MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile demands removal of Venezuelan ambassador

Chile is demanding Venezuela withdraw its ambassador from Santiago following “intolerable” comments about the ruling coalition's junior member the Christian Democrats, reports the Chilean press.

Ambassador Victor Delgado in a recent forum claimed that Christian Democrats are against Venezuela's candidacy to the United Nations Security Council and in doing so are acting towards President Hugo Chavez with the same attitude as they did towards former Socialist president Salvador Allende.

In 1970 in a very tight presidential race split in three, Allende finally took office with the Christian Democrats votes in Congress, but this party led the "loyal" opposition against Chile's first Socialist president, who was violently ousted in a bloody coup by the military under General Pinochet in 1973.

Some Socialists argue that the lack of determined political support from the Christian Democrats at the time helped the downfall of Allende, a very sensitive issue in spite of the fact that since the return of democracy to Chile (1990) the two parties joined forces in a coalition and have since ruled the country.

Mr. Delgado also accused the current chairperson of the Christian Democracy, Senator Soledad Alvear, who at the time was Chile's Foreign Secretary of supporting the aborted two days coup that tried to topple President Chavez in April 2002.

At the time Chile's president Socialist Ricardo Lagos said that "the Venezuelan government actions had put the country's democratic institutions and governance at risk", virtually supporting the coup, but two days later Chavez emerged with the backing of a loyal sector of the Armed Forces.

However Ambassador Delgado's comments, apparently very close to President Chavez, could have caused irreparable damage to Chile's support for Venezuela's candidacy to a non permanent seat in the UN Security Council when it's voted next October 16/17.

Chile's government and ruling coalition members are divided on the issue. Chilean President Bachelet has repeatedly refused to state her position but it is known that since Mercosur has promised full support for Venezuela and the fact that Chavez and his (oil sponsored) Caribbean votes were decisive in having a Chilean named Organization of American States Secretary General in 2005, there's a reciprocity debt.

But President Chavez recent performance from the UN podium, to say the least, and his extreme anti Bush administration position plus the fact he has denied recognition to the recently elected president of Mexico, --alleging vote fraud--, and Mexico is a strategic ally (politically and in trade) of Chile, have generated great doubts in the Bachelet administration.

And this last incident and how it evolves, could have decisive consequences for Venezuela's aspiration to count with Chilean support. In spite of the fact that presidents Bachelet and Chavez are known to get along very well and contrary to his behaviour with other world leaders, the Venezuelan president has always shown the greatest of respect and friendship towards Ms Bachelet.

In an effort to moderate the whole incident of Ambassador Delgado's "imprudent" words, it was decided that Chilean Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Alberto van Klaveren, in Santiago, make public the request for the removal of the Venezuelan delegate.

According to Chilean political analysts when President Bachelet and her official delegation and invited Congress members from all parties left for New York, support for Venezuela's aspiration was a fact. But on the return flight the position seemed to be exactly the opposite.

United States and the European Union have anticipated they will be voting to give Guatemala the non permanent seat in the UN Security Council.