LETTER TO:Senator Richard C. Lugar (GONZALO COLIMODIO)

Gonzalo Colimodio

 

February 29, 2004

Honorable

Senator Richard C. Lugar

Chairman, and Distinguished Members

U.S. Senate Committee On Foreign Relations

Dircksen Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20150

Dear Senator Lugar:

First of all I will like to introduce myself. I am a Venezuela citizen, born October 30, 1943. Obtained my high school diploma  at Staunton Military Academy, Staunton, Virginia (1962), my law degree at Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (Caracas-1969) and a Master in Comparative Jurisprudence from New York University (1970).

As I am writing to you I am looking at my television set the repression being carried out by the National Guard (with tanks and armored vehicles) against a Peaceful Protest of our Civil Society that is defending  3.400.000 millions signatures for the exercise of our Constitutional right  to recall Hugo Chavez, constitutional right that the government has publicly said  will oppose at all cost and with all the means at their disposal(20.000 armed Cubans among them). So far we have 5 killed and over 200 with severe shocks (including children under three years of age) from the unjustifiable tear gas used by the National Guard, that also violates article 68 of our Constitution. But I am also hearing Chavez bombarding and blaming President George W. Bush for the killings of April 11, 2002, in Caracas.

At this moment I want to bring to the attention of this distinguished committee, and share with you, the report recently published by the Council on Foreign Relation (January 2004) entitled: Andes 2020: A New Strategy for the Challenges of Colombia and the Region. The conclusion of this excellent report is that the stability of the Region will depend on the success of Colombia in solving the critical issues referred to in the mentioned report.

With 34 years of legal experience, mainly in International law, and as a modest and objective observer of national and international political issues in today’s globalize world, I must inform that in my opinion, the immediate real threat to the political. economic and social stability of the region(Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru), and the hemisphere(El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala) in general is, without any doubt, Hugo Chavez.

We have learned in International Economic law that in trade negotiations all the states are or should be in a level playing field. In sports, specifically in soccer, the main rule is fair play. Neither is currently present in Venezuela. This is a regime that, with the support of Fidel Castro, is trying to substitute the democratic system with a communist type one and what he boast as the existing so called democratic institutions are only a façade for the international public opinion.

We have been, are and will be sound and solid defenders of the civil, political, social and economic liberties established in our Constitution(s) and will abide always by the Rule of Law. Not so the Chavez regime. Evidence to the latter is numerous, and crystal clear.

I am of the opinion that both, the problem of Colombia and of Venezuela transcends their respective borders and their satisfactory resolution requires the immediate attention and action of the different actors of the International Community: Organization of American States, Group of Friends (Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Brazil and the United States) and the European Union, among others.

The concept of Sovereignty today is not and can not be used by governments as a shield to commit crimes, to oppress and repress violently its citizens, have total disregard for the Rule of Law, and prohibit the rightful exercise of the liberties inherent of a democratic System.

We have just witnessed the crisis in Haiti. My question to this Honorable Committee: What is it necessary for the International Community to protect these sacred rights.

As far as I am concern, I will exhaust all the means at whatever costs to allow our children and grandchildren to enjoy the same freedoms and opportunities that we were fortunate to fully enjoy.

Mr. Chairman: I am taking the liberty of sending the present communication to the other distinguished members of Foreign Relations Committee that you prestigiously chair and to his Excellency, Charles Shapiro, US Ambassador to Venezuela. Due to the urgency of the situation I am requesting the good offices of Ambassador Shapiro to transmit this letter to you.

Sincerely Yours

Gonzalo Colimodio