Posted on 05/02/2010 9:13:06 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The Colombian government described as “serious” the interference of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Colombia’s electoral process, following his criticism of presidential candidate Juan Manuel Santos, who he said was a “danger to the peace of the continent.”
Colombian Interior and Justice Minister Fabio Valencia said that a general principle of international law says that one country cannot “meddle” in the affairs of another and for that reason described such comments as “serious.”
“One should not interfere that way in the electoral process of another country,” the official said, adding that Colombians can take whatever decision they want, “freely, autonomously, but without pressure from foreign governments.”
“He is giving opinions he should not give, because we respect the decisions that Venezuela has taken without meddling in their affairs and I believe such behavior should be reciprocal,” he said.
He also said that Colombians cannot allow any other country to meddle in their elections because they must take their “own free, autonomous decisions.”
Chavez said Friday that the candidate of the conservative Party of the U, Juan Manuel Santos, is a “danger to the peace of the continent” and added that if he wins he will not be received as a president in Caracas.
The Venezuelan president repeated his position when commenting on a news story that originated in the United States, according to which, he said, officials of that country accuse him of interfering in Colombia’s presidential elections.
“They accuse me of interfering in Colombia’s elections, but they should say in what way, because all I did was reflect on some candidates who decided to incorporate me in their campaigns, to use me for their own benefit. I have the right to shut up or not shut up,” he said.
The Venezuelan president made special reference to ex-defense minister and candidate Juan Manuel Santos, and repeated that if he gets to be the next Colombian president, relations with that country would not improve.
The first electoral round in Colombia is scheduled for May 30, but according to the latest survey, no candidate will obtain an absolute majority, so a second round of voting will be held on June 20.
The latest survey released on Friday showed that the centrist Green Party candidate, Antanas Mockus, has a 38.7 percent voter preference, followed by Santos with 26.7 percent, ex-foreign minister and candidate of the Conservative Party, Noemi Sanin, with 9.8 percent and dissident liberal German Vargas Lleras with 3.3 percent for the center-right Radical Change Party.
If Colombia elects Antanas Mockus, they will regret it. He’s already said that he would extradite Uribe to Ecuador (of course he backpedaled on that) and that he admires Hugo Chavez.
Sounds like Santos just got the endorsement he was hoping for.
PING
Why doesn’t Shakira get all riled up about this, instead of the Arizona immigration law?
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