| Press Statement Philip T. Reeker, Deputy Spokesman Washington, DC April 11, 2003 Support For Election Agreement Reached by Organization of American States-led Dialogue in VenezuelaWe welcome today’s statement by the facilitator of the Organization of American States in Caracas announcing that the government and opposition dialogue teams had reached an agreement that advances an electoral solution to Venezuela’s ongoing political crisis. This positive development paves the way for a constitutionally-provided recall referendum concerning the President’s continued tenure. Both sides pledge not to impede or obstruct implementation of a recall effort. The Chávez Administration and the opposition’s Democratic Coordinating Committee now must expeditiously endorse the dialogue teams’ hard work. This agreement brings Venezuelans closer to reaching the “constitutional, democratic, peaceful and electoral” solution, called for in OAS Permanent Council Resolution 833.
We applaud the government’s and opposition’s dialogue teams for their extraordinary efforts to plot the path forward for Venezuelans to peacefully and democratically build a better tomorrow for themselves. We commend OAS Secretary General César Gavíria for his tireless facilitation effort, supported by the Carter Center, and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
We call on all Venezuelans to support this carefully negotiated agreement and to work assiduously over the coming months to turn this agreement into a reality. Released on April 11, 2003 |
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