Venezuelan Leader, Battling a Recall, Mocks Bush

Monday, March 1, 2004
By Juan Forero

New York Times Writer

The Organization of American States, which helped broker talks here between Mr. Chávez and the opposition, has urged the electoral council to respect the will of the people and not resort to "excessive technicalities." Francisco Carrasquero, one of three members of the electoral council who voted to challenge the signatures, said Tuesday that tens of thousands of petition forms appeared to have been filled out in similar handwriting. The opposition says volunteers at booths where the signatures were taken had, in some cases, filled out forms but that the individual signatures were legitimate.

Protesters opposed to President Chávez set fire to barricades yesterday in Caracas and yelled at troops and pro-government supporters. Since Friday, two people have been killed and dozens wounded in street battles.

Image Credit: The Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela -- NYT
President Hugo Chávez railed against the Bush administration on Sunday in a speech before tens of thousands of supporters, accusing it of meddling in Venezuelan affairs and supporting antigovernment forces trying to remove him from office.

Mr. Chávez, whose language has become increasingly hostile in the face of American support for a recall referendum, warned that if the Bush administration carried out what he called American aggressions, "the people of the United States should know that they will not get another drop of oil from Venezuela." The American energy market is heavily reliant on Venezuela, one of the top four providers of petroleum to the United States.

Accusing the Bush administration of destabilizing Venezuela and coveting the country's huge oil reserves, Mr. Chávez mocked President Bush, saying he stole the 2000 elections and "is not even the legitimate president of the United States."

Mr. Chávez, a leftist populist, has ruled Venezuela since his election in 1998. He was re-elected in 2000 to a term that ends in 2006, and he has vowed to remain in power longer than Mr. Bush.

"Let's bet on who will last longer, George W. Bush, you in the White House or me in Miraflores Palace," he said.

His made his speech as the National Electoral Council prepared to announce Monday that as many as 1.4 million signatures gathered by government foes to force a binding referendum on the president were flawed. That news infuriated a broad opposition movement, which says it has collected enough valid signatures to pave the way for a vote.

The electoral council's announcement was expected to lead to more turbulence in this country of 25 million, which since 2001 has been shaken by a failed coup, four national strikes and violent protests. Since Friday, two people have been killed and several dozen have been wounded as antigovernment protesters have battled in the streets of Caracas with National Guard troops.

Opposition leaders accuse Mr. Chávez, who promises to improve the lives of the poor, of governing like a dictator and mismanaging Venezuela, Latin America's fourth-largest economy. He calls his adversaries wealthy elites who are angry that they no longer run the country.

(More: NYTimes.com / International)

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Dan