From Venezuelan Writers, Artists and Academics to Their Colleagues of Other Countries

MESSAGE FROM VENEZUELAN WRITERS, ARTISTS AND ACADEMICS TO THEIR COLLEAGUES OF OTHER COUNTRIES

Venezuela is going through one of the most dramatic moments in its history. A gigantic fraud disallowing millions of signatures asking for the recall of the President, Hugo Chavez, the President, is currently underway. Confronted with the possibility of losing power, the government is promoting a national and international propaganda campaign to tarnish the gathering of recall signatures The President refers, ironically, to the recall as “Mega- Fraud.” It is the disallowing of the signatures, which is the mega-fraud. The 3,475,000 citizens who signed the recall petition did it because of: 1) The Predisent’s taking total control of all branches of government and steering the country towards totalitarianism 2) The militarization of the administration at all levels, including a high percentage of cabinet members and state governors; 3) the blatant infringement of laws and the Constitution itself, not only by the President, but by public servants at all levels: 4) The militarization and politization of the state petroleum holdings (PDVSA) leading to the deterioration of the country’s most important source of income, and its progressive privatization, turning development over to foreign companies; 5) The economic disorder, its ruinous currency exchange controls, high inflation, an already excessive and growing unemployment rate, a dramatic growth in poverty levels, and an acute shortage of vital products such as food and medicine.; 6) The dismantling of the armed forces, and its gradual substitution by a parallel military force serving the President and his supporters., not the State., 7) An erratic foreign policy, directed by the head of State as a function of his personal whims, which greatly harms the national interest; 8) A gigantic looting and waste of the public financial resources; 9) A brutal repression of public protest rallies, using vigilante 2 groups , organized and armed by government agencies; 10) The intimidation media opposing the regime, and a total scorn of public opinion; 11) The abandonment of public services, specially social security, education, and health services, to be substituted by “Missions” of clear populist slant; 12) An absolute indifference to the run-away growth of common street crime; 13) An exacerbated cult of personality, as it is typical of dictatorial rulers. Instead of trying to achieve a national consensus, Chavez has used vitriolic rhetoric promoting violence and hatred between social classes and the exclusion of vast sectors of middle class people branding them as oligarchs. His aggressive and offensive rhetoric, aimed at discrediting middle class values, has eroded middle class support, and now they constitute, (together with a large low-income sector), an opposition approaching 70% of the population, which is now trying to revoke his mandate by the recall vote. The recall vote is a a sacred right of the Constitution approved by a Constituent Assembly. To our colleagues around the world, we hereby denounce the situation briefly sketched here. Chavez’s government has been cleverly propagandizing worldwide, and has sowed confusion among groups of people who are geographically removed from what is really happening in Venezuela and who are not in possession of the true facts. This propaganda campaign tries to persuade people that Hugo Chavez is the leader of a revolution, which, is only empty rhetoric, since his actions have only led to a catastrophe. Step by step we are approaching a brutal military dictatorship, disguised as a socialist government preying upon the utopian sentiments of Venezuelans, who yearn for a solution to poverty. President Chavez continues to deny democracy to the great majority of Venezuelans that oppose authoritarianism.

