Saturday 20 September
2008, San José, Costa
Rica
Panama Supports Bolivian
President
Russian Deputy
Prime Minister Leads Delegation to
Nicaragua
Chavez Desires To See
U.S. As Brotherly
Country
Brazilian President To
Defend Biofuels At UN
General Assembly
Venezuela Expels
Activists Of U.S. Human
Rights Organization
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Venezuela Expels
Activists Of U.S. Human
Rights Organization
CARACAS - The Venezuelan
government Friday
expelled two activists
of a U.S. human rights
organization, accusing
them of "illegally
interfering in the
country's matters."
Venezuelan Foreign
Minister Nicolas Maduro
said the two activists
of the Human Rights
Watch (HRW) Jose Miguel
Vivanco and his
assistant Daniel
Wilkinson were expelled
for violating the
Constitution and "were
taken to the
international airport
Simon Bolivar of
Maiquetia and put in the
soonest flight."
Vivanco said Venezuela's
decision was an attempt
to intimidate the civil
society.
The U.S.-based HRW
describes itself as an
independent organization
to defend human rights,
but Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez said it is
an ally of Washington to
overthrow him.
Maduro said Vivanco "in
an abusive and rude way
gave a press conference
where he reviled the
institutions of the
Venezuelan democracy."
"We are not going to
tolerate any foreigner
to come to hurt the
Venezuelan dignity,"
Maduro said.
In a report, Vivanco and
Wilkinson criticized
that Chavez had
suppressed the freedom
of speech and harassed
his political
adversaries.
Venezuelan authorities
said Vivianco and
Wilkinson violated the
constitution as they
entered Venezuela with
tourist visa, but got
involved in the
political activities.
Vivanco and Wilkinson
gave the press
conference days after
Venezuelan government
expelled the U.S.
ambassador to Venezuela
Patrick Duddy, a move to
support Bolivian
President Evo Morales.
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