October 30, 2002 - Chavez Blocking Vote on His Rule *** CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - During his campaign to dismantle a corrupt political system, Hugo Chavez's favorite tool was a popular referendum. Now, the president is infuriating opponents by snubbing a petition to hold a referendum on his rule. The drive for signatures gathered force at an eastern Caracas plaza that has been occupied for seven days by more than 100 dissident military officers and thousands of civilians demanding Chavez's ouster.
Opposition political parties say more than 1.2 million people, or 10 percent of registered voters, have signed - the number required by Venezuela's constitution to petition for a referendum on "matters of national importance." They plan to deliver the signatures next week, and want the vote held in December. Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel rebuffed the petition, insisting Monday "we can easily get 10, 15, 20 percent of the people to say that they are against the referendum."
Critics say that would be taking a page out the playbook of Chavez's good friend, Fidel Castro, who scorned a petitioning drive to hold a referendum for more civil liberties in Cuba earlier this year. Instead, Castro supported a counter-petition for a constitutional reform declaring the island's socialist system untouchable. Castro's government later claimed that 8.1 million of Cuba's 8.2 million eligible voters signed the "socialism forever" petition - a typically resounding return of 98.7 percent in favor. ***
November 28, 2002 - Venezuela Election Body Agrees to Chavez Referendum *** CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's election authorities agreed early on Thursday to hold a nonbinding referendum in February demanded by the opposition on whether President Hugo Chavez should resign, an option dismissed by the populist leader who refuses to step down.
The consultative vote, scheduled for Feb. 2, would not legally force Chavez from office. But his foes believe a decisive rejection would deliver a political defeat that could press the president into resigning and trigger elections in the world's fifth-largest oil exporter. Alfredo Avella, president of the National Electoral Council, said the institution that oversees elections and polls agreed to stage the popular referendum on the question of whether Chavez should resign immediately from office. ***
November 29, 2003 - Venezuela Court Halts Vote on Chavez - Venezuelan President's Approval Below 30 Percent *** CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela's Supreme Court put the brakes on opposition efforts to force a non-binding referendum on President Hugo Chavez's presidency, quashing a decision hours earlier by the electoral council to conduct the vote. The back-to-back decisions on Thursday threw Venezuela into political turmoil. Foes and supporters of Chavez held rival demonstrations, with police keeping them apart. Opposition leaders threatened a general strike on Monday to press for the non-binding vote on whether the president should resign. ***
January 17, 2003 - Venezuela's President Reasserts Hard Line Against Strikers - Insists Cuba be Added to Mediations *** "I don't have the slightest doubt of our triumph," Mr. Chávez said in an interview. "We are winning this battle and we are going to win it!" One day after the announcement of a new mediation effort by the United States and five other nations, Mr. Chávez also raised doubts about that initiative. He said Venezuela would insist on the participation of many other countries, naming Cuba, Russia, France, China and Trinidad and Tobago, among others. Mr. Chávez's comments marked an abrupt end to recent signs that his government might be softening its stance toward the opposition groups that declared a national strike on Dec. 2 in an effort to force him from office.
January 21, 2003 = Jimmy Carter Unveils Plan to End Venezuela Crisis *** Carter, who was U.S. president from 1977 to 1981 and has since made a career of trying to solve world conflicts, traveled to Caracas to aid international efforts to end the Venezuelan crisis. He was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his international work in support of peace, human rights and democracy at the head of his Atlanta-based Carter Center. "My opinion is that both sides now want to reach an agreement to end the impasse that is threatening to destroy Venezuela's economy and social structure," Carter told a news conference before flying home.
He outlined his plan for an electoral solution, comprising two independent alternatives. One proposed an amendment to Venezuela's constitution that would allow early elections. The other was for the country to wait until Aug. 19 -- halfway through Chavez's term -- when the constitution allows for a binding referendum on the president's mandate, which is due to end in early 2007.***
January 23, 2003 - Vote on Chavez rule called off - "The government is blocking all democratic avenues" Chavez opponents want him to go now The Supreme Court in Venezuela has suspended an opposition-backed referendum due next month on whether the country's embattled President, Hugo Chavez, should resign. The electoral authorities had set the vote for 2 February after the opposition collected more than two million signatures demanding a referendum on the president's rule.
