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AFP; AP. 16 October 2002. Venezuelan leader calls for world tax to fight hunger; Venezuela's Chavez says U.N. unable to solve world's problems, condemns use of military action to impose peace. ROME -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, visiting Italy, on Wednesday told officials at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization that the world needed an international fund to fight "the gangrene of hunger," and that it should be financed by a tax on financial transactions. "I am launching an anguished appeal to the United Nations for the creation of an international humanitarian fund to help us fight the gangrene that is world hunger," Chavez told FAO officials marking the UN's World Hunger Day. "We propose that a tax on international financial transactions be set up to fund this measure, and that a substantial percentage of external debt repayments be used for emergency food programmes," he added. Chavez, who was in France earlier on Wednesday, was a guest of honour at the FAO headquarters in Rome. Labeling the United Nations an "outdated body," Chavez also contended Wednesday that the organization was unable to solve the world's problems. "The U.N. has become an outdated body, an anachronism. It doesn't respond to the challenges of the world," Chavez said during a one-hour-long speech. The World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa in September was an example of the United Nation's shortcomings, according to Chavez. World leaders, he said, had failed to commit themselves to the recommendations made by experts on how to safeguard the environment. Chavez, who was in Italy as part of a four-nation tour in Europe, also condemned the use of military action to solve international conflicts. "Peace is not something you impose with bombs, threats and invasion, but you achieve it with love, justice and dignity," he said. He appeared to be referring to the U.S.-led military campaign last year which toppled the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, and pressure by the United States and Britain on the United Nations to authorize military force against Iraq. Chavez, whose left-wing government has proposed land redistribution reforms, blamed neo-liberal, free market policies for the "murderous hurricane of inequality which is the scourge of the world." "Our continent (South America) has received one of the largest injections of neo-liberalism, injections of poison," he said. The Venezuelan leader later left Rome for London. He will later visit Norway, the final stop on his European tour, before leaving for Caracas on Saturday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ProletarianNews http://www.utopia2000.org ################################################################# ################################################################# ################################################################# ##### ##### ##### ################################################################# ################################################################# ################################################################# --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
