Venezuela Criticizes U.S. on Remarks

yahoo.comnews ^ | August 14, 2003 | AP

[Cincinatus' Wife]

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuela's vice president criticized the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff on Wednesday for appearing to suggest that Venezuela did not have a firm anti-terrorist stance.

Gen. Richard Myers, when asked Tuesday about allegations that Venezuela is permissive with Colombian rebels crossing into its territory, said, "It's not helpful when countries don't fully support the anti-terrorism fight.

"And I think there's more to learn with respect to Venezuela, and we're going to have to continue to explore that."

Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel called Myers' remarks "irresponsible" and said Myers "believed false information" regarding allegations that President Hugo Chavez has allowed Colombian guerrillas to use Venezuelan territory as a safe haven.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and a smaller rebel army are fighting right-wing paramilitaries and the Colombian government in a four-decade-long conflict that kills about 3,500 people annually.

The United States labels both the rebel groups and the paramilitaries terrorist organizations.

Chavez refuses to call the rebels terrorist, arguing that such a stance could hinder potential peace negotiations. But he has condemned individual rebel acts like plane hijackings as terrorism.

The leftist former army paratrooper denies he secretly is aiding Colombian rebels - allegations made by political opponents in Venezuela and by some Colombian military officers. Chavez repeatedly has declared he will not allow incursions into Venezuela by any illegal armed groups.

Separately, Myers traveled to Honduras and El Salvador on Wednesday in a trip that coincided with the departure of Central American troops for service in Iraq.

Myers met with Honduran President Ricardo Maduro and expressed gratitude for Honduras' contribution of peacekeepers in Iraq and applauded the country's drug interdiction efforts.

Myers also met with Salvadoran President Francisco Flores shortly after 360 troops left from El Salvador for Zaragoza, Spain, where they will join an international battalion bound for Iraq. Honduras sent 370 troops this week to participate in peacekeeping efforts in Iraq.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

You can't believe anything Chavez says.

Alberto Barreto, 15, right, and Paul Rodriguez, 15, left, skateboard in a plaza where a freshly painted pro-Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez mural adorns the walls in downtown Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2003. The mural reads 'The people will never be defeated. Long live the beautiful revolution', and 'The fatherland is America.' Opponents of Chavez want a referendum on Chavez' rule by the end of the year, but his supporters are insisting that recall referendums against other elected officials be held first. (AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch)

Hugo Chavez - Venezuela

[america-rules]

"And I think there's more to learn with respect to Venezuela, and we're going to have to continue to explore that."

OK, So what are they doing to fight the evil doers?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

His opposition needs some help. They could help themselves too if they came together and stood as a unified force.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[Cincinatus' Wife]