U.S.: Chavez Should Respect Process
Sun Apr 14,10:45 AM ET
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration, which showed no remorse when
the Venezuelan military ousted the country's elected president last
week, advised Hugo Chavez on Sunday to make good use of a second chance
to govern.
"We do hope that Chavez recognizes that the whole world is watching
and that he takes advantage of this opportunity to right his own ship,
which has been moving, frankly, in the wrong direction for quite a long
time," said Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites), President Bush (news -
web sites)'s national security adviser.
She said Chavez "needs to respect constitutional processes" during this
tumultuous period in Venezuela, the No. 3 supplier of oil to the United
States and the world's fourth biggest exporter.
Chavez returned Sunday to the presidential palace in Caracas, the
capital, after he was freed by his military captors. Two days earlier,
army commanders had forced him from office.
"I hope that Hugo Chavez takes the message that his people sent him,
that his own policies are not working for the Venezuela people, that
he's dealt with him in a high-handed fashion," Rice said on NBC's "Meet
the Press."
At the time Chavez was ousted, the White House put the blame on Chavez
because of attempts to violently put down a demonstration. Bush's
spokesman said the Venezuelan government "suppressed what was a peaceful
demonstration of the people. ... It led very quickly to a combustible
situation in which Chavez resigned."
But Chavez's family, supporters and former government officials insisted
he never resigned as president, as the interim president, Pedro Carmona,
and Venezuela's high command claimed.
Chavez had befriended Cuban President Fidel Castro (news - web sites)
and turned up in Iraq and Libya - all countries on the State Department
list of state sponsors of terrorism. In February, Secretary of State
Colin Powell (news - web sites) said it was "strange" that Chavez would
see fit to visit such countries.
Chavez also angered Washington with his strong opposition to the U.S.
war in Afghanistan (news - web sites).
"This is no time for a witch hunt," Rice said. "This is a time for
national reconciliation in Venezuela."
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