Jimmy Carter Unveils Plan to End Venezuela Crisis

yahoo.com ^ | January 21, 2003 | Pascal Fletcher, Reuters

[Cincinatus' Wife]

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter on Tuesday presented to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his foes a plan for elections to solve the deadlocked political conflict gripping the world's fifth largest oil exporter.

The former U.S. president said after talks with the left-wing leader his blueprint foresaw an end to the crippling seven-week opposition strike that has slashed supply from South America's biggest oil producer.

The strike, launched by opposition leaders to press Chavez to resign and hold early elections, has jolted world oil markets and threatened to bankrupt Venezuela's oil-reliant economy. The bolivar currency tumbled 5.1 percent against the dollar on Tuesday.

Thousands protest against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Charallave, approximately 30 miles east of Caracas, Jan. 20, 2003. One person was killed and two dozen wounded by gunfire during street clashes as Nobel Peace Prize-winner Jimmy Carter tried to salvage peace talks between leftist President Chavez and his foes. (Reuters)

Chavez, an outspoken former paratrooper who was elected in 1998 and survived a brief coup last year, refuses to quit and says he is beating the strike, which is causing serious shortages of gasoline, cooking gas and some food items.

Carter, who was U.S. president from 1977 to 1981 and has since made a career of trying to solve world conflicts, traveled to Caracas to aid international efforts to end the Venezuelan crisis. He was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his international work in support of peace, human rights and democracy at the head of his Atlanta-based Carter Center.

"My opinion is that both sides now want to reach an agreement to end the impasse that is threatening to destroy Venezuela's economy and social structure," Carter told a news conference before flying home.

He outlined his plan for an electoral solution, comprising two independent alternatives.

One proposed an amendment to Venezuela's constitution that would allow early elections. The other was for the country to wait until Aug. 19 -- halfway through Chavez's term -- when the constitution allows for a binding referendum on the president's mandate, which is due to end in early 2007.

FOCUS ON CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez(L) chats with Nobel Peace prizewinner and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in the Miraflores Palace in Caracas January 21, 2003. Carter said on Tuesday he had proposed an agreement on elections to Chavez and his foes which he believed could help end the country's long-running political crisis. (Reuters)

Chavez said after meeting Carter he was willing to accept a reform of the constitution if it was approved by the National Assembly, where Chavez supporters hold a slim majority, and through a national vote. The reform could shorten his mandate to allow early elections or bring forward the August referendum on his rule.

"I don't reject any of these possibilities, but the opposition must comply with the constitution," Chavez said.

Carter stressed that while he was encouraged by the initial reaction he received from both Chavez and the opposition, his proposals would still have to be discussed and agreed on by both sides.

"This is a step in a positive direction, but certainly not a definitive answer ... everyone realizes that all decisions must be taken only by Venezuelans," he added.

More than two months of negotiations brokered by Organization of American States Secretary-General Cesar Gaviria have failed to produce a deal on elections to end the conflict. The negotiations were due to continue on Tuesday to consider the specific Carter proposals.

The opposition has been demanding immediate elections, arguing the country cannot wait until an August referendum.

The president said instead of disrupting gasoline and food supplies through the strike, opponents should work to collect the signatures of the 15 percent of the nation's voters required to request a reform of the constitution.

Fears of increased violence have risen as opposition protesters step up street demonstrations and the government increases its efforts to defeat the strike.

Chavez, who purged the armed forces of opponents after last April's coup, has sent troops to take over strike-hit oil installations and to raid private factories and warehouses the government alleges are hoarding food supplies.

The oil shutdown showed signs of weakening on Tuesday when oil tanker pilots in western Lake Maracaibo went back to work.

Since the strike began on Dec. 2, at least six people have been killed and dozens wounded in shootings and street clashes.

Carter deplored the violence.

'FRIENDS' GROUP TO MEET

He said he would also present his electoral proposals in Washington on Friday to the first meeting of foreign ministers from six nations forming a "group of friends" whose task is to help seek a solution to the Venezuela crisis.

The six-nation group, comprised of the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Spain and Portugal, was created last week to back the OAS-brokered peace talks.

Chavez has expressed reservations about the membership of the "friends" group, saying he would like to see it expanded to include other nations like China, Russia, France, Cuba and nations from the developing world.

Carter said the group would not be changed.

[Tailgunner Joe]

The fix is in. Commie bootlicker Carter is on the scene to make sure freedom is expunged.

Carter with Deng Xiao Peng

Carter with Ceausescu

He never met a communist he didn't like!

[Grampa Dave]

Great, if they listen to Carter, there goes the southern hemisphere on our side of the two big lakes.

[God luvs America]

Carter's domestic strategy was always simple and easy...it was called capitulation!!

[Grampa Dave]

No, we won't build a couple of nuclear reactors for them.

However the French and Germans will gladly help them, as they are about to lose their best two customers, Iraq and Iran.

We know that every country that floats on a bed of oil needs nuclear reactors to produce cheap electricity, right?

