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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 581 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 581

  Condemning the anti-democratic actions of President Hugo Chavez and 
 admonishing the statements made by him to the United Nations General 
                    Assembly on September 20, 2006.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 21, 2006

  Mr. Bunning (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, and Mr. Vitter) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Condemning the anti-democratic actions of President Hugo Chavez and 
 admonishing the statements made by him to the United Nations General 
                    Assembly on September 20, 2006.

Whereas, to consolidate his powers, President Chavez rewrote the constitution of 
        Venezuela after he was elected in 1998;
Whereas, in August 2004, President Chavez survived a recall vote through 
        intimidation and other undemocratic actions;
Whereas President Chavez has decreed that all private property deemed ``not in 
        productive use'' will be confiscated by the government of Venezuela and 
        redistributed to third parties;
Whereas President Chavez has enacted a media responsibility law placing 
        restrictions on broadcast media coverage, imposing severe penalties for 
        violations, and using other legal methods to intimidate media outlets 
        that criticize his government;
Whereas changes imposed by President Chavez to the penal code of Venezuela have 
        threatened the freedom of expression and freedom of association once 
        enjoyed by the citizens of Venezuela, and have increased jail terms for 
        those convicted of criticizing the government of that country;
Whereas President Chavez and his supporters have stated their intention to use 
        their full control of the national assembly to change the constitution 
        of Venezuela to allow President Chavez to remain in power until 2030, a 
        period of time that exceeds the current constitutional limits of 
        Venezuela;
Whereas, in an effort to destabilize the already fragile democratic governments 
        of other countries in the region, President Chavez is supporting radical 
        forces in Colombia, Bolivia, and Ecuador, as well as leftist parties in 
        those countries;
Whereas President Chavez has repeatedly stated his desire to unite Latin America 
        to serve as a buffer against the United States;
Whereas President Chavez has aligned himself with countries that are classified 
        by the Department of State as sponsors of terrorism;
Whereas President Chavez has developed a close relationship with the Dictator of 
        Cuba, Fidel Castro;
Whereas President Chavez has also associated himself with other dictators, 
        including Kim Jong Il of North Korea and the totalitarian regime of 
        Iran;
Whereas President Chavez was allowed to promote hatred in a speech which he 
        delivered at the United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 2006, 
        and referred to the President of the United States as ``the devil'';
Whereas President Chavez referred to the President of the United States 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; and
Whereas President Chavez made unsubstantial claims that the United States has 
        set in motion a coup in Venezuela and continues to support coup attempts 
        in Venezuela and elsewhere: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, that the Senate condemns President Chavez for his anti-
democratic actions and his statements made at the United Nations 
General Assembly on September 20, 2006.
                                 <all>
```