Euro deputy expulsion marks end of Venezuela vote campaign

3 hours ago

CARACAS (AFP) — President Hugo Chavez said Saturday that the expulsion of a European deputy would "not tarnish" relations with Spain, ahead of a vote which could keep the Venezuelan leader in power for another decade.

Venezuela expelled European Parliament deputy Luis Herrero late Friday after he called Chavez a "dictator" and critized the electoral council ahead of Sunday's vote on scrapping term limits for all elected officials.

"I have faith that this regrettable incident, produced in an intentional manner by this shameful lawmaker, will not at all tarnish the excellent relations we have with the Spanish government and the Spanish people who we dearly love," Chavez told a news conference.

Herrero had been invited to the South American country by an opposition party to observe Sunday's vote on an amendment to the constitution.

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said late Friday that the lawmaker had been "invited" to leave the country, following instructions from the electoral council.

Herrero critized the council for extending Sunday's voting to end at 6:00 pm (2230 GMT) instead of two hours earlier, claiming the move would risk "not very transparent, anti-democratic maneuvers."

After a tightly-fought electoral campaign, Herrero also called on Venezuelans to vote freely.

"They should never be carried away when they vote by the fear that a dictator tries to impose in a premeditated way," Herrero said.

The Spanish deputy "fired lies at the people and at the National Electoral Council," Chavez said Saturday. "He set off a fan of excrement. Our country is like all countries in the world. It deserves respect."

Several hours earlier Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos summoned the Venezuelan ambassador to express "the government's complaints" on the affair.

Joseph Daul, president of the European People's Party, on Saturday slammed Chavez and said his "regime is getting away from permitting fundamental freedoms."

The expulsion "shows that Hugo Chavez and his supporters don't want disturbing witnesses for what will happen in a referendum which has only one goal ... to permit him to stay in power indefinitely," Daul added.

More than 16 million Venezuelans are eligible to vote "Si" or "No" on Sunday in the fifth referendum since Chavez was first elected in 1999.

Chavez lost a vote on constitutional reform including the extension of presidential terms in December 2007, his only electoral defeat in 10 years in office.

Chavez's current term expires in 2013 but the fiercely anti-liberal leader has said he seeks another 10 years in power to extend his self-styled socialist revolution.

Cuban revolutionary icon and former president Fidel Castro said that "the destiny of the people of "our America" will depend a lot on victory (of the 'Yes' vote) and that will influence the rest of the planet," in an article published in local media Saturday.

Around 100 international observers have been accredited to observe the February 15 referendum, but neither the Organization of American States (OAS) nor the European Union have official observers in Venezuela.

Polling stations are due to open at 6 am (1030 GMT).