U.S. Hands Off Venezuela Campaign Condemns Robertson Terrorist Call

U.S. Hands Off Venezuela Campaign Condemns Robertson’s Call for the Assassination of Chavez

On Monday, August 22, Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition of America and a former Republican presidential candidate, openly called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Before an estimated audience of one million, Robertson said the following on his “700 Club” television program:

“You know, I don’t know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he [Chavez] thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it,” Robertson said. “It’s a whole lot cheaper than starting a war... and I don’t think any oil shipments will stop.” He continued, “We have the ability to take him [Chavez] out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability.”

Robertson went on to describe Chavez as a “terrific danger” to the United States and that it was “our duty” to stop Chavez from making Venezuela a “launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism.” He completely misrepresented the events of April 2002, and characterized Chavez as a “dictator”, despite his having overwhelmingly won multiple elections and a referendum, and who incidentally, has a far higher overall approval rating than George W. Bush.

These comments cannot be simply dismissed as having come from a “right wing nut”. Robertson is no “ordinary” or “private” citizen.  He is closely linked with the GW Bush and the Republican Party, and is known to be close to Donald Rumsfeld in particular.   We therefore demand the White House do more than “distance itself” from Robertson’s comments; an outright condemnation of this incitement to terrorism is in order.  The hypocrisy of the Bush Administration is blatantly clear: they reject terrorism when it is in their interest to do so, yet turn a blind eye to terroristic threats made by their close friends.

On a positive note, this incident has raised interest and awareness of events in Venezuela.  The U.S. Hands Off Venezuela Campaign urges you to join us in opposing all forms of intervention by the U.S. government and its agencies in Venezuela and to:

Educate and raise awareness about events in Venezuela in order to counter the bias of the mainstream media; build solidarity between American and Venezuelan trade unionists and working people in general.

Hands Off Venezuela!

For more information, visit www.ushov.org.