WASHINGTON, D.C. - Former President Jimmy Carter said Friday he will send a delegation to Venezuela to assess whether he should try to help the country overcome its deep political divisions. <br>
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Carter said the delegation would head there in about 10 days. If its findings are promising, ``then I'm going,'' Carter told The Associated Press. <br>
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Efforts by Venezuelans to achieve national reconciliation following a political upheaval have produced scant results. <br>
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President Hugo Chavez was taken into military custody in April after a mass demonstration against his rule. A new government was sworn in but quickly forced out after Chavez's backers took to the streets in his defense. <br>
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Carter said he knows Chavez well, having monitored elections in Venezuela on four occasions. <br>
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He said he called Chavez shortly after his release from custody to congratulate him on his reinstatement. <br>
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``And then I told him what he needed was to have reconciliation with the 35 percent of Venezuelans who despise him,'' Carter said. He added that he volunteered his services to help the healing process. <br>
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The Bush administration on April 12 appeared to acquiesce in Chavez's ouster but the following day it joined other members of the Organization of American States in condemning the coup attempt. <br>
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Leading opposition parties are campaigning to push the left-leaning Chavez from office through a national referendum. They contend Venezuela is irreversibly divided with him in power. <br>
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Since leaving office more than 20 years ago, Carter has traveled to numerous countries to monitor elections and to promote democratic development. <br>
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In May, Carter, 77, visited Cuba for talks with government and opposition leaders. He called for a democratic evolution in Cuba but also said the U.S. embargo against Cuba should be lifted.
