MR. CASEY: I’m not quite sure where that issue stands right now. But that’s an internal matter for Colombia and Colombians to decide. Obviously, any changes that might be made to their electoral law or to their constitution that would be required would be something that would be for the Colombian political process, and ultimately, if it involves a referendum, the Colombian people to work out.

QUESTION: Was that the same reaction -- was the reaction from the podium the same when Chavez tried a similar strategy?

MR. CASEY: Oh, so the reaction should be equivalent to a democratic leader proposing a democratic change in his country, in a country in which there have been free and fair elections in which media can operate freely, in which those who have committed abuses against labor leaders and others are being prosecuted?

You would like me to make an equivalence between that and someone who was elected democratically, but who has never governed in that way, who has closed down newspapers, closed down television stations, arrested his opposition, recently eliminated more than 300 opposition candidates from being eligible to vote based on a rather flimsy pretext of the possibility that they might face charges in the future?

I’m sorry, I can’t really go there for you. (Laughter.)