Venezuela Cools Relations with Spain over Foreign Minister’s Remarks

Caracas, June 21, 2007 (venezuelanalysis.com)— Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez called remarks by Spain’s Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos a “lack of respect” and said that he would “distance himself” from relations with Spain.

Chavez made the comments in an interview with the Spanish news agency EFE, in reaction to comments by Moratinos, who said he was “worried” about the Venezuelan government’s non-renewal of the broadcast license of the TV channel RCTV last May 27th. Moratinos had made the comment in a hearing while responding to a question from a conservative member of Spain’s parliament.

According to Chavez, Moratinos was being pressured by conservatives in Spain to turn against the Venezuelan government. Moratinos is “giving in to pressure because in the Congress the party of [ex-president] Aznar, who is a fascist, is pressuring him,” said Chavez. “This makes me sad,” he added.

The consequence is that “I distance myself from Spain, from its government. It is a lack of respect,” said Chavez.

Relations between Venezuela and Spain have been good, he said, because he worked hard at it. “The effort one makes to have affective relations, of respect, of cooperation, is not being valued.”

However, there are “old superiority complexes” in Europe which causes some to meddle in internal Latin American affairs.