The decision seems set to inflame tensions between Mr Chavez and his opponents - now in their eighth week of a strike that has crippled oil output in the world's fifth biggest exporter. Amid increasing capital flight and a slide in the currency, the government announced on Wednesday that Venezuela's currency markets would be closed for five days. In its ruling, the Supreme Court ordered the National Electoral Council to suspend the referendum and refrain from organising any other elections. However, the electoral authorities insisted the effect of the court's ruling was to "freeze" but not cancel the referendum. ***
January 25, 2003 - Chavez opponents take their case to Washington meeting on Venezuelan crisis *** CARACAS, Venezuela - Opposition leaders on Friday took their case against President Hugo Chavez to Washington, where delegates from six countries were discussing Venezuela's crisis. Chavez opponents were meeting with representatives of the six nations - United States, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal and Spain - which are supporting negotiations mediated by the Organization of American States.
Among the plans under discussion is one offered by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter that would end a 54-day-old general strike in exchange for early elections. "As long as this group supports an electoral and peaceful solution to Venezuela's crisis, our efforts will coincide with theirs," Alejandro Armas, an opposition negotiator, told local Union Radio from Washington Friday. "We need to be sympathetic, optimistic and supportive of this initiative." Venezuela's opposition called the strike Dec. 2 to demand that Chavez resign or call early elections, saying his leftist policies have damaged business and scared away foreign investment. ***
January 30, 3=2003 Six-Nation Group Pushes for Venezuela Election Deal - Chavez: Forget about me leaving *** The six-nation talks Thursday and Friday seek to hammer out an electoral accord to halt the strike that threatens Venezuela with economic ruin and has raised world oil prices. Fears of violent social upheaval have added urgency to the mission of the "group of friends," which was formed this month to help Organization of American States Secretary General Cesar Gaviria broker a deal between the government and opposition. "The nation needs solutions. ... The crisis is too deep," opposition negotiator Rafael Alfonzo told Reuters. Chavez, whose opponents accuse him of dragging the South American nation toward Cuba-style communism, refuses to resign. The opposition has proposed a constitutional amendment to cut his term to four from six years and trigger early elections. Dampening hopes for an accord, Chavez, elected in 1998, told strikers Wednesday to forget about him leaving office. "I can't work with terrorists and coup mongers," he said. He has vowed to beat the strike, which he portrays as an attempt to topple him by wealthy, hostile elites opposed to his self-styled "revolution" in favor of the nation's poor. ***
January 30, 2003 - Six-Nation Group Pushes for Venezuela Election Deal - Chavez: Forget about me leaving *** The six-nation talks Thursday and Friday seek to hammer out an electoral accord to halt the strike that threatens Venezuela with economic ruin and has raised world oil prices. Fears of violent social upheaval have added urgency to the mission of the "group of friends," which was formed this month to help Organization of American States Secretary General Cesar Gaviria broker a deal between the government and opposition.
"The nation needs solutions. ... The crisis is too deep," opposition negotiator Rafael Alfonzo told Reuters. Chavez, whose opponents accuse him of dragging the South American nation toward Cuba-style communism, refuses to resign. The opposition has proposed a constitutional amendment to cut his term to four from six years and trigger early elections.
Dampening hopes for an accord, Chavez, elected in 1998, told strikers Wednesday to forget about him leaving office. "I can't work with terrorists and coup mongers," he said. He has vowed to beat the strike, which he portrays as an attempt to topple him by wealthy, hostile elites opposed to his self-styled "revolution" in favor of the nation's poor. ***
January 31, 2003 - Chavez Opponents Aim for Early Elections CARACAS, Venezuela - With many opponents of President Hugo Chavez preparing to return to work, Venezuelans leading a 60-day-old strike shifted tactics Thursday, diving headlong into an initiative to shorten his six-year term with international help. After two grueling months, strike organizers have agreed to let shopping malls, banks, franchises and schools reopen next week. Meanwhile, production continues to creep upwards in the vital oil industry, where the walkout has been strongest.
As diplomats from six nations headed to Caracas on Thursday to push for early elections, opposition leaders were planning a petition drive to support several measures, including a proposed constitutional amendment that would: _Cut presidential terms from six years to four; _Hold new presidential and congressional elections this year; _Create a new elections council to organize any vote; _Get the Supreme Court to determine when, exactly, a recall vote on Chavez's presidency can be held; _Allow Chavez and legislators to seek re-election.
