MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Spain downplays incident with Venezuela's Chavez

Spain has sought to end tensions with Venezuela after President Hugo Chavez said he would review his country's ties with Spain. Meeting on Thursday with diplomats and reporters in Madrid Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said Spain will defend its interests without more unnecessary gestures.

"Fewer gestures and more action" were needed to ease tensions said Moratinos adding that "Spain will remain serene, firm and will defend its interests without adding any more unnecessary gestures". President Chavez said Wednesday that he was reviewing political, diplomatic and economic ties with Madrid, after Spanish King Juan Carlos publicly told Mr. Chavez to "shut up." The incident happened last week during the Ibero-American summit of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking leaders in Santiago, Chile. At Saturday's closing session, Mr. Chavez tried repeatedly to interrupt a speech by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero who was asking him to be more "respectful and diplomatic". Chavez insisted in calling former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar a "fascist". That is when King Juan Carlos leaned forward turned to Mr. Chavez and tried to silence him with the "why don't you shut up". The King later left the meeting when another Latinamerican leader, Nicaragua's president Daniel Ortega accused Spanish companies of interference in the country's elections. Hugo Chavez has insistently suggested King Juan Carlos had prior knowledge of a 2002 coup in Venezuela. Chavez says Spain's ambassador showed support for the coup plotters who ousted him for two days in 2002. Mr. Chavez says he thought the ambassador had acted with the king's approval. Moratinos ruled out recalling Spain's ambassador for consultations, as demanded by conservatives in Spain. "I believe that recalling an ambassador for consultations is the last thing that must be done" he said recalling that a majority of Latin American countries that had attended the summit, including the host Chile, had expressed support for Spain. Chavez said Wednesday he did not want to damage relations but was thinking deeply about his country's relations with Spain. Moratinos admitted that Spain will not take any step that may undermine Spanish corporations operating in Venezuela or the 300.000 Spanish citizens living in Venezuela. He said that Spanish corporations had suggested the government should act serenely trying to ensure confidence. Moratinos' remarks came during a meeting with some 60 diplomats, including Venezuelan Ambassador to Spain Alfredo Toro.