Romero underlined a number of Washington's concerns over
Venezuela, although he stopped short of making any sharp criticism of Venezuela's
ex-paratrooper president...
MIAMI HERALD
Saturday, 2 October 1999
U.S. urges Venezuela to avoid Colombian peace
talks
By Jane Bussey
Raising a cautionary flag to any Venezuelan foray into regional activism,
Acting Assistant Secretary of State Peter Romero Friday urged Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez to steer clear of negotiations between the Colombian
government and leftist guerrillas.
``When it relates to Colombian peace negotiations, President [Andres]
Pastrana is the most appropriate to lead those negotiations,'' Romero told
a luncheon meeting of regional representatives and local leaders attending
The Herald-sponsored Americas Conference.
Romero also cautioned that to open a separate negotiating channel between
Chavez and the guerrillas would ``only dilute President Pastrana's ability
to restart his own negotiations in Colombia.''
In recent weeks, Chavez has offered to host an international meeting
to focus attention on the Colombia situation and has disclosed that he
received overtures from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
to talk with the rebels. Chavez said he declined to meet unless his Colombian
counterpart were present. But Chavez's activism and a number of incidents
along the Colombian-Venezuelan border have elevated tensions between the
countries.
Romero underlined a number of Washington's concerns over Venezuela,
although he stopped short of making any sharp criticism of Venezuela's
ex-paratrooper president, who has embarked on a complete overhaul of Venezuela's
political system with the convocation of a Constituent Assembly to rewrite
the constitution.
``I think your characterizing it as a yellow flag is right,'' Romero
said, referring to U.S. concerns, adding that while Washington viewed Colombian
peace talks as an issue solely for Pastrana, Chavez had the right to meet
with the guerrillas to discuss Venezuelan security issues.
Romero also stressed Washington's disagreement with Chavez over his
prohibition of U.S. counternarcotics surveillance planes flying over Venezuela.
``Venezuela sits astride Colombia, which is the biggest cocaine producer,''
Romero said. ``So it is vitally important that we are able to gain Venezuelan
cooperation on those flights.''
There is unease over Venezuela's constitutional reform in some circles.
But Romero said President Clinton had voiced his support for Chavez in
the recent meeting in New York.
Romero praised the region for the spread of democracy, the decline of
regional tensions -- marked by the lowest per capita military spending
in the world -- and counternarcotics cooperation.
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