Reply #7: Any DU'er who knows John Kerry's "position" on Venezuela [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

and has read the Free Venezuela "exile" statement from South Florida claiming responsibility for his recent statement might really enjoy signing this petition to ask him to reconsider:

To: John Kerry Campaign Headquarters
Vea una versión en Español de este documento al final.

We demand that democratic candidate for President of the United States, John Kerry retract his position on Venezuela, and get better informed about Latin America before issuing such biased opinions. We warn Kerry of not underestimating the support of progressives, who in the past election voted for candidates such as Ralph Nader, in the face of a democratic platform that clearly failed to meet their expectations.

Please call and/or send emails or faxes to the Kerry headquarters, demanding that Kerry be more informed about Venezuela and Latin America so that he will not commit the same errors of prior administrations whose thoughtless actions have increased anti-American sentiments throughout the region.

Background

The democratic candidate for President of the United States, John Kerry, published a statement on his web site this past March 19 (http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0319d.html), stating his position on the political situation in Venezuela. In this declaration, Kerry relies on inaccurate information and repeats views identical to those of the Venezuelan opposition to democratically-elected President Hugo Chavez.

Without offering any evidence, Kerry, follows the line of the Venezuelan opposition, accusing Chavez of aiding the Colombian guerrilla forces, permitting narcotrafficking, undermining democratic institutions, attempting to impede a possible recall referendum on his mandate, and of implementing policies that are detrimental to US interests.

Chavez is a President who has been elected twice by clear majorities in democratic elections, and who, at this time, still enjoys one of the highest levels of popularity amongst Latin American leaders. Chavez’s policies have earned him the support of millions of progressive and liberal voices throughout Latin America as well as in North America.

Kerry’s recent statement makes it clear that he has taken the side of the right-wing Venezuelan opposition, an opposition which is unequivocally responsible for the political instability in Venezuela due to its failure and refusal to accept Chavez as the President of Venezuela, despite his clear support by a majority of Venezuelans proven through numerous electoral victories.

The fact that in his statement Kerry suggests Bush has not put enough pressure on Chavez, completely ignores the ample evidence of the millions of dollars the Bush administration has given the Venezuelan opposition through the National Endowment for Democracy. Such substantial financing has been used numerous times in attempts to oust Chávez from office through extra-constitutional means.

Additionally, it is evident from Kerry’s Statement on Venezuela that he clearly was appealing to the right-wing Cuban-American vote in Florida, and not the progressive and liberal vote that forms the base of the Democratic Party.

It is almost unexplainable that Kerry, as a Democrat, maintains almost the same positions as Bush and his ultra-conservative cabinet. Many in the progressive community had hoped that Kerry could bring a fundamental change to the arrogant US government foreign policy towards Latin America. Statements such as Kerry’s lead us to believe that there may be little change in that policy, and unfortunately, mistrust and resentment towards the United States in Latin America would probably continue to grow as a result.

http://www.petitiononline.com/kerryven/petition.html

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You might find the comments interesting. They are probably mostly from Venezuelans. (I screwed up on mine, and couldn't retrieve it in time to correct it. Now I'm exposed as a mental defective! So who's perfect?)

Wake Forest University College Republicans......