is Jose Perez Garrameda: Answer to John Kerry ... as if I were President Chavez
Luis Jose Perez Garrameda writes: Mr. Kerry, Some days ago you made statements regarding my person; you gave these statements to a Hispanic television station called UNIVISION, one of whose shareholders I understand is a Cuban, Gustavo Cisneros, who was involved in the coup d’etat against me on April 11, 2002. I ask you to refer to an article published in News Week International at the end of April 2002, written by Joseph Contreras and Michael Isikoff, who discovered Cisneros’s participation in the April coup.
In your declarations you said that I was rapidly becoming a dictator. I don’t know from where or why you drew this conclusion, but I believe that a person who aspires to be the President of one of the most important countries in the world should, before arriving at such conclusions, research the matter at length, in this case the facts about Venezuela and its government policies. Because you are obviously unaware of these facts I am going to summarize a few items regarding my government and person.
I am the constitutional President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, elected by secret direct ballot, winning with more than 3.7 million in August, 2002. I have won seven elections in this country, among which there have been two referenda.
I was ousted on April 11, 2002, by a conspiracy in which the corrupt military, owners of the media, managers of the PDVSA (Petroleum Company), corrupt trade union leaders, and people of the Catholic Church among others, took part.
After having been overthrown and incarcerated, the brave Venezuelan people rescued me on April 13, 2002, and restored me to the post of President. All of those involved in this coup remain in liberty thanks to a ruling of the corrupt High Court which decreed that in Venezuela there was no coup rather only a vacancy in the presidency
* My enemies have blocked the television channels, one state station (VTV) and another (CATIA TV).
Between December 2002 and January 2003, those who participated in my overthrow initiated a strike in which they sabotaged the petroleum industry (PDVSA) in order to stop the flow of gasoline and inhibit petroleum exports. Food distributing companies hid stocks of food and wholesale distributors closed their doors affecting small retail shops. In those days there were all kinds of reprisals against the people, but at no moment did the government react by using public force against anyone. Instead we dedicated ourselves to importing gasoline, food and other items in order to alleviate the situation we had been plunged into by the participants of the coup.
In addition, I would like to inform you of some aspects of policy which my government has undertaken.
We have taught more than ONE MILLION Venezuelans to read, a number corroborated by UNESCO (the Robinson mission). Since I became president not one single journal or communication outlet in Venezuela has been closed, be it radio or TV. Rather, new communications companies have been started, both private and public, and neither has any single journalist been harassed.
Under my government there are no political prisoners.
In Venezuela, by means of the private communication media (TV and radio), there are more than 100 daily broadcasts at the national level, which attack my government, my family, my associates and all those who assist our task. I am the only Venezuelan President who has been insulted publicly by journalists and moderators of programs of public opinion.
We have created a net of Internet centers for the popular classes called INFOCENTROS, with the idea that all people should have access to the Internet.
We have created projects for people who do not have the resources to study, in order for them to have access to the secondary schools and universities. (Sucre, Riva and Bolivarian University projects).
We have developed plans to provide medical care for the poorest members of the society. (Barrio Adentro project)
We have created special food outlets for the most underprivileged people (MERCAL).
We are developing employment programs for the entire population. (Vuelvan Caras project) We have given incentives to the construction industry and are developing a railway and metro system. (Metro Caracas, Metro Valencia, Metro The Teques, Valles del Tuy Train, Second Bridge over the Orinoco).
International companies such as Telefonica de Espana, Movilnet-Verizon, KELLOGS, General Motors and others have invested multi-millions of dollars in our country.
I am not going to present more arguments, but I invite you and your collaborators to visit Venezuela and see for yourselves. In addition I wish to pose the following question to you: if I were or was thinking of becoming a dictator, would I be undertaking such a manner of development in and for my countr
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