12 April 2003
U.S. Welcomes OAS-Led Agreement on Dialogue in Venezuela
(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, 2003
Support 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.
(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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