Venezuela Recalls Peru Ambassador

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela recalled its ambassador to protest Peru's decision to grant political asylum to a prominent opponent of President Hugo Chavez, calling it a mockery of international law and escalating a diplomatic dispute.

Peru announced early Monday that it was giving Manuel Rosales, a former presidential candidate who ran against Chavez in 2006 and now claims he is being persecuted by Venezuela's socialist president, political asylum for humanitarian reasons.

Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde said he believed the decision shouldn't strain relations with Venezuela.

Rosales's lawyer, Javier Valle-Riestra, said the Venezuelan opposition leader was "very happy" after receiving word of Peru's decision.

But late Monday, Venezuela's foreign ministry issued an angry statement saying Peru's decision "constitutes a mockery of international law, a tough blow to the fight against corruption and an insult to the people of Venezuela."

The statement said Peru should have arrested and extradited Rosales, and announced that Venezuela was recalling its ambassador in Lima.

Venezuelan prosecutors accuse Rosales of illegal enrichment while he was governor of western Zulia state, saying he failed to show a legal source of about $68,000 in income between 2000 and 2004.

Rosales says he reported the disputed income in his income tax returns. He calls the accusation a "political lynching" ordered by Chavez and says a fair trial is impossible.

He stepped down as mayor of Maracaibo, Venezuela's second-largest city, three weeks ago and went into hiding. His party said he was being harassed and feared for his safety, and he entered Peru as a tourist April 4 and requested political asylum last week.

Venezuela denies the charges are politically motivated.

Peru has granted asylum to two other Chavez opponents: former Yaracuy state Gov. Eduardo Lapi and prominent labor union leader Carlos Ortega. Both men escaped from prison and fled the country.

Diplomatic relations between Venezuela and Peru were last strained in 2006, when both countries withdrew their respective ambassadors after an exchange of insults involving Chavez and Peruvian President Alan Garcia. Relations returned to normal the following year.

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Associated Press writer Andrew Whalen in Lima, Peru, contributed to this report.

Comments

[Ira7]

Billy, he's only wanted by InterPol because Chavez made the request. That doesn't MEAN anything, get it?

And why is it that when anyone criticizes Chavez, you guys blame propaganda for our "misunderstanding" of him.

We're not idiots here--we see what's going on in that country. And I see a hell of a lot more than you--been there 20 times, and my wife's family is all there.

All of the leftist apologisms, excuses, accusations of imperialism fall totally shallow. Chavez is nothing more than a dictator thug with zero respect for democracy.

[petphotos]

Don't buy Citgo gas, boycott Chavez's oil. It's a little thing, but it all helps.

[Billy Hell]

It seems the many anti-Chavez commentators in this thread have let the former administrations propaganda on Chavez get to work on them, without checking independently provided facts on what he has achieved for his country. Anyone who thinks a US supported or US lead overthrow of any government anywhere in the world is preferable to one democratically elected by it's peoples, no matter how contrary to "western thinking" it's policies may be cannot call themselves believers in democracy and are bigots.

If the same circumstance were to occur in the US (successive violent attempts at removing the incumbent President and his supporters from Office) what would be the US response? Well we've all seen what it is when it comes to distant countries who pose no threat at all to US national security in Iraq. The almost countless overthrows of legitimately elected governments in sovereign nations and the repeated and almost countless failed attempts to do so should leave no question as to why there is such deep distrust for any opposition party that has strong links to the US.

Manuel Rosales is wanted by InterPol on the corruption charges against him http://www.livinginperu.com/news/8881and HIS anti-Chavez rhetoric is nothing but an attempt to escape justice. What's the reason for yours...sh­ame and embarrassment at what you have allowed your country to do on your behalf?

[LeftWingX10]

Who gives a Flyin F*uc! ignore this Foolio, two bit Thug Dictator, Castro Wanta Be . but he can Roll "O"

[Progress08]

I'm a liberal Democrat and even I think Chavez is a flake. I don't know if I could trust the guy as far as I could throw him. He creeps me out in that he acts like the overly zealous and very dorky kid in high school he is constantly trying to befriend cool kids and generally acting like a massive nuissance.

[derrickhoyle]

I got that impression with his dumping of "The Open Veins of Latin America" on Obama. Very tacky move.

[winningticket]

I wish Ollanta Humala won the election in 2006 instead of that washed up has been Garcia.

[Gib]

You can't be serious. Humala would have been a disaster.

[JerryLevy]

Ever notice that somehow all of Chavez' opponents are corrupt and being procecuted by the government? Jail your opponents and you wont have to deal with them. Sorta like Egypt, Syria, Iran, and Libya. Same principle.

