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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | November 2005 
Mexico to Take 'Appropriate Steps' if Venezuela Fails to Explain Chavez's Criticism of Fox
 Ioan Grillo - Associated Press
| | Venezuelan ambassador to Mexico Vladimir Villegas talks to journalist after his meeting with Mexican Director for Latin America Alejandro Garcia, unseen, on Thursday Nov. 10, 2005, in Mexico City. (AP/Jose Luis Magana) |
Mexico City – The Mexican government said Friday that Venezuela must give a satisfactory explanation for President Hugo Chavez's biting criticism of his Mexican counterpart, Vicente Fox, or it will take "appropriate steps."
On Wednesday, Chavez accused Fox of acting like a "puppy" of the United States for so staunchly supporting the U.S.-backed Free Trade Area of the Americas, or FTAA, during the Americas summit in Argentina last week. During two days of diplomatic sparring, the Venezuelan government has refused to apologize.
"We demand a satisfactory explanation," Presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar told a news conference. "If this doesn't happen, we will take appropriate steps." He did not elaborate.
A diplomatic dispute with Cuba in 2004 led Mexico to expel the Cuban ambassador and withdraw its own emissary to Havana, a freeze that lasted for several months. Venezuela is a close ally of Cuba.
Aguilar said that Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez was going to discuss the situation with his Venezuelan counterpart, Ali Rodriguez, later Friday.
In an interview with W Radio Friday morning, Derbez said both he and Fox were "prepared to close this chapter rapidly, but within the canons (of diplomacy) and with what would be adequate solutions for both nations."
A satisfactory response from Venezuela would include an explanation of "the motivation behind Chavez's words," Derbez said.
On Thursday, Derbez called in Venezuelan Ambassador to Mexico Vladimir Villegas to explain Chavez's remarks.
"The explanations offered by Ambassador Villegas were unsatisfactory," the department said afterward in a news release.
In his remarks Wednesday, Chavez said, "It makes me sad that a heroic nation like Mexico has a president that kneels before the empire and then comes out knocking those who defend the dignity of our communities."
"How sad that the president of a great country like Mexico allowed himself to be the puppy of the (U.S.) empire," Chavez said.
In Venezuela on Thursday, a member of Chavez's government continued to defend his comments.
"President Chavez simply responded to an aggression of which he was the victim," Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said.
Fox "shouldn't have expected anything different," added Foreign Minister Rodriguez.
The dispute with Chavez arose just as Argentina and Mexico had declared resolved a similar rift caused by an exchange of harsh words between Fox and Argentine President Nestor Kirchner.
At the Americas summit, Fox emerged as a staunch supporter of the FTAA, which aims to create the world's largest free trade zone stretching from Alaska to Argentina.
At the same time, the Mexican president accused Kirchner of neglecting his responsibility as summit host to seek consensus on restarting the trade talks because he was too concerned about his domestic public image. Kirchner responded by telling Fox to mind his own business.
Diplomats from Mexico and Argentina issued a statement Wednesday saying that relations were still intact and that "mature democracies" could have disagreements without their friendships falling apart. |
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