With Jimmy's help, Chavez could have nuclear weapons about 2010. Just after he gets another Nobel Peace Prize for endangering America and the rest of the world like he did in North Korea.

[Democratic_Machiavelli]

Faster than the 2000 presidential election...

Stronger than a lame duck...

Able to create respect as a diplomat out of abject failure...

It's...

SUPERJIMMY!!
(Cue Superman theme)

[goldilucky]

Peanutman should be expunged from this Country.

[Grampa Dave]

Re your question who pays for his trips.

Probably the same people who pay for the other hate America organizations/people, the Opecker Princes and Opecker Thugs like Soddomite, Chavez and the Murdering Mullahs of Iran.

Carter has been in the pocket of the Opeckers for over two decades: (Carter has been bought out by Opeckers for a long time)

Last but not least he doesn't need mcuh Secret Service protection when he makes these trips to kiss Commy Butt or Opecker Tail. He is their friend and buddy and provide all the protection he needs!

[Grampa Dave]

Great Pictorial series, and this bears repeating: Carter never met a Communist tryant that he didn't like and love like a brother!

[Grampa Dave]

Carter's foriegn policy makes the French look like valiant heroes.

[WoofDog123]

"Whats the official opposition line on this? why don't they accept the binding referendum instead of ratcheting up the polarization with their non-binding earlier referendum?"

I guess the idea with the nearer non-binding referendum was they suspected chavez wouldn't let it happen, thus giving them a rallying cry. Or maybe they saw changes he was making in running large state institutions and believed than by august they would no longer be able to put the pdvsa on strike.

At this point, given the 7-week strike, I think they assume that
1) they will never have management control of the statepetro co again once this strike ends, thus there will be no future strike
2)to go on strike 7 weeks and fail is so demoralizing (as it should be) that it is questionable if they could ever pull an extended general strike again when chavez dodges the august referendum
3)this would give chavez another 6+ months to consolidate his political control even tighter, as he did after the april coup flushed out weak spots in his military and civilian governmental loyalties.

I have reluctantly concluded that, since chavez has weathered a 2-month shutdown in the national economy, he is not going to be dislodged, but instead will emerge from this in more control of the military, civilian government institutions, and economy(what is left of it) than ever. My memory says it is exceedingly rare for a banana republic dictator to be taken out as long as the military is under his control. Noriega is a good example of this, as he only suffered one signifigant coup attempt prior to a full-fledged u.s. invasion.

Venezuela voted this guy in, voted in his constitutional changes, so from that perspective it is their problem, but it really sucks we get so much oil from them, cuz chavez despises the US.

[MurryMom]

Since when is a plunge in the Dow from 10,600 to 8,300 something to be proud of? If there had been any such sustained depression during President Clinton's term, cynical Repuke politicians would have used it against him as grounds for impeachment.

[madfly]

fyi

[weikel]

Yep hes a commie( though I would argue that Deng Xiaoping was not except in name).

[The Duke]

Hey, don't forget 55mph universal speed limit and
the government dictating thermostat settings.

[SierraWasp]

Haaaaaaaa Haaaaaaaaaaa... Wow!!! I don't believe it!!!

I got my first shiddy reply out of libural M.M. I must really know how ta git yer goat an I din't evun hafta find out wur ya tied it!!! Woooooooo Hoooooooooo... whut an honer!!! (I think)

[Darksheare]

I see that you just cannot refuse trolldom.
Do you remember when Clinton screwed around with the Dow and did a smoke and mirrors act to artificially create and image of prosperity?
Remember, CLINTON bailed out Enron twice.
And when Enron expected to be bailed out again, the Adults in the Whitehouse said, "No. YOU got yourselves into this, YOU fix it."

Now, why do you have a problem with a president who isn't chasing skirts and bombing aspirin factories? Is it because you found Clinton's bulbous nose attractive? You liked seeing his herpes sores on his lip? What is it about Libs like you that find odious behavior in a President so appealing? Remember, you HAVE defended the PERJUROR here.

You want to talk about someone being SELECTED? How about Mrs CARNAHAN?
SHe wasn't on the ballot. SHE was SELECTED.
And what part of Florida voting law DON'T you understand? It said SHALL. PERIOD.
But Libs never obey the laws so I don't expect one to understand them or be capable of reading them either.

[Miss Marple]

Not to mention NO CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!

Gee, weren't those fun times? Ha!

[Miss Marple]

Here you are, talking about money again. I swear, all you democrats care about is money. You are one greedy group, that's for sure.

That must explain why the richest Senators are democrats, and why the democrats are so fascinated with Wall Street. Greed.

[Victoria Delsoul]

He never met a communist he didn't like!

You've got the right!

"I don't reject any of these possibilities, …" Chavez said.

Heck no! As long as he stays in power and Carter is willing to aid and abet the enemy.

[PhilDragoo]

First step in reforming Venezuela: Chavez needs a bullet in his head.

Correctomundo. Necesitamos un fusilamiento.

Como se dice en engles, "baddabing".