Bush administration demands early elections in Venezuela

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

llowing item was submitted to Venezuela Today by SprewellA.  Chavez aides
have indicated that the government may consider early elections.  While a
case could be made from the government's standpoint for doing so -- they may
be closing on the world record for winning the most elections in the
shortest time period  -- a decision to hold elections will not end the
conflict, a fact the Bush administration knows full well.

Washington is willing to have its oil supplies disrupted to a degree if the
end result is that U.S. big business will own the Venezuelan oil fields,
just as they are willing to risk further destabilization in the Middle East
in order to conquer the Iraqi oil fields.  The Venezuelan rich and their
backers in Washington will continue their destabilization and economic
disruption until they are either decisively defeated or back in full control
of the government.  The aim is to smash the uprising of the working people,
not :any number of democratic elections.
Fred Feldman

Article and actual press release follow.
                        Andrew
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
AFP. 13 December 2002. Washington calls for early elections in Venezuela.
WASHINGTON -- The US government on Friday called for early presidential
elections in Venezuela as the crippling general strike against President
Hugo
Chavez dragged into its 12th day.
Washington "is deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in
Venezuela," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said in a statement.
"The United States is convinced that the only peaceful and politically
viable
path to moving out of the crisis is through the holding of early elections,"
Fleischer said.
Venezuela is the world's fifth-largest oil exporter, and 70 percent of its
oil exports go to the United States. Along with Saudi Arabia and Mexico, it
is one of the top three sources of foreign oil for the United States.
The Friday statement places Washington along with the Venezuelan opposition
in calling for early elections.
The US government has had tense relations with Chavez -- a leftist populist
who revels in thumbing his nose at Washington -- since he was first elected
in 1998.
In mid-April Chavez was ousted in a civilian-military coup following a
three-day general strike of labor unions and the country's leading business
federation.
Washington came under fierce international criticism at the time for not
immediately condemning the coup.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/12/20021213.html
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 13, 2002
Statement by the Press Secretary
U.S. Reaffirms Support for OAS Secretary General's Efforts in Venezuela
and Calls for Early Elections
The United States is deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in
Venezuela. In the past week the shooting of peaceful demonstrators, attacks
on television, radio, and newspaper media outlets and disruptions to the
Venezuelan economy have created a grave situation. These events have caused
great pain and hardship in Venezuela. The Venezuelan people deserve better.
The United States calls on all sides to reject violence and intimidation,
and
to act responsibly. We urge a peaceful, democratic, constitutional, and
politically viable electoral solution to Venezuela's crisis. We reaffirm our
support for OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria's efforts in Caracas to
facilitate such an outcome. Secretary General Gaviria has strong hemispheric
support for the dialogue and mediation process that he is chairing,
evidenced
by the many expressions of support from hemispheric leaders. The United
States is actively engaged, working with the OAS and with hemispheric
leaders, to help achieve these objectives.
We note the Secretary General's recent public warning on the need to
negotiate soon, in the next few days, or risk further polarization that
could
erupt into violence. We echo the Secretary General, and call on all sides to
redouble their commitment to this dialogue and to national reconciliation.
We
also urge the Government of Venezuela to exercise its constitutional
responsibility to respect individual rights and fundamental freedoms, and to
adhere to the Inter-American Democratic Charter.
While the hemispheric community and other friends will do all they can to
help, only Venezuelans themselves can resolve their own problems. The United
States is convinced that the only peaceful and politically viable path to
moving out of the crisis is through the holding of early elections.
# # #


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