Uribe to Chavez: “Be a man!”
Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president who had frequently fought to maintain his power and succeeded last year in his effort to remove term limits, is the prominent symbol of modern dictatorial rule. Hence, a new report on the dismal condition of human rights in Venezuela should come as no surprise:
Venezuela routinely violates human rights, often intimidating or punishing citizens based on their political beliefs, an Organization of American States commission said in a report released Wednesday.
The 319-page report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights says a lack of independence by Venezuela’s judiciary and legislature in their dealings with leftist President Hugo Chavez often leads to the abuses.
“The report finds that not all individuals are ensured full enjoyment of their rights irrespective of their positions on government policies,” the human rights panel said. “The commission also finds that the punitive power of the state is being used to intimidate or punish people on account of their political opinions. The commission believes that conditions do not exist for human rights defenders and journalists to be able to freely carry out their work.”
Chavez’s critics say his government represses political opponents and the expression of free ideas by jailing critics on trumped-up charges or pulling licenses for TV and radio stations and shutting down newspapers.
The OAS commission’s report also notes “the existence of a pattern of impunity in cases of violence, which particularly affects media workers, human rights defenders, trade unionists, participants in public demonstrations, people held in custody, ‘campesinos’ (small-scale and subsistence farmers), indigenous people, and women.”
With this in mind, it was welcoming news to hear Alvaro Uribe, the President of Colombia, call out the Venezuelan dictator for what he truly is, and to his face nonetheless:
President Hugo Chavez nearly stormed out of the summit on Monday during a shouting match with his Colombian counterpart.
The clash took place during a private meeting of heads of state, on the sidelines of a two-day summit of Latin American and Caribbean nations in Cancun, Mexico, a Colombian diplomat told the AFP news agency.
Mr Uribe complained to Mr Chavez about a trade embargo Venezuela has imposed on Colombia, upsetting the Venezuelan president and further exacerbating their falling out ever since Bogota signed a military base agreement with the US last year.
Mr Chavez then accused Mr Uribe of planning his assassination by a paramilitary squad and threatened to walk out of the summit in disgust.
“An angry Uribe then shouted: ‘Be a man! These issues are meant to be discussed in these venues. You’re brave speaking at a distance, but a coward when it comes to talking face to face’,” the diplomat said.
Mr Chavez is reported to have replied: “Go to hell!”
Posted in: Politics