UK Venezuela Information Centre (Keith Sonnet): During Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions, Colin Burgon, Labour MP for Elmet put the following question to Mr. Blair:

"I am sure that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister shares the satisfaction that is felt by many on the Labour Benches about the shift to the left that has taken place in Latin America. To use a phrase, this is bringing Governments into power who will be in the interests of the many and not the few. Does my right hon. Friend agree with me that it would be bad news for all concerned if we allowed our policy towards those countries, especially Venezuela, to be shaped by a really right-wing US Republican agenda?"

Mr. Blair replied: "Up to a point. It is rather important that the Government of Venezuela realize that if they want to be respected members of the international community, they should abide by the rules of the international community. I say with the greatest respect to the President of Venezuela that when he forms an alliance with Cuba, I would prefer to see Cuba a proper functioning democracy. I entirely understand the point that my hon. Friend is making, and I will obviously reflect on it carefully, but I have to say to him that the most important thing is that countries in south America and north America realize that they have much in common, much to gain from each other and much to gain from each other particularly through the principles of democracy."

The Venezuela Information Centre regrets the tone and content of Mr. Blair's reply. Venezuela has held the most thoroughly monitored and audited elections of any country and independent international observers have consistently certified them as free and fair.

It is extremely unfortunate that the Prime Minister failed to take this opportunity to acknowledge Venezuela's democratic credentials under President Hugo Chavez and to congratulate him and his government on the major advances made in tackling poverty and social exclusion.

Mr. Blair's attempts to undermine the authenticity of Venezuela's democracy by reference to its relations with Cuba was particularly unfortunate. Part of President Chavez' approach has been to promote regional integration through building strong alliances with all his neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Prime Minister's ill-informed remarks have caused great offence in Venezuela, particularly following on from last week's intemperate comments from Donald Rumsfeld when he compared Chavez to Hitler. Mr. Blair's response betrays his adherence to the hawkish, neo-conservative, view of Venezuela fostered by the Bush administration.

The recent UK trade union fact-finding mission to Venezuela headed by Rodney Bickerstaffe was told by Jose Vicente Rangel, the Venezuelan Vice President and Ali Rodriguez, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister that they placed great value on good relations with the United Kingdom and hoped to strengthen ties in 2006.

Whilst the PM's comments were regrettable, VIC hopes that they may generate a meaningful debate which will allow for some redress to the general media distortion in reporting of events in Venezuela.

Those who visit Venezuela, as opposed to those taking their information from State Department-sponsored wire services, invariably come away convinced that it represents one of the most positive examples in today's world of a participatory democracy working to make poverty history and redress decades of corruption and mis-government.

Keith Sonnet
Venezuela Information Centre UK