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Venezuela’s Sovereignty must be Respected

Ever since Mr. Hugo Chávez took office, the attacks against Venezuela’s democracy have increased with flagrant evidence that shows how the United States has interfered.

On April 11, 2002, President Chávez was victim of a coup d’ etat promoted by Bush’s administration in complicity with the most antidemocratic sectors of the Venezuelan society. Less than 48 later, the pro-coup junta was rejected by the popular mobilization, which tirelessly and successfully demanded the return of the nation’s legitimate representative.

But the opposition was not happy with the failure of its putsch and tried to boycott the oil industry in December 2002 – which is vital for the country’s functioning – and caused huge damages to the Venezuelan economy.

In August 2005, during a high-rating TV program in the US, ultraconservative reverend, Pat Robertson – who is very close to the ideologists in the White House – made an appeal for the killing of Venezuela’s leader Mr. Hugo Chávez without having subsequent problems with the American justice. His assassination “would be much less expensive than beginning a war,” he stated.

In September 2005, President Hugo Chávez publicly reported on the existence of several plans of the American military force to invade Venezuela. Washington will not stop stigmatizing the Venezuelan leader as if he were “a negative force” for the safety of the American continent.

In November 2005, Mr. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was under a lot of pressure because the United States did not want Spain to sell weapons to Venezuela. Washington showed in that occasion the obvious contempt it has for the international and diplomatic rules.

During the last six years, Venezuelan opposition has suffered eleven consecutive electoral defeats, all that despite all the media campaigns it organized against Mr. Chávez’ legitimate government.

Faced with this continuous scattering, the opposition – which has lost all popular bases – decided to boycott the last parliamentary elections aiming to undermine a democratic process. Serious suspicions fall on the United States, which is considered to be the instigator of this new attempt to destabilize. 

The Venezuelan opposition – which in part receives funds from Washington – denies submitting to the electoral rules and takes democracy hostage. That is unacceptable!

The sovereign decisions of the Venezuelan people must be respected because the nation’s future is not decided in the offices of the White House, but in the Bolivarian ballot boxes!