Apology to President George W. Bush

After President Hugo Chavez irresponsible speech at the UN General Assembly, as a Venezuelan citizen I feel compelled to write this letter to President George W. Bush, the American people and the international community. I have added the names of Presidents Vicente Fox and Alan Garcia as they have also been victims of Mr. Chavez's verbal aggression. If you wish to sign this letter, please join me in signing this letter of apology.

Despuйs de escuchar el discurso irresponsable del Presidente Hugo Chavez ante la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas, como ciudadano(a) venezolano(a) que soy me siento obligado (a) a pedir disculpas en nombre de mi pais al Presidente George W. Bush, al pueblo de los Estados Unidos de Norteamerica y a la comunidad internacional. He incluido a los Presidentes Vicente Fox y Alan Garcia quienes tambiйn en otras oportunidades han sido blanco de los ataques verbales del Presidente Hugo Chavez. Si esta de acuerdo con esta carta por favor unase a nosotros e incluya su firma.




To President George W. Bush, President Vicente Fox, President Alan Garcia and the international community.

After yesterdays irresponsible speech by President Hugo Chavez at the UN General Assembly I feel compelled to write this letter of apology to all of you and to the citizens of the countries you represent. Please understand that Hugo Chavez only speaks for himself and the minority of Venezuelans who support his revolution. The majority of Venezuelans deplore the political discourse Mr. Chavez and other members of his government have chosen to follow, attacking every government, every foreign dignitary or government official who does not agree with his confused political ideology and who express their concern about the true intentions of the Bolivarian revolution, a revolution which under the inspiration and guidance of Fidel Castro intends to lead all of Latin America on a disaster course towards a Castro-Communist submission. No one is spared; the opposition in Venezuela is also under the constant barrage of the same virulent discourse. Well, what can we expect from a person who has made a practice of insulting women, the clergy, labor unions, the private sector, the media, retired officers of our armed forces, respectable citizens, other religious and ethnic groups and yes, even some of his revolutionary cronies? What certainly is difficult to comprehend is the response he obtained from the General Assembly. Is it possible that the world is blind to the destabilizing and peace-threatening intentions of Mr. Chavez and his allies?
As a Venezuelan I feel ashamed that the person who holds the highest office in our troubled nation has chosen to use such questionable vocabulary and abusive expressions against President George W. Bush, and, in the past, against Presidents Vicente Fox and Alan Garcia. Mr. Chavez apparently doesnt know that the United Nations is not a forum where personal differences are ventilated. In his quest to become an international figure, following the footsteps of his mentor Fidel Castro, he has misrepresented himself as the voice of all Venezuelans. This certainly is not the case.
Historically Venezuela has been a peace-loving nation and since our war of independence from Spain in the first quarter of the 19th century we have not been involved in any armed conflict against another nation. Today the majority of Venezuelans are concerned with Mr. Chavezs alignment with the rogue nations in the world such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Zimbabwe, Syria, Belorussia, to name a few, with whom in the past we have had very little in common. For many years we have maintained excellent relations with the United States of America, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Great Britain, and many other countries which now are targets of his inflammatory speeches. We intend to continue such good relations, no matter what Mr. Chavez says during his temporary position as head of the Venezuelan government.
Since the end of the Perez Jimenez dictatorship in February 1958 up to the fateful elections of December 1998, Venezuela had chosen to follow a democratic path towards its political, economic and social development, but, unfortunately, we were not spared the growing pains typical of an infant democracy. Tragically these circumstances opened the door for Mr. Chavez populist discourse which brought hope to the many Venezuelans who elected him and who as a majority today are disappointed and discouraged. Please note that he has emphasized ad nauseum that he will stay in power until 2021. This path towards a totalitarian regime is totally unacceptable but to the minority who follow him in his deranged plan to subject us and all of Latin America under his ill defined Socialism of the Twenty First Century.
While he claims to be a crusader against foreign intervention in the internal and sovereign affairs of nations, his intromissions in the affairs of Bolivia, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, The United States of America, etc. are proof of the inconsistencies in his political and diplomatic discourse.
Once again, as a Venezuelan who is proud of my country, its history, heritage, culture and traditions I extend my apologies for the vicious verbal attacks Mr. Hugo Chavez has launched against all of you. Setting aside individual political preferences, I hope that tolerance, common sense and democratic maturity prevail so that this unfortunate experience may not affect your perception of Venezuelans and of the respect we have for you, the citizens of your respective countries and for the entire international community.

Yours truly,