Politics August 18

Mayor López: Chávez govn't is lobbying in Mercosur to prevent discussion of banning
Leopoldo López, Mayor of Caracas's Chacao municipality, Monday, August 18 appeared in the Common Market of the South headquarters in Montevideo to submit to the consideration of the Commission on Human Rights a report on the political ban of dozens candidates to regional and local elections in November, and claimed that the Venezuelan government is lobbying in the Uruguayan capital city, to prevent the topic from being addressed by the legislators of the regional trade agreement.

"We are aware that we are competing with the oil diplomacy that is lobbying the Mercosur governments to avoid the discussion of the issue in the Mercosur Parliament. However, we are still insisting that the Venezuelan Constitution, the Human Rights Convention, the truth and justice are on our side. The Venezuelan people are also supporting our petition to enforce the laws," López said. 

He argued that Mercosur's Human Rights Commission is obliged to hear both parties; otherwise the Mercosur entity would infringe people's fundamental right to be heard.

Venezuelan legislators at odds in Mercosur
Venezuelan pro-government legislators Desirée Santos Amaral and Hermes García engaged in a heated verbal clash with Mayor of Chacao Municipality Leopoldo López and Venezuelan legislator Juan José Molina in front of the media and at the doors of the seat of Mercosur in Montevideo.

Venezuelan legislator Desirée Santos Amaral angrily told reporters that López had to wait to conclude this term in office to begin to comply with sanctions against him. Therefore, he can not run for local elections in Venezuela because he was banned by the Venezuelan Comptroller General and the Supreme Tribunal of Justice.

Meanwhile, López asked repeatedly Santos Amaral to explain her views calmly. Santos Amaral replied that the Chacao Mayor was one of the leaders of the failed coup attempt of April 2002. 

Molina said that the pro-government members of the Venezuelan National Assembly are trying to institutionalize the violation of the Constitution and accused them of "buying consciences" within Mercosur.

August 19

Chair of Parlasur Commission advocates visit to Caracas
Adriana Peña, the President of the Human Rights Commission of Mercosur, said on Tuesday, August 19 that her visit to Caracas to examine the issue of the political ineligibility of a group of candidates that were banned from participating in Venezuelan local and regional elections was "objective." Peña deplored the lack of cooperation from the Venezuelan government.  

In statements to the Uruguayan radio station El Espectador, Peña said that the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has launched a campaign in "an attempt to discredit her," as happened with similar missions carried out before by European legislators.  

Peña admitted that the trip "was not on behalf of the Commission." "It was made with the best of intentions" and found nothing but difficulties, said Peña, as reported by Efe.

Parlasur dismisses request to remove Adriana Peña from HR commission
The Venezuelan government failed on August 19 in its request to remove Adriana Peña as president of the Human Rights Commission of the Mercosur Parliament, Parlasur. The legislator from Partido Nacional, the main opposition party in Uruguay, was accused of alleged intervention in Venezuelan internal affairs.

The proposal was made in the meeting of Parlasur, where the Venezuelan delegation headed by Socialist legislator, Saúl Ortega, demanded the resignation of the president of the Human Rights (HR) Commission. The motion was not approved by the Parliament.

During the session, Leopoldo López, mayor of the Caracas municipality of Chacao, presented his case at the Commission on Human Rights, on behalf of the 272 politicians that were barred from participating in local and regional elections in November. The group of candidates faced different charges, including alleged corruption.

Mayor López pleased with hearing at Mercosur
Chacao Mayor Leopoldo López gave a presentation on August 19 at the Mercosur Human Rights Commission, where he reasoned that political banning is unconstitutional. The next step, he said, will be taking individually the case to each parliament of Mercosur member states.
 
"Our human rights were violated; we have been the victim of injustice, but we will proceed now to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, where our case was admitted already. Now, we will take the appropriate steps. Also, we will go to all the human rights commissions of the individual parliaments of each country."

López is certain that they "won the hearing" scheduled for Tuesday, August 19 at Mercosur, because they provided legal explanations instead of political ones. This, in his view, was the case for Venezuelan congresspersons.

Parlasur Commission postpones decision on political banning
The Human Rights Commission of the Mercosur Parliament postponed on August 19 a decision concerning the political ban of candidates in upcoming Venezuelan local elections, in order to "hear all the parties."

Due to lack of quorum, the legislative body was unable to resume the discussion after the plenary session. Parliamentarians decided to discuss the item in the next meeting, scheduled for August 26 or for September 4, when Parlatino will meet in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre.

Uruguayan parliamentarian Adriana Peña, who chairs the Commission, told DPA that the members of the legislative panel heard Chacao mayor Leopoldo López, who presented the case of the political ineligibility of a group of candidates in Venezuela.

"López was heard and examined. But the conclusions will be drawn later, in a session behind closed doors. We have not decided yet whether to admit or dismiss the case", said the lawmaker.

August 21

Congress VP says Mercosur deputy did not abide by law
The Uruguayan Parliament found that deputy Adriana Peña did not observe Mercosur Parliament (Parlasur) regulations during her visit to Venezuela, reported Saúl Ortega, the Vice-President of the National Assembly (AN) and a member of the Venezuelan delegation that appeared at Mercosur in Uruguay..

Adriana Peña is the representative of the Mercosur Human Rights Commission who landed in Venezuela earlier this month to hear about the political ban imposed by Comptroller General Clodosbaldo Russián. The Comptroller's decision prevented a number of people from running for the local election next November 23rd.

According to Ortega, the Uruguayan Parliament also issued a statement to disavow any action of Peña in Venezuela as she traveled on her own.

August 22

Venezuelan congressman regrets attempts at manipulation by counterparts
National Assembly (AN) deputy for pro-government Podemos party Juan José Molina, lamented on Friday, August 22 the position taken by his counterparts who represented the Venezuelan government at the Mercosur Parliament on a hearing afforded to Chacao Mayor Leopoldo López on August 18.
 
Molina feels that the Venezuelan government did not give clear answers to Mercosur Senators concerning the method used to bar people from elected public office.
 
Molina said during a press conference that the Venezuelan congresspersons, particularly AN Vice-President Saúl Ortega, have tried to "manipulate" the public opinion as to what really happened. During the hearing, Mayor López brought up the issue of his banning, who prevented him from running for the Caracas Mayoralty in the local election to be held next November.