May 2002

Venezuelan Ambassador Speaks at GW

Discusses Gap Between Wealthy and Poor

By Megan Doscher

Strong opinions characterized a symposium on the political situation in Venezuela, sponsored by the Center for Latin American Issues and the Latin American Studies Program on April 19. The event, entitled “Whither Venezuela?” came just days after the brief ouster and reinstatement of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The panel led by James Ferrer, director of the Center for Latin American Issues, included: Luis Herrera Marcano, Venezuelan ambassador to the US; Brian Naranjo, US State Department country officer for Venezuela; Boris Saavedra, former brigadier general with the Venezuelan Air Defense and current executive adviser of the Inter-American Defense College; and Pablo Sotero, a Brazilian journalist.

Herrera offered a synopsis of the polarization between the wealthy and the poor, which eventually escalated into work stoppages and demonstrations, and culminated in the brief ousting of Chavez.

The chronology of events during the confrontations is still under investigation, says Herrera, regarding shootings in front of the presidential palace in Carracas. “Who fired the first shot? It is very difficult to determine.”

Following the violence, word spread that Chavez had resigned, opening the door for pro-business protest leader Pedro Carmona Estanga to assume the presidency. The day after he took office, Carmona attempted to dissolve the congress and the supreme court. “This was, I think, a shock to everyone,” Herrera says.

The following day the new president resigned, and Chavez returned, asking for reconciliation between the polarized groups and apologizing for his own aggressive style.

“The roots of the present conflict lie with President Chavez’s polarizing policies,” argues Naranjo. The department faced harsh criticism for not immediately condemning Chavez’s ouster, but Naranjo explains it was difficult to determine the facts as events unfolded. Once the facts became clear, he says, the US pledged to help restore Venezuela’s democracy. “We oppose coups of any kind, military or civilian,” Naranjo says.

This report originally ran in SBPM News.

 

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