Tuesday 19

Aznar hails Calderón, criticizes Venezuela and Cuba
Former head of the Spanish government José María Aznar praised Mexican President Felipe Calderón, while criticizing Venezuelan ruler Hugo Chávez and the Cuban government, calling them populist and accusing them of pushing their countries to marginalization.

"Good ideas bring about Felipe Calderón, bad ideas bring about Hugo Chávez," Aznar said in Mexico City when introducing his book "Latin America, an agenda of freedom," during a dinner attended by conservative ruling party PAN leaders.
 
The meeting was also attended by Marcel Granier, CEO of Caracas-based private television station RCTV, whom Aznar described as "a great fighter for freedom."

Wednesday 20

Garzón: "Unrestrained leader's will result in human rights-free zones"
The ruling Baltasar Garzón -a justice of the Spanish National Court- issued on Tuesday in Caracas was quite clear: "Nobody will do for you what you do not do in Venezuela."

The statements came during his keynote speech at the closing ceremony of the International Congress of the Venezuelan Confederation of Industries (Conindustria), called "Business and Labor Freedoms and Human Rights."

The controversial justice -widely known by his firm rulings in and outside Spain regarding drugs, terrorism, and human rights- also urged Venezuela to come together in an organized way, to "overcome apathy," and to forget the idea that "that is not my business."

According to Garzón, "unrestrained leader's will results in human rights-free zones." Justices "are not mere gauges of regulations or servile acolytes of the governing political power."

Chávez "marks distance" from Spain over RCTV case
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez branded as a "disrespect" for his country Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Miguel Ángel Moratinos' statements on the Venezuelan move not to renew the broadcast license for private television network RCTV, and said he was "taking distance" from Spain, even though "it hurts."

In an interview with Efe, Chávez claimed that Venezuela-European Union relations "should be better," adding that "there is quite a lot of lack of understanding, many complexes" on the European side.

Chávez pointed to Moratinos' remarks on the government's refusal to renew the broadcast license for RCTV, which ceased operations last May 27.

Last week, Moratinos reasserted the Spanish government's "concern" about the move on RCTV. Moratinos' comments came in response to a question posed by a deputy of conservative People's Party in Congress.

Basque Parliament to discuss resolution on RCTV case
The plenary session of the Basque Parliament next June 22 is discussing an urgent motion submitted by the People's Party (PP) advocating "freedom of expression" and "pluralism in news media in Venezuela," following President Hugo Chávez government's refusal to renew the broadcast license for Caracas-based private television station RCTV, Europapress reported.

In a news release, PP said secretary-general of Basque PP Carmelo Barrio, in his motion is reminding that the European Parliament agreed that Chávez' decision is "depriving a part of the audience from access to plural information."

PP is also warning that "the attitude of Chávez' government openly violates freedom of expression."

Moratinos: Spain keeps in touch with Spaniards hit by land occupations
Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wednesday said the Spanish Embassy in Venezuela has been, is and will "always be in permanent contact" with Spaniards hit by land invasions in Venezuela.

During a session at the Spanish Senate, Moratinos replied to conservative People's Party (PP) senator Dionisio García Carnero, who criticized the Spanish government's "ineffectiveness" to advocate the rights of Spaniards residing in Venezuela, Efe reported.

Aznar: Chávez seeks alliance with radical Islamism
Former head of the Spanish government José María Aznar reasserted his criticisms against leftwing Latin American governments deemed as populists, and accused Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez of hammering a "counter-system" alliance to web links with radical Islamism.

Aznar's comments came late Tuesday in Mexico, AFP reported.

"Populism is spreading at an alarming pace over several countries in the Americas. There is no hope in these faked alternatives, as they will not free anyone, they will not improve the conditions of anyone," he added.

High court brands Judge Garzón "mercenary"
Supreme Tribunal of Justice  president Luis Estela Morales rebutted Wednesday the comments made Tuesday by Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón, on visit to Venezuela.
 
According to Morales, her Spanish counterpart "made remarks that really denigrate the Venezuelan judiciary." In her view, this attitude is "a negative example, an example of a judge's lack of ethics and moral."

She thinks that the Spanish judge is a mercenary meddling in Venezuelan internal affairs, and has overstepped the mark.

VP Rodríguez labels Judge Garzón as hired clown
Venezuelan Vice-President Jorge Rodríguez railed Wednesday on Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón, calling him a hired clown.

The senior official replied this way to Garzón's warning against the fact that freedom of expression in Venezuela was at stake.

According to Rodríguez, Garzón came to Venezuela "for a price and a fee" paid by the oligarchy. He claimed that the judge tried to teach lessons on democracy but closed in 1988 a daily newspaper in the Basque country "only for being leftwing," DPA quoted.
"He is a clown who dared say that there is no freedom of expression here," Maduro added.

Thursday 21

Pro-Chávez businesspeople declare Garzón persona non grata
Business people for Venezuela (Empreven) moved to declare Spanish Justice Baltasar Garzón persona non grata, said the organization chair Alejandro Uzcátegui.

In a press released published by the official news agency ABN, Empreven claimed that Garzón came to Venezuela "to spread destructive opinions that are contrary to the Venezuelan people's posture."

Friday 22

Basque Parliament refuses condemning Chávez' stance on RCTV
The Basque Parliament Friday rejected condemning Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez' decision not to renew the broadcast license for private television channel RCTV.

Rather, the Parliament endorsed a resolution reasserting its "unequivocal stance to advocate freedom of opinion and expression," Efe reported.

The resolution urged countries to give "legal equal treatment to all news media, both state-run and private, regardless of any political, ideological or linguistic consideration."