20601: (Chamberlain) Venezuela's Chavez chides U.N., OAS over Aristide (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     CARACAS, Venezuela, March 19 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo
Chavez on Friday criticized the United Nations and the Organization of
American States for not supporting ousted Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand
Aristide, whom he said was deposed by U.S. troops.
     Aristide, who is visiting Jamaica, flew from Haiti to the Central
African Republic on Feb. 29 in the face of an armed revolt and U.S.
pressure to quit. He later said he had been kidnapped by U.S. soldiers and
forced to sign a resignation letter, charges rejected as nonsense by
Washington.
     "We have here a president kidnapped at gunpoint by U.S. troops, as in
the worst times of imperialism," Chavez said during a ceremony to swear in
Venezuela's new ambassadors to Iran, Cuba and India.
     "Just look what silence from the OAS, a death-like silence from the
United Nations," said the left-wing Venezuelan leader, who has himself
accused the U.S. government of trying to overthrow him.
     Chavez, a former paratrooper elected in 1998, this week refused to
recognize the new Haitian government and offered refuge to Aristide in
oil-rich Venezuela.
     Jamaica and other Caribbean states have called for an inquiry into
Aristide's departure from Haiti, but few other world leaders have been as
outspoken as Chavez on the issue.
     The Venezuelan leader, who is resisting a bid by domestic opponents to
hold a referendum on his rule, has repeatedly accused U.S. President George
W. Bush's government of backing attempts by his enemies to depose him.
     The U.S. government denies this but says it has channeled finance to
what it calls pro-democracy groups in Venezuela. Chavez's foes say he is
ruling like a dictator.
     His government has recently faced criticism from human rights groups
which have accused it of using excessive force to control violent
pro-referendum protests earlier this month.
     Chavez ordered his country's ambassadors around the world to counter
what he called a campaign of lies against his government.
     "We can't have ambassadors who don't feel able to state with courage
the truth about what is happening in Venezuela," he said.
     His warning followed the surprise resignation earlier this month of
Venezuela's U.N. envoy, who accused Chavez's government of becoming
undemocratic and repressive.