Caracas, February 25th, 2004 3

Alvaro Agudo Roldán Esteva-Grillet Héctor Malavé Mata Annabella Aguilar Héctor Faúndez Manuel Malaver Marisol Aguilera Iván Feo Alexis Márquez Rodríguez Francisco Alarcón Carlos Fernández Cuesta Esperanza Márquez Harry Almela Daniel Fernández Shaw Gloria Márquez Rosario Alonso de León Ana María Ferris Yolanda Márquez Rachel Alvárez Ana Luisa Figueredo Joaquín Marta Sosa Rosario Anzola Emilio Figueredo Ibsen Martínez Alexander Apóstol Carlos A. Figueredo Roberto Martinez Bachrich Aixa Armas Alicia Freilich Milagros Mata Gil Alejandro Armas Miriam Freilich María Beatriz Medina Edda Armas Marisol Fuentes Iván R. Méndez Carolina Arnal Hernán Gamboa Juan Carlos Méndez Gustavo Arnstein Esther Gamus Guedez Rafael Arráiz Lucca Paulina Gamus Ricardo Mitre Belkis Arredondo Raquel Gamus Acianela Montes de Oca María Eugenia Arria Humberto García Larralde Eugenio Montejo Mariela Arvelo Evangelina García Prince Alfonso Montes Michaelle Ascencio María Antonia García Dennys Montoto Ruth Auerbach Sucre Marcos Moreno Leonardo Azparren Diana García Sucre Alfredo Morles Hernández Alesssandro Balteo Nelson Garrido Eleazar Narváez Alberto Barrera Tyszka Judith Ghasgahie Marco Negrón Guillermo Barrios Jacqueline Goldberg Elvira Neri Alberto Baumeister Miguel Gomes Pedro Nikken Margarita Belandria Emeterio Gómez Humberto Njaim Waleska Belisario Luis Gómez Calcaño María Celina Nuñez Ricardo Bello María Elena González Nela Ochoa Josefina Benedetti Adriano González León Iván Olaizola Manuel Bermúdez Anna Gradowska José Orellana Giulano Bertolozzi Moraima Guanipa Marta Orellana Marcelino Bisbal Víctor Guédez Silvio Orta Rodrigo Blanco Gustavo Guerrero Carlos Ortiz Demetrio Boersner Arturo Gutiérrez Plaza Carlos Oteyza Víctor Bravo Sonia Hecker Carlos Pacheco Soledad Bravo Alberto Hernández Leonardo Padrón Luis Brito Tosca Hernández Juan Paéz Avila Blas Bruni Celli Adolfo Herrera María Fernanda Palacios Elizabeth Burgos Bernardino Herrera Juan Carlos Palenzuela Manuel Caballero Sofía Imber Federica Palomero Colette Capriles Consuelo Iranzo Anita Pantin Antonio Luis Cárdenas Juan Iribarren Yolanda Pantin Elsa Cardozo de Silva Fausto Izcaray Cristina Pardo Adicea Castillo Angelina Jaffé Norah Parissi Laura Castillo de Gurfínkel Verónica Jaffé José Antonio Parra Marian Castillo Ariel Jiménez Antonio Pasquali Rafael Castillo Zapata Kira Kariakin Edilio Peña Cristina Castrillo Marianne Kohn Beker Rolando Peña Israel Centeno Gisela Kozak Francisco Javier Pérez Armando Coll Karl Krispin Rubén Pérez Mara Comerlati Enrique Larrañaga Luis Enrique Pérez Oramas Simón Alberto Consalvi María Luisa Lazzaro Omar Pérez Morella Contramaestre Carole Leal Curiel Delia Picón-Salas de Diómedes Cordero Vicente Lecuna Morles Alfredo Coronil Hartman Hélice León Sandra Pinardi Gloria Cuenca de Herrera Elisa Lerner Elías Pino Iturrieta María Teresa Chacín Diana Lichy Gustavo Planchart Isaac Chocrón Antonio López Ortega Pocaterra Sonia Chocrón Hercilia López Eduardo Pozo Victoria De Stefano María Teresa López María Pilar Puig Jorge Díaz Polanco Pedro López Flor A. Pujol Rafael Di Prisco Teódulo López Meléndez José Pulido Franzel Delgado Senior Oscar Lucien Inés Quintero Haydee Deutsch Antonio Llerandi Pablo Quintero Roberto Echeto Carmen Mannarino José Ramírez Enrique Enríquez Josefina Manrique Tulio Ramirez Thais Erminy María Elena Ramos 4

Gabriela Rangel Antonio Sánchez García Thaelman Urguelles Lidia Rebrij Roberto Sánchez Delgado Clementina Vaamonde Eleonora Requena Elías Santana Alberto Valero Julie Restito Rafael Santana Horacio Vanegas Luz Marina Rivas Gioconda San Blas Patricia Van Dalen Nelson Rivera Chelique Sarabia María Teresa van der Ree Tahía Rivero Luis José Silva Luongo Alejandro Varderi Fernando Rodríguez Héctor Silva Michelena Vilma Vargas José Rodríguez Iturbe Petruvska Simme Emilda Velazco Violeta Rojo Milagros Socorro Mikel de Viana Gisela Romero Graciela Soriano Javier Vidal María Teresa Romero Blanca Strepponi Jóvito Alcides Villalba Malena Roncayolo Guillermo Sucre Carmen Vincenti Marcela Rossiter Pedro Tagliafico Perla Vonasek Valentina Saa Carbonell María Soledad Tapia María Beatriz Yabur Elizabeth Safar Ricardo Teruel Eliazar Yanes Magaly Salazar Ana Teresa Torres Corina Yoris Solange Salazar Héctor Torres Fernando Yurman Adolfo Salgueiro Ildemaro Torres Hernán Zamora Oscar Sambrano Urdaneta Fina Torres Pedro León Zapata Antolín Sánchez Rosa Virginia Urdaneta Luis Zelkowicz