Similar ideas were floated by former President Jimmy Carter during a recent visit to Caracas. The government said it was studying the opposition's proposal but won't allow it to shorten Chavez's term. Diplomats from the United States, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal and Spain - dubbed the "Group of Friends" of Venezuela - planned a private dinner meeting late Thursday with Cesar Gaviria, secretary general of the Organization of American States. Gaviria has mediated talks here since November. The envoys, including Curt Struble, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, planned meetings with Chavez and the opposition on Friday. Gaviria said the diplomats can monitor compliance with any electoral pact and reduce tensions that have led to six deaths since the strike began Dec. 2. "The country can't sustain more tension," he said. Strike leader Manuel Cova of the Venezuelan Workers Confederation said Thursday a new presidential election could be held as early as March. "To do this we need the guarantees of the international community," Cova said. "If we don't do it this year, we'll be in prison, or in exile, there won't be press freedom. ... We must do it this year."
Chavez had welcomed Carter's ideas about early elections. But he also has threatened to abandon the OAS-mediated talks, saying he won't negotiate with "terrorists." Chavez failed to expand the "Friends" to include governments more sympathetic to his populist revolution. He has since warned the diplomats not to interfere in internal affairs. ***
February 3, 2003 - Four Million Venezuelans sign petitions seeking Chavez's ouster - Chavez wants leaders jailed *** CARACAS, Venezuela - Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans turned out to petition for President Hugo Chavez's departure from power as Chavez vowed to prosecute leaders of a two-month strike against him. Leaders of the Democratic Coordinator political movement claimed they gathered 4 million signatures on several petitions seeking Chavez's ouster Sunday. The claim was impossible to verify. But tens of thousands celebrated on a Caracas highway after petition centers closed.
"The pen is our weapon," said Julio Borges of the Justice First opposition party. "Today demonstrates that the struggle hasn't ended. It didn't end with the strike." The most popular initiative is a constitutional amendment cutting Chavez's term from six to four years. It needs the support of 15 percent of the electorate - or about 1.8 million signatures - and would clear the way for general elections later this year.
A nonbinding referendum on Chavez's rule had originally been scheduled for Sunday after another petition with 2 million signatures was accepted by the National Electoral Council. Business, labor and opposition political groups called the strike beginning Dec. 2 to pressure Chavez into accepting the vote but the Supreme Court suspended the referendum because of a technicality. "We feel that they have taken our freedom to express ourselves," said Marisela Gaye, an insurance worker who was waiting earlier in the day to sign in Plaza Francia in eastern Caracas. ***
February 20, 2003 - Venezuela's opposition collects 4 million signatures to oust Chavez - He says he'll stay 'till 2021*** CARACAS, Venezuela - Opponents of President Hugo Chavez said Wednesday more than 4.4 million Venezuelans had petitioned for a constitutional amendment to cut Chavez's term in power from six to four years. Organizers said they had counted and verified 3.7 million signatures collected in a nationwide petition drive on Feb. 2. These were added to another 719,000 signatures supporting the initiative already gathered. Under the constitution, organizers need signatures from 15 percent, or about 1.8 million, of the country's 12 million registered voters, to force a referendum on the amendment. This would then clear the way for general elections later this year.
"This process is unstoppable," said Jesus Torrealba, an opposition leader who praised the results. …... The signatures have not yet been officially validated by the National Electoral Council. Its board members were stripped of their election-organizing powers by the supreme court last month and the National Assembly is working on choosing a new council. Organizers of the drive also said they collected millions of signatures from people refusing to recognize Chavez as president. Signatures also supported the overturn of a package of left-wing economic laws drafted by Chavez's government, while others showed support for striking workers at the state oil company. Chavez was first elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000 after rewriting the constitution. His term expires early in 2007, but the former paratrooper often jokes that he will stay in power until 2021.***
February 18, 2003 VENEZUELA: Government and Opposition Sign No-Violence Pact - Humberto Márquez,Inter Press Service - CARACAS, Feb 18, 2003 (IPS) - The government and the opposition in Venezuela signed a joint declaration Tuesday against political violence, the first tangible achievement since César Gaviria, secretary-general of the Organization of American States, began as mediator more than three months ago in negotiations for a way out of the country's political crisis.
In the eight-point 'Declaration against violence and in favor of peace and democracy,' the two sides announce their commitment to dismantle the tensions that have pervaded the political sphere in Venezuela over the last few years, and reiterate their commitment to the Constitution and democratic law.
In the statement, representatives of the Hugo Chávez administration and of the opposition reject verbal "intemperance," mutual recriminations, hurtful language and "rhetoric that in any way encourages confrontation."
