[Peace-discussion] Venezuela ambassodor marks sixth anniversary of 2002 coup plot

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 11:06:52 -0400

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Letter from Bernardo
Alvarez, Venezuela's Ambassador to the
United States
 Washington, D.C., April 11, 2008
 
 
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
 
 
On April 11, 2002, Venezuela&#8217;s President Hugo Ch&aacute;vez was briefly
ousted in a coup launched by extremist sectors of the political
opposition. Aided by elements of the military, fueled by biased reports
in the private media, and emboldened by an endorsement from the Bush
administration, the coup plotters disbanded the country&#8217;s democratic
institutions, dismissed its 1999 Constitution, and persecuted allies
and supporters of President Ch&aacute;vez. Against all odds, the Venezuelan
people took to the streets to demand the return of their democratically
elected president and to defend their constitution, even as the
country&#8217;s largest media outlets refused to report on the coup&#8217;s slow
disintegration. Two days later, President Ch&aacute;vez returned to the
presidential palace, ending the 48-hour attack on Venezuela&#8217;s
democracy. 
 
Unfortunately, the Bush administration played a significant role in
the events leading up to the coup. Influenced by aggressive and
unilateral policies and led by senior officials who had previously
overseen the U.S.&#8217;s cold war in Latin America, the Bush administration
steered millions of dollars to Venezuelan organizations under the guise
of the &#8220;promotion of democracy.&#8221; A number of these groups signed the
decree formalizing the coup. Moreover, once the coup occurred,
President Bush&#8217;s spokesman openly celebrated it while other officials
quietly worked to prevent any hemispheric condemnation of the clear
attack on Venezuela&#8217;s democracy. Were it not for the bravery of the
Venezuelan people, the country&#8217;s democracy would have seen a tragic
end, and the Bush administration would have played an active role.
 
 
In the six years since the coup, Venezuela has gone through
remarkable changes. In late 2002 and early 2003, those same sectors of
the opposition attempted to sabotage Venezuela&#8217;s most vital industry &#8211;
oil &#8211; by locking out workers and shutting down refineries. Again, they
failed. In 2004, President Ch&aacute;vez subjected himself to a recall
referendum, putting to the test a provision of the 1999 Constitution
that allows the Venezuelan people increased power to remove their
elected officials. In 2006, he was re-elected to a second term, gaining
the support of 63 percent of voters among 75 percent turnout &#8211; one of
the highest proportions of victory in Venezuela&#8217;s history. And in
December 2007, President Ch&aacute;vez narrowly lost a referendum on proposed
constitutional reforms, conceding defeat in an election that was
decided by less than two percent of votes. 
 
Just as Venezuela&#8217;s democratic institutions have grown stronger,
the economy has seen a record pace of expansion over the last four
years, while innovative social programs have expanded access to needed
social services and led to a dramatic decrease in poverty. And in what
could prove to be a monumental event, Venezuela is close to certifying
the single largest reserves of oil in the world &#8211; the Orinoco Oil Belt.
Internationally, Venezuela has expanded its relations with its Southern
neighbors, opening a record number of embassies in Africa, seeking
political and economic integration in South America, and provide much
needed aid to poor communities in the U.S. through the CITGO
corporation&#8217;s discounted heating oil program. 
 
Regardless, Venezuela still faces hostilities. Disinformation
campaigns have been launched to discredit the vitality of the
Venezuelan economy and the strength of the oil industry. Politically
motivated accusations have been leveled at Venezuela for everything
from not fighting drug trafficking to turning a blind eye to human
trafficking, supporting terrorism, and destabilizing the region. Recent
moves indicate that the Bush administration, spurred by extremist
congressional allies, is seeking to designate Venezuela a state sponsor
of terrorism. After a recent diplomatic dispute between Colombia,
Ecuador, and Venezuela was peacefully resolved through skillful
diplomacy and open dialogue between Colombia and Venezuela, senior
officials in the Bush administration continue fanning the flames of
alleged discord between Venezuela and Colombia in order to push the
U.S. Congress into adopting a free trade agreement with Colombia. As it
did before April 11, 2002, the Bush administration advocates a policy
to destabilize and intervene in Venezuela. 
 
Just as the Venezuelan people bravely defended their democracy and
constitution in April 2002, they want nothing more than peace and the
ability to seek an independent path towards full democracy and
equitable development. And as they did in that fateful month six years
ago, the Venezuelan people will push back any aggression against their
sovereignty, their dignity, and their rightful ability to choose their
destiny. In remembering the events of April 2002, Venezuela will
continue to advance, in peace, democracy, and equality. And while
Venezuela may face challenges and hostilities, it is the strength and
dignity of its people that will continue to move it forward. 
 
Respectfully,
 
 
 
Bernardo Alvarez Herrera 
Ambassador 
 

(For more information about Venezuela or the
Embassy in Washington, DC: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
 class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.embavenez-us.org/">http://www.embavenez-us.org/</a>)

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