III 

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 


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•SRES 581 IS 

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; 


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•SRES 581 IS 

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 

1 Resolved, that the Senate condemns President Chavez 

2 for his anti-democratic actions and his statements made 

3 at the United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 

4 2006. 

Æ 


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