The two sides propose instead "a language of mutual respect, tolerance, consideration of others' ideas, and the supreme appreciation of human life and dignity."
The tripartite group, comprising the OAS, the U.S.-based Carter Center, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which is facilitating the dialogue, had repeatedly urged the two sides to "lower their tone" and "moderate the language" of their political discourse.
Similar efforts were made by the so-called "Group of Friends," countries backing the OAS effort in Venezuela. The group was established in January by the foreign ministries of Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and the United States.
The second point of Tuesday's joint declaration states that violence in any form, regardless of who perpetrates it, is "absolutely unjustifiable."
The two sides "summon all authorities and competent administrative and juridical bodies to act to investigate and penalize the loss of human lives."*** (In typical Chavez noncompliance, two days later he started arresting his opposition)
U.S. Says Chavez Remarks Are 'Inflammatory'*** WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday accused Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his government of using inflammatory rhetoric, possibly contributing to violence between opponents and supporters of the populist leader. "Inflammatory statements such as those attributed to President Chavez are not helpful in advancing the dialogue between the government of Venezuela and the opposition," State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said. "We are concerned that heightened political rhetoric has contributed unnecessarily to some of the recent violence in Caracas," the spokesman added.
On Sunday Chavez warned the world to stop meddling in the affairs of his troubled South American nation and Venezuelan police locked up a strike leader on "civil rebellion" charges. He accused the United States and Spain of siding with his enemies, warned Colombia he might break off diplomatic relations, and reprimanded the chief mediator in tortuous peace talks for stepping "out of line." Last week he said he was going on the offensive against the "terrorists" and "fascists" who have defied him. ***
Arrests and bombs keep Venezuelans on edge - fill in the timeline blanks
April 12, 2003 - Chavez, Foes Agree Venezuela Referendum After Aug - BUT first Chavez insists on….. *** CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez challenged his foes on Friday to try to oust him through the ballot box as his government and the opposition agreed to work to hold a referendum on his rule after Aug. 19. The left-wing former paratrooper on Friday commemorated the first anniversary of a short-lived coup against him by rebel military officers. He said his brief overthrow a year ago was like "losing my virginity" and that he would not allow any new coup to succeed.
…………………………… The constitution allows for such a referendum halfway through his current mandate, which is due to last until early 2007. The opposition must collect the signatures of at least 20 percent of the electorate to trigger such a recall poll. "Let them collect the signatures, one by one. If I lose the referendum, I'll go, but they have to beat me fair and square," Chavez told a news conference.
…………………… The formal agreement to hold a recall referendum after Aug. 19 was due to be signed by the two sides after Easter. Chavez said that before a referendum could be held, the National Assembly needed to appoint a new National Electoral Council, which would have responsibility for organizing the poll and setting a date. The country's electoral register would also have to be revised because it contained many errors, Chavez said, including false identities and foreign nationals and even dead people listed as voters. Opponents have said they fear the government might use delaying tactics to try to stall or sabotage the referendum. ***
April 13, 2003 Panic As Blast Destroys Venezuela Office Building Site of Negotiations *** CARACAS, Venezuela - A pre-dawn bomb blast ripped through the building where Venezuela's government and opposition have been negotiating a peace agreement, destroying three floors but injuring no one. The attack at about 2:45 a.m. Saturday came one day after the Organization of American States brokered a deal between the government and opposition to work toward a referendum on President Hugo Chavez's rule. Federal police chief Carlos Medina said the attack may have been politically motivated. An opposition negotiator said the blast was intended to intimidate his delegation at the talks, while the government blamed "coup-plotting" sectors of the opposition.
The explosion destroyed the first three floors of the Teleport building in central Caracas, shattering windows, destroying the entrance and twisting steel gates. Elevator cables hung from the facade and broken glass, roof tiles and light fixtures littered the ground. ***
April 16, 2003 Blast Hits Venezuelan Ranchers' Group Office - Chavez has learned to love bombs CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - A bomb exploded in western Venezuela near the frontier with Colombia on Wednesday, damaging the headquarters of a local ranchers' association which had denounced cross-border activity by leftist Colombian rebels, witnesses and police said. No one was injured in the early morning explosion which tore through the car park and the entrance of the building in San Cristobal in Tachira state, shattering windows and scattering debris.
