Chavez Arrives to New York for UN Summit After Delays

[cal04]

Chávez arrived in New York this morning to participate at the 60th anniversary summit of the United Nations. The world body's summit started yesterday with more than 150 heads of state participating. Chavez arrived late due to delays in the issuing of visas for part of his medical and security teams. Yesterday, the Venezuelan government issued a formal complaint to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, denouncing the denial of the visas for Chavez’s personnel.

"There is no doubt that they are interfering so that we cannot fulfill our international duties," Venezuelan Foreign Minister Alí Rodríguez told reporters yesterday. Sources inside the Venezuelan government said that the delay in the visas might have been intentional to minimize the possibility of presidents Chavez and Bush crossing paths at the U.N. General Assembly hall. Bush addressed the UN yesterday. Chavez routinely denounces the U.S. government actions aimed at toppling his government, while the Bush Administration accuses the leftist Venezuelan leader of being a threat to stability in the region.

Last year, Chavez canceled his participation in the 59th opening of the General Assembly in the last minute because of security concerns. In recent months, Chavez has denounced alleged plans by U.S. groups or individuals seeking to assassinate him. Recently, the influential U.S. televangelist Pat Robertson called publicly for the assassination of Chavez. Robertson later apologized and argued instead for his kidnapping. Chavez will speak to the U.N. today in the afternoon, and will hold several bilateral meetings. The President is expected to give speeches at Columbia University and at a New York church.


Yesterday, the UN General Assembly adopted a document aimed at addressing poverty, human rights and UN reform, which world leaders must approve at the summit. However, many crucial issues have been scrapped from early drafts, leading Secretary General Annan to use words such as "disgrace" to describe the failure to address non-nuclear proliferation. Venezuela expressed concerns regarding the way the document was discussed. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Alí Rodríguez said that Venezuela was not made aware of the changes to the document until the last minute, and complained that the last version was only available in English.


http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1755

[Catrina]

1. Bush is scared to death of Chavez

He wouldn't dare meet him face to face, he'd rather plan coup d'etats against him, hiding behind others.

Chavez speaks his mind, and has told the world that if anything happens to him, they know who did it.

I remember Condy spilling the beans after the attempted coup a few years ago. She was thrilled, but then had to backtrack when Chavez was restored to office. Bush should as popular as Chavez is with his own people. He must also envy the fact that Chavez was elected!!

[Missy M]

2. Happy to hear Chavez as arrived in NYC...

I hope he speaks as honestly as he always does.

[Gregorian]

3. Hahaha.

I called Kerry's office and ranted about it yesterday. But it appears Chavez is very well capable of doing it right himself. It's like a chess game. And he's playing all the pieces. Calling Annan to help him over Bush's hurdles. What a sick country we have right now.

[Moderate Dem]

4. Uh, are we all supposed to like Chavez now!

It's soooooooooooooo hard to keep track...

[Minstrel Boy]

12. No need to be cute about it

Why don't you come out and say what you think?

[Judi Lynn]

14. What's not to like? n/t

[Piotr]

15. How about...

...the human rights abuses, neglect, lack of separation of powers, political persecution etcaetera etcaetera etcaetera?

[sadiesworld]

5. Be safe, Hugo.

[Judi Lynn]

6. He'll be in jeopardy as long as he's here. I'm praying he'll make it home.

_Bush isn't fond of diplomacy because diplomacy allows the other guy a chance. It's so much easier just to kill him.

Hugo Chavez has real fortitude to pursue this trip .The _Bush administration should be condemned in every possible way for being small and vicious, playing "Keep Away" with his right to attend UN meetings as a true leader of his people.

_Bush will NEVER be a leader. He doesn't have the internal components. The world will suffer until he's out of office.

[rsmith6621]

7. Where Is Pat Robertson

Was he and his evil cronnies banned from NYC this week.

[NeoConsSuck]

8. I would have loved to have gotten his autograph!

[Algorem]

9. US 'meddling' by funding Chavez foes -Venezuela

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1130107

Sep 15, 2005 — CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela on Thursday rejected as hypocritical "meddling" a decision by a U.S. Congress-funded group to send more money to Venezuelan opposition activists who face trial after receiving financing to promote a vote against President Hugo Chavez last year.

The National Endowment for Democracy, a nongovernmental group that distributes U.S. congressional funds to promote democracy, said this week it had approved another grant for the Sumate association for election and civil rights programs.

A Venezuelan judge in August ordered four members of Sumate tried for conspiracy after they received a grant from the endowment last year and Chavez charged them with backing an April 2002 coup during which he was briefly toppled.

The Sumate case has underscored the testy relations between the United States and Venezuela, the world's No. 5 oil exporter and a key petroleum supplier to the U.S. market...

[Judi Lynn]

10. It would be interesting to know how a group accepting funds

from another government would fare here trying to destabilize _Bush's administration.

It wouldn't happen.

[cal04]

11. Chavez and Talabani to speak at Columbia University

Friday, September 16, 2005, 4:00 p.m.
Low Library
Global Challenges and Social Perspectives

The event will feature a talk by President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela with an introduction by President Lee C. Bollinger. Dean Lisa Anderson will moderate the question and answer session.

Register Now | View Live Webcast

http://worldleaders.columbia.edu/events.html

Saturday, September 17, 2005, 11:00 a.m.
Low Library
Iraq

The event will feature a talk by President Jalal Talabani of Iraq followed by a question and answer session moderated by President Lee C. Bollinger.

Register Now | View Live Webcast

[Kralizec]

13. Wouldn't mind hearing some of his speeches while he his here...

In the artcle it said, "The President will give speeches at..." does that mean Shrub or Chavez? I assumed it meant Chavez.

¡Vive! :applause: