Anti-Chavez ambassadors to be replaced: report

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Anti-Chavez ambassadors to be replaced: report

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Venezuelan ambassadors and senior Foreign Ministry officials who signed a referendum petition against President Hugo Chavez will be replaced and transferred to other posts, Foreign Minister Jesus Perez was quoted by the local El Universal newspaper as saying on Tuesday.

"Someone who is against the president, who signed against him, who does not share the policy defined by the president, cannot expect to represent him," Perez said in remarks published by the paper.

Chavez, who is struggling to resist an opposition campaign to hold a recall vote against him, has ordered a reshuffle in the country's diplomatic sector, targeting ambassadors who do not publicly support his rule.

The order followed the sudden resignation earlier this month of Venezuela's UN ambassador Milos Alcalay.

The referendum bid is faced with a bitter legal wrangling in the Supreme Court over the validity of more than 800,000 pro-vote signatures questioned by electoral authorities.

Last Saturday, opponents of Chavez marched to protest the dismissal of nearly 8,000 public officials.

Chavez was elected to a six-year term in 2000. Venezuela's opposition says the recession-mired, politically divided country cannot wait until 2006 presidential elections and demands a recallvote.

Source: Xinhua

Questions?Comments? Click here

Opposition blocks streets against Venezuelan president

Venezuelan President threatens US with oil weapon

Venezuelan president threatens to raise oil prices

Israel's killing of Yassin fuels conflict: Commentary ( 2 Messages)

How the US could improve its image abroad ( 14 Messages)

US urged not to fingerprint Chinese ( 10 Messages)

China hunts corrupt officials who abscond overseas ( 3 Messages)

Seven Chinese activists land on Diaoyu Islands ( 4 Messages)