US, Venezuela Clash at OAS Meeting (XinhuaNet.com)
BEIJING, June 6 -- The US' call to support what they called "fragile" democracies in the West was immediately met by Venezuelan accusation of seeking to impose what they called a "global dictatorship."
The United States hopes to use a three-day meeting of the 34-member Organization of American States to advance its idea of allowing private groups to help monitor democracy by raising their concerns with the OAS.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters that it's very clear that the institution needs to be better capable of dealing with fragile democracies.
She did not directly mention Venezuela, but Washington and other critics of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez did say that although twice elected, the Venezuelan President is showing authoritarian tendencies in office.
On his weekly "Hello President" TV and radio show, Chavez said the US is going to try to monitor the Venezuelan government through the OAS.
He added that if there is any government that should be monitored by the OAS, it should be the US government. He argued that the US government backs terrorists, invades nations, tramples over its own people, and seeks to install a global dictatorship.
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