April 25, 2003 Chavez Refusal For Early President Vote *** Rangel spoke after meeting with OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria. Gaviria said the opposition would evaluate the government's objections. Opposition negotiator Rafael Alfonzo said Chavez's opponents would press ahead to get an early vote. Chavez said Thursday that before a referendum can held, Congress must select a new elections council,voter rolls must be updated, and opponents must collect signatures to demand the vote.
Venezuela's opposition already has collected more than 2.5 million signatures, more than enough to call the vote. Chavez claims the signatures are invalid because they were gathered before the midpoint of his term, or August. The case is before the courts. "We can't allow them to constantly change the rules of the game," Alfonzo told Union Radio. "The referendum will be held whether the government wants it or not." ***
April 30, 2003 Venezuela Dismisses U.S. Pressure for Chavez Vote ***CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's vice president on Tuesday rejected U.S. calls for President Hugo Chavez to sign an agreement for a referendum on his rule, saying the government did not "give a damn" about foreign pressure. Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, a close ally of the populist leader, dismissed statements by U.S. officials that Chavez should accept the internationally brokered deal for a referendum after middle of August this year. "Venezuela is not a colony. So, regarding what other people say about Venezuela, those who are not Venezuelans, we don't give a damn," Rangel told reporters. "An agreement will be signed voluntarily ... not under any foreign pressure." ***
May 29, 2003 Venezuela Govt., Wary Foes Sign Pact to End Battles*** The National Assembly, where Chavez supporters hold a slim majority, must first appoint a new National Electoral Council to set a poll date and verify the signatures collected. This could involve intense political infighting. Chavez, who survived a coup last year, has also called for a check of the electoral register, which he says is full of errors. Critics say these requirements could give him a chance to try to block the poll through legal maneuvers. "But if Chavez tries to stall, he at least gets kicked in the teeth by international opinion," said Robert Bottome of Caracas-based VenEconomy consultants.***
June 7, 2003 To Avoid Debate Venezuela Lawmakers Loyal to Chavez Swiftly Pass Laws in Session in Park *** CARACAS, Venezuela - Meeting in a downtown park to avoid their rivals, lawmakers loyal to President Hugo Chavez adopted parliamentary procedures that allow them to swiftly pass several new laws, including one that would tighten restrictions on the media. The lawmakers, gathering in tents in a poor neighborhood of hard-core Chavez supporters, adopted new debate rules intended to make it more difficult to block legislation supported by the president. Opposition members of Congress said they did not recognize the legitimacy of the vote. *** Pro-Chávez lawmakers change rules of Congress in outdoor session ***Chávez praised the outdoor session as ''historic'' and announced that his leftist ''revolution has entered a new phase.'' But some opposition Congress members said they would ask the Supreme Court for a ruling on the legality of the government move.***
June 12, 2003 - Ruling Party Boycotts Parliamentary Session to Thwart Referendum on Chavez's Rule*** Opposition lawmakers yell 'We want work' in front of empty desks of the pro-government lawmakers in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, June 12, 2003. Ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary session to avoid what they said was planned opposition violence in the latest episode in a feud delaying congressional efforts to choose election authorities that would prepare a referendum on President Hugo Chavez's rule.***
July 4, 2003 Ruling Party No-Show Blocks Effort to Remove Chavez CARACAS, Venezuela - A no-show by the ruling party forced the suspension of a congressional session that was supposed to pave the way for a possible referendum on Hugo Chavez's presidency.
Under a recent pact brokered by the Organization of American States, Venezuela's opposition may seek a referendum later this year on Chavez's mandate, which runs to 2007. The deal was part of efforts to end chronic unrest destabilizing this key oil supplier to the United States.
The accord urged the National Assembly to quickly appoint the elections council to organize the vote and committed the government to provide funding. But on Thursday, Chavez supporters_ who control just more than half of the National Assembly's 165 seats - didn't attend a congressional session to discuss the council appointments. Acting assembly president Ricardo Gutierrez said no debate can be held until 29 lawmakers from both sides return from a trip to the United States. Cesar Perez, a member of the Copei Social Christian opposition party, accused the ruling party of trying to delay the process.***
July 31, 2003 - Venezuela's Chavez to U.S: Mind Your Own Business *** CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday warned the United States not to meddle in his country's affairs following comments by a U.S. official about a possible referendum on his rule. "I have to remind the U.S. one more time that they have no right to express their opinion ... we are an independent country not a colony of North America," the president told thousands of cheering supporters during a street rally.***
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