Venezuela Information Office
733 15th Street NW Suite 932
Washington, DC 20005
Voice:
(202) 347-8081
Fax: (202) 347-8091
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:733 15th Street NW Suite 932
Washington, DC 20005
Fax: (202) 347-8091
Monday, July 26, 2004
Contact: Robert Naiman
202-347-8081 x. 605
Ch�vez Gets Strong Support
From Brazil202-347-8081 x. 605
President Lula's Party, Renowned Leaders, and Major Trade Union
Federation (CUT) All Support Ch�vez Win in August 15 Referendum
In recent statements, the party of Brazil�s President Lula Da Silva, the largest Brazilian trade union federation Central Unica dos Trabalhadores (CUT), and dozens of prominent individuals in Brazil expressed support for President Hugo Ch�vez � campaign in the August 15 referendum in Venezuela.
On July 16, the Workers� Party the party of Brazil�s President Lula Da Silva released
a letter sent to President Ch�vez in which it expressed �its desire for full success of president Hugo Ch�vez in the referendum August 15, since his victory will speed the process of economic integration of South America.�
Just 9 days earlier the national trade union federation CUT had released a �Declaration of the CUT on the August 15 Referendum in Venezuela,� which said, �we understand that this election will be of basic importance for all the peoples of Latin America,� and that the decision of Venezuelans to �support the continuity of the Ch�vez government will be a strong reaffirmation � of democracy.� The CUT is the largest labor federation in Brazil, founded in 1983. Brazil�s President Lula was one of the founders of the CUT.
Strong support for Chavez also came from a group of 69 prominent writers, intellectuals, musicians and politicians, mostly from Brazil, who signed a declaration entitled "If I were a Venezuelan, I would vote for Hugo Ch�vez." The declaration was signed by Jose Rainha, coordinator of Brazil's landless workers' movement, the MST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra); best-selling author Fernando Morais; and Brazilian music legend Chico Buarque, who was exiled from Brazil during its dictatorship.
The declaration denounced �the media monopoly� that portrays Ch�vez as a tyrant despite the fact that he respects the Law and the Constitution� and praised �his commitment�[to the] common people and his determination to apply the 1999 constitution, created by an inclusive democratic process.� It noted that the right to a recall referendum is an unprecedented in Latin America, and that �few government leaders have the courage to submit themselves like President Hugo Ch�vez � to such a referendum. The statement declared, �We are sure that on August 15, the people of Venezuela will be victorious and will construct a free and just country�if we were Venezuelans, we would vote for Hugo Ch�vez.� Nobel Peace Laureate Adolfo P�rez Esquivel and Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano also supported the declaration.
Robert Naiman
Senior Policy Analyst
Venezuela Information Office
733 15th Street, NW Suite 932
Washington, DC 20005
t. 202-347-8081 x. 605
f. 202-347-8091
www.veninfo.org
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The Venezuela Information Office is dedicated to informing the American public about contemporary Venezuela. More information is available from the FARA office of the Department of Justice in Washington, DC.
