Then the regime starts shooting down unarmed protestors in the street...
And now, an even greater catastrophe looms on the horizon:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the ... story.htmlEx-President Carter planning trip to Venezuela
CARACAS, Venezuela — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is expressing concern about Venezuela’s escalating political crisis and wants to meet with leaders on both sides in an upcoming trip.
Carter, a mediator of past political conflict in the deeply polarized South American nation, made the offer in private letters he sent this week to President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Henrique Capriles.
Expressing “grave concern” about the loss of life in recent protests and the risk of more conflict ahead, Carter in the letter to Capriles said that for dialogue aimed at easing tensions to succeed both side must “send signals of their willingness to alleviate the present state of tension.”
For the opposition, that means making clear its commitment to act within constitutional limits and strongly reject violence, the Nobel peace laureate [
“It is difficult for elected officials from opposition parties to resolve differences when they feel threatened and persecuted,” Carter wrote.
The Carter Center has been a frequent observer of elections in Venezuela and mediated talks between the socialist government and opposition following a 2002 coup that briefly unseated then President Hugo Chavez.[that worked out beautifully...]
Carter is accepted by the normally anti-American government — Maduro praised him at a news conference Friday. [Yeah, Castro and the North Koreans are big fans too...if you're an anti-American dictator, Carter's your guy...] But some members of the opposition harshly criticized the Carter Center for validating a 2004 recall referendum that Chavez won amid complaints that the process leading up to the vote unfairly favored him.
Carter said he hopes to meet with Capriles and other leaders during a planned April 29 visit to Caracas to promote a health program with Venezuela and Brazil.[hopefully Madura will be out before then.]
