No Peace in Store for Venezuela's Opposition

According to Alberto Müller Rojas, recently elected vice president for the Unified Venezuelan Socialist Party, the climate of dialogue and peace which crowned the conclusion of the Group of Rio Summit last week cannot be transferred into Venezuela because "the right conditions don't exist." A general in the army and a close ally of Mr. Chavez, Mr. Rojas Muller was responding to comments made earlier at a press conference by opposition leader Rosales, governor of the state of Zulia. Governor Rosales, lamenting the terrible waste of the "golden years" of high petroleum prices, called on Chavez to learn from the Summit and take the initiative in calling for reconciliation and dialogue within Venezuela.  He applauded the resolutions accorded among the presidents of Latin America and suggested that the same atmosphere could be reproduced in Venezuela to tackle the myriad problems which face the nation. 

Rosales maintained that poverty, violence, food and medicine shortages were all on the rise.  This, despite the fact the Venezuela has recently benefited from oil prices at triple the rate projected for the federal budget.  The Governor suggested that, as a first step, Chavez should end his persecution of opposition politicians, business interests and the media, in order to find a "concerted" solution to Venezuela's problems.

General Muller Rojas was of the opinion that the correct "conditions" did not exist.  As an example, he cited the fact that Rosales had called Chavez "treasonous" for having moved 10 batallions of troops to the border for reasons other than national security.