Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-11-28-Speech-3-270"
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"en.20071128.25.3-270"2
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".
Madam President, the American continent as a whole is the closest to Europe in terms of values, ideals, vision of the world and individuals, their dignity and their rights. What we call the West to my mind clearly includes Latin America.
In recent years there have been some positive trends in Latin America as a whole, bringing it ever closer to Europe: pluralist elections and democratic consolidation, growth with more balanced and open economic policies, regional integration processes and very important agreements with the European Union.
However, there are exceptions in this positive panorama: in addition to the traditional one of Cuba, that of Venezuela is now emerging. This country is going through a process of increasing authoritarianism in which freedoms are being restricted, the opposition is being harassed and fear is being created among the people who even suspect that their vote is no longer secret. In this House we regret the closure last May of Radio Caracas Televisión.
On Sunday a constitutional referendum will hurriedly be held which aims to introduce an authoritarian and exclusive regime and which proposes to establish what is being termed ‘Socialism for the 21
century’. An until recently very close associate of President Chávez has even termed the process a ‘coup’. I regret that an election observation mission from the European Union has not been officially invited.
What is more, this referendum is being held in a climate of violence and tension which has even cost the lives of students who also reject the plan. In recent years, physical and legal insecurity, kidnaps and land occupations have also increased. As a result, for example, many of my Galician compatriots have left the country at the average rate of one thousand people per year since President Chávez came to power.
Emboldened by high oil prices, President Chávez is looking for followers and allies in other countries, he is making a lot of noise in international forums and he is intervening in the sovereign affairs of his neighbours. As President Uribe has said, President Chávez wants to set the continent alight. His attitude is a problem for the democratic stability of Venezuela and for harmony and integration processes in Latin America as a whole. He is also disrupting the relations which have been expanding in the last decade between countries on that continent and the European Union.
Bearing in mind the next Lima Summit, the attitude of President Chávez represents a serious challenge which must be carefully considered by the European Union and its Member States."@en1
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