are only the most recent in a series of deeply
disturbing -- and still unexplained -- violent actions. The search for
a peaceful, negotiated solution to Venezuela's crisis is made even
more difficult when politically motivated violence (including
killings) remain unsolved at the same time that political leaders are
prosecuted vigorously.
The recent bombings are still being investigated, and it is too early
to reach conclusions or assign responsibility.
Nevertheless, there can be little doubt that President Chavez'
belligerent rhetoric has contributed to a climate of tension that does
not contribute to the search for a peaceful solution.
The United States will continue to work with the Group of Friends of
the Secretary General, and we commend the Secretary General's
continued commitment to the dialogue process.
We urge other member states to support the full implementation of
Permanent Council resolution 833.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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