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Greens Congratulate Venezuelans for Asserting Their Democracy in Referendum on President Chavez. |
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Thursday, August 19, 2004 Media Contacts: GREENS CONGRATULATE VENEZUELANS FOR ASSERTING THEIR DEMOCRACY IN REFERENDUM ON PRESIDENT CHAVEZ WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Responding to the popular referendum that confirmed overwhelming popular support for President Hugo Chavez Frias, Green Party leaders offered congratulations to the people of Venezuela for reasserting democracy in the face of attempts to subvert it. "In the U.S., barely half of the electorate votes on leaders who make decisions affecting all our lives, while in Venezuela, people waited all day on long lines," said David Cobb, Green Party candidate for President of the United States. "Furthermore, the elections that installed Mr. Chavez have all been legitimate -- unlike the U.S. election in 2000 that placed Mr. Bush in the White House. Mr. Chavez has survived two regular elections, six referenda, and a sustained effort to destabilize and discredit his administration by political enemies, many with ties to the Bush administration." Since touch-screen voting was reportedly verified with paper trails, the Venezuelan referendum results may be more accurate than U.S. elections in which the lack of paper trails has placed computer voting at greater risk of manipulation. President Bush has been using U.S. taxpayers' money, through the National Endowment for Democracy, to undermine a legitimately elected government whose policies it doesn't approve of. The Bush Administration quickly blessed the short-lived April 2002 coup against Chavez, which was led by oligarchs funded with this money. "Bush's obsession with overthrowing Chavez has nothing to do with spreading democracy around the world, and everything to do with assisting favored U.S. corporations -- especially Big Oil," said Adam Eidinger, D.C. Statehood Green Party candidate for 'Shadow' U.S. representative for the District of Columbia. "Chavez has promoted public ownership of resources and services, as well as open democratic political processes and freedom of speech, including for his own opponents, and has rejected imposed neo-liberal policies and 'structural adjustment.' This explains why a majority of Venezuelans, especially the poor, keep electing him, and why he annoys Bush so much." Greens observed that John Kerry, if elected, will probably maintain Bush policy, noting that Kerry has even called President Bush "soft on Chavez" (See: March 19 Kerry Release and March 23 Kerry Release). "Greens support friendship and cooperation with the Chavez government, and we urge the U.S. government to respect Venezuelan sovereignty and the mandate of the Venezuelan people, as expressed in the referendum," said Steve Larrick, Green candidate for Congress in Nebraska's 1st District. MORE INFORMATION: "Why John Kerry Must Retract his Position on
Venezuela"
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