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Some related articles: Leader of Venezuela Is Forced To Resign |
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Venezuelan Democracy Investigated
By:
Alexandra Olson Caracas, Venezuela –– The Organization of American States' rights commission began a weeklong investigation into the state of Venezuelan democracy Monday at the urging of President Hugo Chavez, who is hoping to win a vote of confidence after surviving a failed coup. Chavez had invited the seven-member OAS Inter-American Commission of Human Rights to Venezuela before the bloody April 11-14 military and popular uprisings that ousted and then restored him. The leftist former paratrooper is hoping to disprove allegations from the opposition and the United States that he has weakened democracy and threatened press freedoms during his three-year, self-described "revolution" to help the poor. Foreign Minister Luis Alfonso Davila said the government is confident the commission will observe a situation "different from the reality reflected by the news media," which Chavez has accused of unfairly portraying his government as autocratic. Davila spoke after meeting with Juan Mendez, president of the OAS commission. Although its visit was planned before the coup, the commission's investigation will largely focus on the country's efforts to explain the deaths of 50 people in demonstrations and rioting during the coup and countercoup. "We are very interested to see how responsibilities for the deaths during those days will be determined, but we also hope our visit will serve as catalyst for constructive discussion in Venezuela," Mendez told reporters. The commission plans to meet with families of victims, human rights groups and congressional leaders trying to create an independent "truth commission" to investigate the deaths. Opponents say impartial congressional and criminal investigations into the coup deaths are impossible because Attorney General Isaias Rodriguez is Chavez's ally and because the government has a majority in Congress. Since his 1998 election, detractors have accused Chavez of accumulating autocratic powers by pushing through a new constitution and packing the legislature and judiciary with his allies. Chavez fiercely denies allegations that he has been undemocratic. He stresses that Venezuelans voted in six elections to overhaul the constitution and the country's institutions – opting to throw out a corrupt and unpopular political establishment. In a speech to swear in five new Cabinet ministers Monday, Chavez explained that his government enjoys popular support, unlike the one he tried to overthrow in a failed 1992 coup. "During the rebellion of Feb. 4, 1992, did the people come out to defend that government? No way," he said of his attempt – with 2,500 troops – to oust the unpopular government of President Carlos Andres Perez. FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Action on Aging distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
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