Statement of Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez of Venezuela on Robertson

[BurtWorm]

Translated by Soj of Flogging the Simian:

http://www.weblog.ro/soj#42577


The following is the statement released on Tuesday from the Venezuelan Ambassador to the United States, Bernardo Alvarez, concerning Pat Robertson's comments:

"We would like to thank the people of the United States for the support they have offered us after the Reverend Pat Robertson openly called for the assassination of the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez. All day today at the Embassy we have received hundreds of messages of support and solidarity from Americans.

We feel extremely disappointed by Pat Robertson's comments on the television Christian Broadcast Network. Reverend Pat Robertson is no ordinary citizen. Robertson ran for president on the United States. The Christian Coalition, whose leader is Reverend Robertson, has close to 2 million members and receives millions of dollars every year. In 2000, his support was key in giving George W. Bush the primary election win in South Carolina, which clinched his nomination for the Republican Party for the office of president. Mr. Robertson has been one of President Bush's strongest allies. His statement should be strongly condemned by the White House.

Mr. Robertson's call for the government of the United States to secretly assassinate President Hugo Chavez is a clear incitement to terrorism. The request that he made to President Bush to violently enforce the antiquated Monroe Doctrine in Venezuela is a clear request for the American government to intervene in the sovreign matters of our democratic nation.

The United States cannot permit its citizens to use its territory to incite terrorism and the assassination of a president of another country who was democratically elected. Venezuela calls on the United States to respect domestic and international laws concerning our country and our president.

Pat Robertson's statements should be condemned by the Bush administration in the strongest possible terms because we are worried about the security of our president. It is essential for us that the government of the United States guarantees the safety of President Chavez in the future, including when he travels to address the United Nations in New York.

The messages we have received from many American citizens clearly demonstrates that when Pat Robertson called for the assassination of President Chavez he was not speaking for Christians in the United States nor in the name of the "Christian Coalition"

[rodeodance]

1. one good thing-Robertson's comments got many of the RW nutcases

out in the open yesterday.