[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 21641]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 607--ADMONISHING THE STATEMENTS MADE BY PRESIDENT 
  HUGO CHAVEZ AT THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON SEPTEMBER 20, 
         2006, AND THE UNDEMOCRATIC ACTIONS OF PRESIDENT CHAVEZ

  Mr. BUNNING (for himself, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Allen, Mr. 
Chambliss, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Craig, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Inhofe, 
Mr. Isakson, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Ensign, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Frist, Mr. Kyl, Mr. 
Sununu, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Martinez, and Mr. 
Burns) submitted the following resolution; which was:

                              S. Res. 607

       Whereas President Chavez referred to the President of the 
     United States as ``the devil'', and referred to the President 
     as ``the spokesman of imperialism'' for the efforts of the 
     United States to aid the citizens of Afghanistan and Iraq in 
     the goal of those citizens to create a permanent and viable 
     representative government;
       Whereas President Chavez made unsubstantiated claims that 
     the United States had set in motion a coup in Venezuela on 
     April 11, 2002, and continues to support coup attempts in 
     Venezuela and elsewhere;
       Whereas, to consolidate his powers, President Chavez--
       (1) continues to weaken the separation of powers and 
     democratic institutions of the Government of Venezuela;
       (2) survived a recall vote in August 2004 through 
     questionably undemocratic actions;
       (3) decreed that all private property deemed ``not in 
     productive use'' will be confiscated by the Government of 
     Venezuela and redistributed to third parties;
       (4) enacted a media responsibility law that--
       (A) placed restrictions on broadcast media coverage; and
       (B) imposed severe penalties for violators of that law;
       (5) used other legal methods to silence media outlets that 
     criticized his government; and
       (6) changed the penal code of Venezuela--
       (A) to restrict the rights of freedom of expression and 
     freedom of association once enjoyed by the citizens of 
     Venezuela; and
       (B) to increase jail terms for those convicted of 
     criticizing the government of that country;
       Whereas, in an effort to destabilize the democratic 
     governments of other countries in that region, President 
     Chavez continues to support anti-democratic forces in 
     Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Nicaragua, as well as radical 
     and extremist parties in those countries;
       Whereas President Chavez has repeatedly stated his desire 
     to unite Latin America to serve as a buffer against the 
     people and interests of the United States;
       Whereas President Chavez has aligned himself with countries 
     that are classified by the Department of State as state 
     sponsors of terrorism; and
       Whereas President Chavez has developed a close relationship 
     with the totalitarian regime in Cuba, led by Fidel Castro, 
     and has also associated himself with other authoritarian 
     leaders, including Kim Jong Il of North Korea and Mahmoud 
     Ahmadinejad in Iran: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate condemns--
       (1) the statements made by President Hugo Chavez at the 
     United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 2006; and
       (2) the undemocratic actions of President Chavez.

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