Posted on 02/07/2002 11:22:42 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, facing a crisis of confidence at home amid U.S. criticism of his leftist government, has said he believes in democracy, is not a communist, and does not back terrorism.
In an uncharacteristically conciliatory speech late on Wednesday, the former paratrooper even extended an olive branch to his domestic opponents, asking them to help him "sheathe his sword" and end confrontation over contested economic reforms.
"I am not a communist. ... I am very clear about which direction my country is going," the 47-year-old president, who is known for his abrasive, outspoken leadership style, said in the city of Maracay after swearing in a new trade minister.
In an indirect response to critical comments made on Tuesday by Secretary of State Colin Powell, Chavez firmly defended his government's right to follow the policies it chose "because this is a sovereign and independent nation."
Chavez, a firebrand populist who won a 1998 election six years after attempting a coup, spoke a day after Powell criticized his ideas on democracy, his fraternizing with U.S. enemies and his questioning of the war on terrorism.
Powell's remarks dealt a further blow to already-falling investor confidence in Venezuela, the world's No. 4 oil exporter and a leading supplier of crude to the United States.
The Venezuelan economy, the fourth-largest in Latin America, is coming under pressure from sliding oil prices and fears about increasing political confrontation between Chavez and opponents over his self-proclaimed leftist "revolution."
In his speech, Chavez did not directly mention Powell's criticism but left no doubt that he was responding to it.
"I believe, as president of Venezuela, that the government in Washington must know very well that what is currently underway in Venezuela is not a terrorist plan," he said.
LIES AND CONFUSION
Suggesting U.S. officials might be suffering "confusion," Chavez dismissed as "lies, lies" accusations by opponents that he supported Marxist rebels in neighboring Colombia. The United States considers the Colombian guerrillas to be terrorists.
The president also defended his three-year-old rule in Venezuela as "a democratic plan that defends and respects human rights and seeks a much better life for our people."
Chavez's opponents, who in recent months have staged widely supported street protests against him, have accused him of trying to impose a Cuban-style leftist, authoritarian regime.
But Chavez said he supported a "mixed" economy, combining the state with "a dynamic and enterprising private sector."
Powell had repeated U.S. criticism of the Venezuelan leader's foreign policy, referring to his visits to Iraq and Cuba and his public questioning last year of President Bush's war on terrorism in Afghanistan.
Chavez said his government's policies "are the business of no one else in the world except Venezuelans."
Noting that his visit to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in Baghdad in 2000 had "irritated some people in the world," Chavez said: "What do we care? Let them get irritated. ... We are defending the sacred interests of the Venezuelan people."
Four Venezuelan journalists last week presented a video showing Venezuelan military officers meeting Colombian FARC guerrillas in July 2000. They said this showed that the Chavez administration was collaborating with the Colombian rebels.
Chavez said he personally called Colombian President Andres Pastrana to explain that the operation was a humanitarian mission to rescue a Venezuelan national held by the rebels.
He added, however, that the Venezuelan officers had "made a mistake" by not informing higher authorities about the mission, which took place without the assent of Colombia's government.
In an apparent peace gesture to business opponents, Chavez described Venezuela's 1999 Constitution as "imperfect" and said disputed reforms passed under it were open for modification.
He previously had rejected all opposition calls to revoke the reforms, which include laws redistributing rural estates to the poor and tightening state control over the oil industry. Critics say these laws will destroy jobs and investment.
[Full Text] CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - A Venezuelan air force colonel on Thursday called on President Hugo Chavez to resign, accusing him of undemocratic rule in a rare public attack by a serving military officer against the head of state.
"The president has to go, he has to resign and call elections to leave this country in the hands of a democracy, of a civilian," Col. Pedro Luis Soto told reporters after making a surprise public speech criticizing Chavez.
"The president can't think that we elected him to be the owner of Venezuela. ... We elected him to govern," the colonel, who wore his dark-blue service uniform, told a public seminar in a Caracas hotel.
Soto said his words, in which he called on all Venezuelans to defend their democratic freedoms, represented the "feeling and voice" of 75 percent of Venezuela's armed forces.
"President Chavez does not have the authority to destroy 44 years of democracy," the colonel said, speaking at a conference on media freedom.
(February 6, 2002) U.S. Criticizes Venezuela President's Style -Colin Powell: "We have been concerned with some of the actions of Venezuelan President Chavez and his understanding of what a democratic system is all about. We have also gone to some of our friends in the region to suggest to President Chavez that there are perhaps better ways to ... deal with the challenges his country is facing."
Regards.
It looks like the Venezuelan military took his remarks as a green light to speak out.
Venezuelan colonel denounces President Chavez at freedom of speech forum--[Excerpt] A uniformed Col. Pedro Luis Soto stepped up to the podium and declared, "This is not a democratic government." ………..
"We are here to tell the president that freedom of expression is one of the most important things ... and no one is going to take it away from us," Soto declared to applause.
"We are going to fight with all of our strength," he said. "It cannot be that the president is thinking we elected him to be the owner of Venezuela." [End Excerpt]
Ain't that the truth!
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Usually the military in South American countries doesn't make statements like that until after they've taken the presidential palace and arrested the President.
Sounds like the beginning of something. It also speaks to the way Chavez has managed to take so much power.
He's covering all bases and has manuvered things in his favor. It would appear he isn't about to let loose.
He's looking for a long career, the indoctrination of his glory is well underway in the schools.
He must be laying low!
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