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US, Venezuela clash at OAS
meeting
The US' call to support what
they called "fragile"
democracies in the West was
immediately met by Venezuelan
accusation of seeking to impose
what they called a "global
dictatorship."
The United States hopes to use a
three-day meeting of the
34-member Organization of
American States to advance its
idea of allowing private groups
to help monitor democracy by
raising their concerns with the
OAS.
US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice told reporters
that it's very clear that the
institution needs to be better
capable of dealing with fragile
democracies.
She did not directly mention
Venezuela, but Washington and
other critics of Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez did say
that although twice elected, the
Venezuelan President is showing
authoritarian tendencies in
office.
On his weekly "Hello President"
TV and radio show, Chavez said
the US is going to try to
monitor the Venezuelan
government through the OAS.
He added that if there is any
government that should be
monitored by the OAS, it should
be the U.S. government. He
argued that the US government
backs terrorists, invades
nations, tramples over its own
people, and seeks to install a
global dictatorship.
The OAS meeting began Sunday in
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
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