MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chavez apologizes; Bachelet to meet Venezuelan opposition

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez apologized on Sunday to Chilean leader Michelle Bachelet following his harsh criticism of the Chilean Senate, “bunch of fascists” for having sponsored a statement against the “arbitrary” closure of a Venezuelan opposition broadcasting and television station.

"President Bachelet: my apologies if my statements caused difficulties. I beg for pardon but Venezuela is Venezuela and Chavez is Chavez. I'm forced to defend Venezuela's sovereignty", said the leader on Sunday during his program "Aló Presidente". "My statements have nothing to do with the government of Chile", he insisted arguing that he had replied to the Chilean Senate, "that has nothing to do with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and its sovereign decisions". "If the Chilean right wing wants to sabotage because it's always trying to sabotage relations between Chile and Venezuela, we're going to see who's stronger: or the Chilean right that supported the coup against the martyr president of Salvador Allende or friendship between two governments and two peoples", he insisted. Chavez was also replying to Chilean Foreign Affairs minister Alejandro Foxley who pointed out that the Venezuelan leader's statements "introduce a difficulty" to the visit to Venezuela that this Monday begins president Bachelet. President Bachelet who will be participating in the first Latinamerican Energy Summit hosted by Venezuela also asked for "respect" from Chavez when addressing the branches of Chilean government. Chavez outbursts against the Chilean Senate followed a censure motion against Venezuela's decision to withdraw the license of a private television station and a request to President Bachelet to formally protest such an action before the Organization of American States, OAS. In his Sunday statements Chavez denied he was acting against freedom of the press or trying to close a television station, "it's all a big lie, it's just the end of a concession. Is the Chilean Senate an imperialist Senate, the Roman Senate or the US Senate? Then I simply replied to them in my style". Earlier in the week he had insisted that they were a "bunch of fascists" who had supported the military coup against Chilean Socialist president Salvador Allende in 1973. Last year Chavez announced that his government would not renew the RCTV concession which has been in the air uninterruptedly since 1953, accusing the station of having participated in the coup which ousted Chavez during two days in April 2002. RCTV concession expires next May 27. Under Venezuelan law radio electric space belongs to the state. President Bachelet is expected Monday in the energy summit at Margarita Island and on Wednesday is scheduled to meet with members of the Venezuelan opposition. On that day Bachelet will share lunch with President Chavez at the Palacio Miraflores and then in the afternoon "will hold a meeting with representatives from the political opposition in Venezuela", according to an official release in Santiago.