S.Res. 607

A resolution admonishing the statements made by President Hugo Chavez at the United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 2006, and the undemocratic actions of President Chavez.

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III

109th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. RES. 607

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 30 (legislative day, September 29), 2006

Mr. Bunning (for himself, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Allen, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Craig, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Ensign, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Frist, Mr. Kyl, Mr. Sununu, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Martinez, and Mr. Burns) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

December 6, 2006

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to

RESOLUTION

Admonishing the statements made by President Hugo Chavez at the United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 2006, and the undemocratic actions of President Chavez.

Whereas President Chavez referred to the President of the United States as the devil, and referred to the President as the spokesman of imperialism for the efforts of the United States to aid the citizens of Afghanistan and Iraq in the goal of those citizens to create a permanent and viable representative government;

Whereas President Chavez made unsubstantiated claims that the United States had set in motion a coup in Venezuela on April 11, 2002, and continues to support coup attempts in Venezuela and elsewhere;

Whereas, to consolidate his powers, President Chavez—

(1)

continues to weaken the separation of powers and democratic institutions of the Government of Venezuela;

(2)

survived a recall vote in August 2004 through questionably undemocratic actions;

(3)

decreed that all private property deemed not in productive use will be confiscated by the Government of Venezuela and redistributed to third parties;

(4)

enacted a media responsibility law that—

(A)

placed restrictions on broadcast media coverage; and

(B)

imposed severe penalties for violators of that law;

(5)

used other legal methods to silence media outlets that criticized his government; and

(6)

changed the penal code of Venezuela—

(A)

to restrict the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of association once enjoyed by the citizens of Venezuela; and

(B)

to increase jail terms for those convicted of criticizing the government of that country;

Whereas, in an effort to destabilize the democratic governments of other countries in that region, President Chavez continues to support anti-democratic forces in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Nicaragua, as well as radical and extremist parties in those countries;

Whereas President Chavez has repeatedly stated his desire to unite Latin America to serve as a buffer against the people and interests of the United States;

Whereas President Chavez has aligned himself with countries that are classified by the Department of State as state sponsors of terrorism; and

Whereas President Chavez has developed a close relationship with the totalitarian regime in Cuba, led by Fidel Castro, and has also associated himself with other authoritarian leaders, including Kim Jong Il of North Korea and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate condemns—

(1)

the statements made by President Hugo Chavez at the United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 2006; and

(2)

the undemocratic actions of President Chavez.