Carter considers visiting Venezuela as peacemaker

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> <br> Carter said the delegation would head there in about 10 days. If its findings are promising, ``then I&#39;m going,&#39;&#39; Carter told The Associated Press. <br> <br> Efforts by Venezuelans to achieve national reconciliation following a political upheaval have produced scant results. <br> <br> 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&#39;s backers took to the streets in his defense. <br> <br> Carter said he knows Chavez well, having monitored elections in Venezuela on four occasions. <br> <br> He said he called Chavez shortly after his release from custody to congratulate him on his reinstatement. <br> <br> ``And then I told him what he needed was to have reconciliation with the 35 percent of Venezuelans who despise him,&#39;&#39; Carter said. He added that he volunteered his services to help the healing process. <br> <br> The Bush administration on April 12 appeared to acquiesce in Chavez&#39;s ouster but the following day it joined other members of the Organization of American States in condemning the coup attempt. <br> <br> 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> <br> Since leaving office more than 20 years ago, Carter has traveled to numerous countries to monitor elections and to promote democratic development. <br> <br> 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.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/6/193546