Chavez lashes out
The Washington Times
TODAY'S EDITORIAL
December 14, 2005
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is drawing such a long list of supposed conspirators against his government, even his supporters may begin wondering. According to Mr. Chavez, the European Union and the Organization of American States (OAS) are out to destabilize his government. Mr. Chavez refuses to recognize that his heavy-handedness is his own worst enemy.
The OAS and EU monitored Venezuela's Dec. 4 legislative elections, which only 25 percent of registered voters participated in and the opposition boycotted. Chavez supporters appear to have taken all 165 seats, but official results have not yet been announced. Both organizations released carefully worded statements that outlined some concerns regarding the elections, such as a general atmosphere of distrust, use of public resources for campaigning and some voter coercion. They also made a series of recommendations to improve the environment for future elections, including guarantees to ensure legitimacy and integrity of the voter registry and designation of new electoral authority. Neither organization fully endorsed the validity of the elections. The Bush administration, which Mr. Chavez accused earlier of sabotaging the elections, shares the concerns articulated by the OAS and EU and backs their recommendations, said Jan Edmonson, press spokesman for the bureau of Western hemisphere affairs, the United States.
Despite the tempered wording of the OAS and EU statements, Mr. Chavez has lashed out: "These delegates, both from the OAS and the European Union, connived against the interests of the Venezuelan people and against Venezuelan democracy ... This is a tactic against Venezuela, they've sown a minefield, they left a minefield behind, looking to destabilize Venezuela."
Mr. Chavez has long accused the Bush administration of conspiring against his presidency. (A U.S. congressional delegation was not allowed to disembark from its plane recently.) Ultimately, Mr. Chavez is accountable to the Venezuelan people, despite his tightening grip on all branches of government. He is looking increasingly power hungry and less democratic as elections go by.
washtimes.com |
