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Gold9472
03-23-2006, 10:43 AM
U.S. Ambassador Stranded by Chavez Rally

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Venezuela-US-Protest.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 22, 2006
Filed at 9:46 p.m. ET

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- A raucus rally supporting leftist President Hugo Chavez stranded the U.S. ambassador and his delegation inside a social club for more than two hours Wednesday, officials said.

About 200 chanting Chavez supporters burned an American flag, set tires ablaze and blocked the gates of the Italian-Venezuelan social club during the visit by Ambassador William Brownfield to San Juan de los Morros, about 50 miles southwest of Caracas, said U.S. Embassy spokesman Brian Penn.

''It was loud, hostile and somewhat threatening. There were burning tires, loud firecrackers and obscene chants,'' Penn said. ''They weren't about to move and the police weren't about to move them, so we were stuck.''

Gov. Eduardo Manuitt, a Chavez supporter, told Union Radio that protesters were simply demonstrating against the ambassador's presence, ''asking for him to leave Guarico state -- that's all.''

U.S. officials say Chavez has failed to commit himself to democratic principles and poses a threat to the region's stability. Chavez has repeatedly accused U.S. officials of trying to discredit his ''revolutionary'' government and orchestrate his ouster. American officials deny those allegations.

Gold9472
03-23-2006, 10:45 AM
"U.S. officials say Chavez has failed to commit himself to democratic principles and poses a threat to the region's stability. Chavez has repeatedly accused U.S. officials of trying to discredit his ''revolutionary'' government and orchestrate his ouster. American officials deny those allegations."

Oh yeah...

U.S. residents say Bush has failed to commit himself to democratic principles and poses a threat to the world's stability.

Partridge
03-23-2006, 11:04 AM
Heh!

Partridge
03-23-2006, 12:42 PM
''It was loud, hostile and somewhat threatening. There were burning tires, loud firecrackers and obscene chants,'' Penn said. ''They weren't about to move and the police weren't about to move them, so we were stuck.''

Good old NY Times. So how did he get out then? Oh, according to Reuters... THE POLICE 'RESCUED' HIM (http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=11616839&src=rss/topNews).

"When the ambassador went to leave the building, he felt he could not because he believed the protests were potentially violent," said an embassy spokeswoman. "The local authorities finally helped him out and he left for the airport."

Or "When the ambassador went to leave the building, he felt he could not because he feared democracy". No 'free speech zones' in Venezuela as far as I know, actually have to face the public.