[Fireslayer]

Am having a hard time understanding wherre Peru's government stands on anything.

They seem to be a nebish right-center kind of thing.; I believe the Bolvarista lost in the last elections. Hoping some Huff Post will put me up to speed on Peru's political status.

[Spencaa]

It isn't a violation of international law. Prosecuting political opponents is though.

[shotei]

Before Chavez, Venezuela was deeply enrooted in social inequality and politics were played by the small rich elite. Now, things haven't changed much. The main difference is that the democratic process is quickly dying even before it was consolidated.
Chavez is wreckless in his search for concentration of power. Referendums, personal threats, vilanizing every political opponent, inflamed speeches, these are his tools. As long as oil can pay for all that, he will be fine. The problem is the man's getting desperate with this crisis.
Here in South America, it has become increasingly impossible to support Chavez. Only the extreme left still argues for him and, believe me, they are not the brightest nor the most serious people around here.

[blood1]

Petty politics on an international stage. Chavez should be happy that his opponent has left the country, except that they can come back. So he is mad because his political enemy is no longer available, so he pulls back his ambassador. So much for unity in South American!

[tony4sure]

Who ever said South America was united?

[IndependentBadger]

Chavez is a dictator. But he makes all the right noises and jumps through all the meaningess little hoops that insecure American lefties like to see "hooped". So they smile at you and wink, when you remind them how constantly thirsty he is for more, and more, and more power.

The tragic thing is that eventually Chavez will end up at the end of the same road Castro is on. And he will drag an entire people with him. A people who were robbed for generations by right-wing oligarchs, and stripped of hope. Only to have it dangled in front of them by this egomaniac, who is perfectly willing to throw away all the hard work Bolivarians have done, some day, just to stay in power.

Chavez isn't all bad. But there is NO excuse for us to give him a pass on the concentration of power he is so hellbent on achieiving. No man should have that much control over other human beings.

[tony4sure]

Who are the Bolivarians?

[Gib]

Could he be thinking about the fact that Simon Bolivar was born in Venezuela, and became president of that country? It is a strange usage.

[Ira7]

Chavez supports FARC. He's trying to resurrect Shining Path. And VZ is collapsing economically and democratically. He needs these diversions and his "outrage" to take people's eyes off the real issues, but it's not playing in South America like it used to.

They're accusing Rosales of stealing $68,000, as a powerful governor, over a 4-year period. $68,000 OVER 4 YEARS!?

Come on--the charges stink on all levels.

[IndependentBadger]

Not really.

Stealing $68,000 is a serious crime. The man should be considered innocent until proven guilty. ut that doesn't mean you can just dismiss corruption until the theft hits 7 figures. You're also forgetting that if Venezuela has a price level roughly 1/20th of ours, then $68,000 in Venezuela buys as much as $1.4 million dollars, here. I don't know where you are from, but in Miilwaukee, that's a LOT of money.

And who cares what the total is? If you steal 14 cents from the people, or receive it from drug lords, or right wing terrorists, or whoever, you should go to prison just as long.

[Gib]

Where do you get the idea that "Venezuela has a price level roughly 1/20th of ours"?

[tony4sure]

Yes, amazingly no one is asking how come his whole family have amassed their fortunes. Interesting that.

[bubbuh]

Chavez is such a fickle thing.

[zaz33]

I believe Peru is one of the last right wing governments in Latin America so it's understandable that there would be a kinship between two ruling class politicians. Also, because the ruling class West has framed Chavez as a dictator it's assumed that there's no separation between the judiciary and the executive branch in Venezuela. Assuming that Chavez is behind these charges may not be true but is the usual propaganda.

I suspect that politically Chavez will come out the loser in the West and a winner in Latin America.

As was suggested before, high profile trials should have independent observers.

[shotei]

First of all, Chavez has stated repeatedly last year that he would put Rosales in jail before any judicial decisions had been made. This is very serious; the executive leader of a country pledged to imprison a political opponent before due process. This was completely politically motivated. $68,000 in a 4 year period sounds disturbingly like witch hunt to me. Chavez cannot be taken seriously.
Second, isn't Latin America part of the West? I am Brazilian and I can tell you that people here laugh at our northern "friend".

[superlive]

Aren't all flight risk suspects JAILED in your country? They certainly are in mine: the USA. Oh, and look, Rosales FLED the country knowing an indictment was pending.

[drjasonmd]

Latin America isn't in the West?

[tony4sure]

Why do you define Latin America as not part of the West? Huntington's definition only apply to Huntington when he is in the room. The rest of the planet does not agree.

[Gib]

Garcia is not a right-winger.