** “ increasingly I am worried about the inclination of Hugo Chavez to consolidate all the political power of incremental way in its own office ”. This affirmation makes Jimmy Carter today

Of the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, the ex- agent chief executive of the United States Jimmy Carter says: “ I know ” well, but he declares to be disappointed of which “ has separated from right and honest an opportunity ” to happen in an authoritarian government.

– After more than 30 years to observe of near Latin America he is in agreement with which the regional tensions have increased recently?

– Creo that yes. At that time there was a serious confrontation between Chile and Argentina by an border dispute; Bolivia has come defending its right to have an exit to the sea, and Venezuela has protested right on a part of Guyana. But I believe that the internal tensions, within the countries, have come being more evident and prominent now. In the past those fights they were submerged, as the case of the indigenous population, that has taken a step to the front and has demanded equality of political and social rights. Now it is clear that there is a difference in the tension class.

But generally it is necessary to register that there are people who were excluded and have obtained an increasing level of influence and authority as a result of the elections. That has happened in Venezuela, Nicaragua - of negative way, Ecuador, Bolivia and even in Brazil. And as that happens the leaders of the old guard find that their power, its authority and its economic influence have been defied by just arrived at the policy. This has created tensions that do not have to be deplored. My hope is that with the aid of the own mechanisms, of other countries of Latin America and, hopefully, with the illuminated influence of the United States, those tensions are alleviated and returns the internal harmony to obtain a new level of true democracy.

– At the same time as internal tensions exist, also is a clear difference between two points of view in Latin America. One represented by Venezuela and its allies in DAWN and other impelled by countries like Mexico, Colombia and Peru. That worries to him?

– Not really. I always had to remember that in continents as Africa or Latin America each country is individual, and generalizations cannot be done thinking that there is homogeneity when what exists is a heterogenous sample. By its nature, each is different in its history, its policy, its natural and human resources. For that reason I do not believe that the differences are a reason for preoccupation. There is a quite unanimous commitment in Latin America on the preservation of the democracy as government form.

That has been put on approval under quite severe circumstances, recently in Honduras and before in Venezuela, when a chosen president democratically was overthrown by a blow or as he is wanted to him to call. The other countries in the OAS, sometimes excluding the United States, have said that it is necessary to preserve a democratic government thus is unpopular and who that is not reason to overthrow it. Fodder that the differences rest there.

Fodder also that is one on simplification to place at the top to Venezuela of other countries. My opinion is that throughout both or three years past the influence of Venezuela has decreased, instead of to increase.

–What thinks of Hugo Chavez?

I know – It well. The Center Carter been has involved in four or five elections in Venezuela, some of which very have been disputed and complicated. It would say that each electoral result has been basically compatible with the will of the Venezuelan town. Hugo Chavez has left ahead in an honest election with almost 60 or 62% of the votes. Said that, fodder that its popularity within its country has decreased and that its influence also has decreased in other nations.

I see but it like that it perhaps brought a necessary transformation to Venezuela when leaving those sectors before excluded had one more a more egalitarian participation in the national wealth. It did that it well in last years, particularly when it was flooded of oil resources. Now that these have fallen, increasingly I am worried about the inclination of Hugo Chavez to consolidate all the political power of incremental way in its own office, decline of the influence of an independent Judicial Power, that are necessary, and sometimes also of independent organs within the Government, aside from the Legislative Power, that it controls almost completely. I do not throw the fault to him of all those problems because I believe that the opposition badly has been advised, like when boycotted the parliamentary elections consequently Hugo Chavez controls all the benches.

I have been disappointed when seeing to separate it than I consider was a right and honest opportunity that was the result of legitimate elections, towards a domination in increase of its part has taken that it to have a more authoritarian government.

–What has from their critics to the United States?

– Tengo found emotions. I believe that there is no doubt that in 2002, the United States it had at least, no plenary session knowledge or could be directly involved in the blow overthrew that it. Of such way it has a legitimate reclamation against the Government of the United States who tried to remove it.

Now we have a different president and Hugo Chavez also has changed. As much Venezuela and Hugo Chavez as the international relations would be better if he stopped his attacks and censures against the United States, that, for me, are increasingly fortuitous in their nature and unwarranted. They know, because it is a fact and I have had long conversations with president Obama and his more high civil servants, than would like much to have normal, friendly, as well as social, commercial and diplomatic relations with Venezuela. But he makes it almost impossible. We have committed errors in the past, as well as the Venezuelan civil servants. Now it is the moment so that we see how end to him the verbal accusations against the government of Obama.

–What thinks of the debate on the use of Colombian aerial bases on the part of the American military?

– Creo that was not handled well in the beginning, when there was an extraordinary critic all over Latin America. I saw that president Alvaro Uribe made of his visit to several capitals a high priority to explain more clearly than he treated: that there would not be an increase in American troopses and that the intention of the bases would be restricted to the fight against drugs. It had done if it before the bases were announced publicly, it would have gone to him far better. He would have been natural to suppose that, because of the long history of interventions of the United States in the region, this it would be a very sensible subject.

– Venezuela and Brazil has been very critics of this subject. What seems to him that Brazil has a so great paper in the hemisphere?

– cheers and fodder to Me that is good. Both last presidents who Brazil has had have been excellent. It seems to me very rewarding that Brazil exerts a greater influence, than is legitimate. It is a great nation, dedicated to the freedom and the democracy, with a commitment with the human rights, that is capitalizing its economic possibilities.

– Colombia thinks that it does not receive from its neighbors much aid in the fight against the drug trafficking and the guerrilla. It agrees?

– Presumo that speech of Venezuela and Ecuador. I do not believe that neither they nor the other countries have helped much to Colombia in the fight against drugs. Basically what they have tried to do is to avoid that the problem passes the border towards its countries, and some times that has increased the level of discords and animosity.

– Hay critics of which the government of Obama has not become jumbled much in Latin America. Speech on these subjects with president Obama?

– I have spoken to Him of some of the countries and those leaders who are not very popular in the United States. That would include Honduras, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and others. Fodder that this is a subject that it has to be taken care of with greater enthusiasm by the Department of State. I do not believe that the suitable attention neither in the past government has been lent him to the region nor in this. We would have to be more aggressive with that. The President and the Secretary of State would have to spend more time to him.