Panama City - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
requested on Monday that the secretary general of the Organization of
American States (OAS) investigate alleged violations of freedom of
the press in Venezuela.
In a brief speech to the afternoon session of the OAS general
assembly in Panama City, Rice proposed OAS Secretary General Jose
Miguel Insulza travel to Venezuela and issue a report on the issue.
She said the request is backed by US President George W Bush.
'We, the members of the OAS, must defend freedom where it is under
siege in our hemisphere, and we must support freedom whenever and
wherever it is denied,' she said.
In late May, the Venezuelan government led by left-wing populist
Hugo Chavez refused to renew the broadcasting licence of the popular
Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), a move which led to street protests
across Venezuela and criticism from abroad.
The station was shut down in May and replaced by a new,
government-controlled channel, Televisora Venezolana Sozial (Teves),
which began broadcasting almost immediately.
Supporters of Chavez, a leftwing populist, held public
celebrations for the end of RCTV, which has been sharply critical of
the Chavez regime along with both the conservative and liberal
political opposition. RCTV also supported a failed 2002 coup attempt
against Chavez.
Rice said the requested trip to Venezuela by Insulza would be
aimed at carrying out consultations with all parties involved in the
dispute.
'In keeping with Article 18 of the Democratic Charter, we urge the
secretary general to go to Venezuela to consult in good faith with
all interested parties and to present a full report to the foreign
ministers through the Permanent Council,' Rice said.
All countries in the hemisphere, except Cuba, are members of the
OAS.
'Every democracy must govern democratically, respecting and
protecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all of its
citizens,' Rice said.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro denounced what he
termed US interventionism in Venezuela and criticized US immigration
policies.
'Our democracy is not a democracy subject to tutelage. We have
broken the ties of dependency,' Maduro said.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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