Venezuela demands "more forceful" answer from US
CARACAS, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela hopes the United States will give a "more forceful" answer to Venezuela's allegation that Washington was conspiring against its democracy and interfering with its internal affairs, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jesus Perez said Thursday.
"The US government has disrespected and underestimated our accusations. It has to take into account the seriousness of the issues presented. A responsible government must answer with proof," Perez told reporters.
Venezuela's permanent representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), Jorge Valero, alleged in a speech authorized by President Hugo Chavez at the OAS Permanent Council that Washington "backed" the thwarted coup d'etat in April 2002 against Chavez and urged "an end of foreign intervention."
I'll admit that, while I'm no fan of Bush, I think simply ignoring the propagandistic temper tantrums coming from the Chavez regime has been a smart move. This may be the one policy area where lack of curiosity and disinterest lead to more or less the right policy. More forceful engagement would only be playing into the Chavez-Castro victimization trap.
