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Mack: Chavez's Actions Threaten Validity of Upcoming Elections in Venezuela
November 21, 2008 -
WASHINGTON - Congressman Connie Mack (FL-14) today expressed strong concern about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s repeated and continued crackdown against the opposition in advance of Sunday’s state and local elections, saying Chavez’s intimidation and manipulation threaten to undermine the validity of the election results.According to news reports, Chavez has threatened to imprison his political opponents, use force to defend the results of the election, and send tanks into the streets of states that end up in the hands of his opponents.
Mack, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said:
“Just one year ago, Venezuelans joined together to stand for freedom and rejected a proposition that would have given Hugo Chavez unlimited power to rule for life. They sent a sharp message to Chavez and the rest of the world that they despise his vicious assaults on freedom and free markets.
“Nevertheless, in a heavy-handed attempt to ensure his candidates win so he can try to gain unlimited and far-reaching constitutional powers, Chavez is continuing to threaten, intimidate and browbeat the Venezuelan people into voting for his allies in local elections. The Venezuelan people must stand firm in their opposition to Chavez’s thug-like ways and resist his attempts to intimidate and manipulate voters and opponents.
“Just several weeks after the United States held an historic and democratic election, the American people must support our neighbors in Venezuela in their quest for free and fair elections without the threat of coercion or retribution. The world will be carefully watching Hugo Chavez and the outcome of Sunday’s Venezuelan elections.”
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