An editorial in Wednesday’s
Washington Post harshly criticized Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.
Entitled
“Ally to Kidnappers”, the editorial touched on several topics stemming from including Chavez’ suggestion to remove Colombia’s FARC guerillas
from international terrorist lists.
On Chavez’ recent comments on the FARC:
In short, Mr. Chávez was endorsing groups dedicated to violence and other criminal behavior in a neighboring Latin American democracy, and associating his agenda with theirs…Latin American leaders who until now have seen in Mr. Chávez a crude populist who buys his friends with petrodollars are faced with something new: a head of state who has openly endorsed an organization of kidnappers and drug traffickers in a neighboring, democratic country.
On international support of Chavez:
Some in Washington, London and Madrid where kidnappings are rare, are happy to embrace Mr. Chávez -- former congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II, for example, can be heard in radio advertisements touting his alliance with the Venezuelan leader. The FARC may think it can similarly find allies. Filmmaker Oliver Stone is already sold: He recently called the FARC "heroic."
On Colombia’s president:
The answer to this logic (by Stone and Kennedy) was provided by the press office of Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, who has been waging what is, in fact, a heroic battle against the brutal gangs that for decades have plagued his country. "The violent groups of Colombia are terrorists because they finance themselves through a business that is lethal to humanity: drug trafficking," the press office said.
So far, neither Chavez or the Venezuelan government has replied to the strongly-worded editorial.
Image- Caribbean Net News
Sources- Washington Post, El Universal, BBC News
