Carter Tries Venezuela Peace Mission

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Former President Carter headed to Venezuela Sunday for talks to avoid violence between President Hugo Chavez's supporters and opponents who remain skeptical about Carter's chances of success.

``It is my hope that the Venezuelan government and opposition groups will pursue constructive talks to settle immediate pressing differences,'' Carter said in a statement released by the Carter Center on Saturday.

``I will, therefore, also discuss their possible desire for the international community to participate in this effort.''

Chavez invited Carter, hoping the former U.S. leader could convince business, labor, news media and civic leaders to rejoin government-sponsored reconciliation talks that began after a brief April coup.

Some opposition leaders called it a ploy to buy time for Chavez, who has ignored appeals by the Organization of American States to help resolve Venezuela's crisis.

``The government is using President Carter as a subterfuge to avoid dealing with the OAS, which we feel is the correct mediator because its resolutions are binding for the Venezuelan state,'' said lawmaker Rafael Marin of the opposition Democratic Action party.

Many have quit the government talks, convinced that Chavez is not sincere about changing the leftist direction of his revolution, cannot manage Venezuela's faltering economy and will not prosecute the killers of at least 20 people at a massive opposition march in April.

Looming over Carter's four-day mission are plans by opposition parties and civic groups Thursday to march again on a presidential palace defended by ``Chavistas,'' held responsible for much of the violence in April.

Dissident generals arrested Chavez after the April demonstration. Chavez backers took to the streets, and Chavez was reinstated by loyalist troops April 14.

Carter has said he knows Chavez well, having monitored elections in Venezuela on four occasions. He said he called Chavez in April to congratulate him on his reinstatement.

``And then I told him what he needed was to have reconciliation with the 35 percent of Venezuelans who despise him,'' Carter said last month.

Chavez moderated his populist rhetoric after the coup, though in recent days he has resumed his attacks on a capitalist system he says condemns the majority of Latin Americans to perpetual poverty.

Many Venezuelans say Chavez must go, either by force or by referendum before his term ends in 2007.

Carter visited Cuba in May and noted dissident efforts to call a referendum on whether Cuba should allow freedom of expression and other rights. Afterward, Cuba's National Assembly enshrined socialism in the constitution as ``irrevocable.'' The Carter Center has declined comment.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, right, arrives at Simon Bolivar international airport in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, July 6, 2002. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez invited Carter to Venezuela, hoping Carter can convince business, labor, news media and civic leaders to rejoin government-sponsored reconciliation talks that began after a brief April coup. (AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch)

Carter Goes to Venezuela to Help Faltering Talks - Sat Jul 6, 7:05 PM ET - By Patrick Markey [Full Text] CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter arrived in Venezuela on Saturday to aid a faltering dialogue between the government and opposition parties three months after a coup against President Hugo Chavez left the oil-rich nation racked by bitter political divisions.

But just hours before Carter arrived in Caracas, a top business group pulled out of the talks, dealing another blow to attempts to bridge splits between supporters and foes of the outspoken South American president.

Carter, who has gained worldwide respect as a peace envoy in conflicts around the globe since leaving office, will hold four days of talks at the invitation of the Chavez government.

Last month Carter made headlines in Cuba when he criticized both the decades-old U.S. embargo against the communist-run island and President Fidel Castro for failing to grant his people greater political freedom and civil liberties.

On Sunday Carter is scheduled to meet Chavez, who greatly admires Castro and has been accused by his critics of trying to model Venezuela on Cuba.

"It is my hope that the Venezuelan government and opposition groups will pursue constructive talks to settle immediate pressing differences and then set in place a long-term process," the former U.S. president said in a brief statement released by his Carter Center in Atlanta.

Venezuela, the world's fifth largest oil exporter, has been rattled by political uncertainty since April when rebel and civilian leaders ousted Chavez for 48 hours before loyal troops restored him to power.

Since the coup Chavez has called repeatedly for dialogue and moved to appease his critics by promoting a more market-friendly economic Cabinet. But his political opponents say Chavez is unwilling to change the policies they believe are edging Venezuela closer to a Cuban-style authoritarian state.

SQUABBLING AND TRADING BLAME

Talks between the government and opposition leaders have descended into squabbling and trading blame for the political upheaval and the deaths of more than 60 people during the uprising.

Although Venezuela accepted the Carter visit, the government quickly rejected a U.S. proposal that the Organization of American States intervene directly in the nation's internal crisis talks.

U.S. relations with Venezuela have been badly strained by Washington's early reaction the to coup against Chavez. It was slow to condemn it and appeared initially to react favorably to his illegal ouster.

Even before the coup the administration of President Bush had made no secret of its distaste for Chavez's leftist rhetoric, criticism of U.S. actions in Afghanistan and friendship with countries the United States regards as hostile.

Opposition leaders have already expressed deep skepticism that Carter's visit can achieve anything and suggested that he will be manipulated to the advantage of the government.

Jose Luis Betancourt, president of the leading farming and ranchers group Fedenaga, told reporters on Saturday he had decided to reject the talks and dismissed Carter's visit as an attempt to divert attention from the country's real problems.

"The talks have failed and the government does not have the ability to achieve any dialogue right now," said Betancourt, a vocal critic of Chavez's left-wing policies. "The Carter Center is not going to be able to bring about the dialogue that this country really needs."

Reconciliation talks began to fall into disarray two months ago after several leading opposition groups declined to take part and others walked out, blaming Chavez's refusal to moderate his confrontational style.

Since Chavez's landslide election victory in December 1998, Venezuela has grappled with increasing political fractures over the former paratrooper's self-proclaimed "revolution."

Millions of poorer voters still see Chavez and his platform of social reform as the key to a better life. But political, business and some military leaders blame his left-leaning policies and ties to countries like Cuba and Libya for crippling Venezuela's economy and inflaming class tensions.

Opposition parties are now investigating constitutional measures to try and remove Chavez from power. These include a referendum, shortening his term in office or even possible indictments for embezzlement and a slew of other allegations. [End]

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