Bush administration on Chavez--in plain English

News story with the Bush administration's comments about Hugo Chavez coming 
back as President (I've translated their statements into English).

<U.S. Advises Chavez to Respect Democracy
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS>

translation:  US advises Chavez to start taking orders from Washington
 


 
<WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration, which expressed no regret when the 
Venezuelan military ousted the country's elected president last week, advised 
Hugo Chavez on Sunday to make good use of a second chance to govern.

<``We do hope that Chavez recognizes that the whole world is watching>

trans:  We reserve the right to mount another coup attempt

< and that he takes advantage of this opportunity to right his own ship, which 
has been moving, frankly, in the wrong direction for quite a long time,'' said 
Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's national security adviser.>

trans: Time to stop trying to take steps that might improve the lot of the 
poor, or weaken the hold of elites.

<She said Chavez ``needs to respect constitutional processes'' during this 
tumultuous period in Venezuela, the No. 3 supplier of oil to the United States 
and the world's fourth biggest exporter.>

trans:  While we were happy to see the coup masters try to round up members of 
the elected government and illegally abolish the national assembly just 
yesterday, we will hound you if you try to do practically anything without the 
express written permission of the Bush administration.  Especially fool with 
world oil prices.


<<``I hope that Hugo Chavez takes the message that his people sent him, that 
his own policies are not working for the Venezuela people, that he's dealt with 
him in a high-handed fashion,'' Rice said on NBC's ``Meet the Press.''>>

trans:  pretty impressive how much chaos we can cause when provoked, isn't it 
Hugo?

<Rice said she hopes Chavez ``understands this is a time for national 
reflection, that he recognizes it's time for him to reflect on how Venezuela 
got to where it is.''>

trans:  Start hiring our economists.

<<At the time Chavez was ousted, the White House put the blame on Chavez 
because of attempts to violently put down a demonstration. Bush's spokesman 
said the Venezuelan government ``suppressed what was a peaceful demonstration 
of the people.>>

trans:  Rich people were trying to overthrow the government--and they have 
rights!

<< ... It led very quickly to a combustible situation in which Chavez 
resigned.''>>

trans: Our first effort to throw together a coup worked even better than we 
anticipated.

<<But Chavez's family, supporters and former government officials insisted he 
never resigned as president, as the interim president, Pedro Carmona, and 
Venezuela's high command claimed.

Chavez had befriended Cuban President Fidel Castro and turned up in Iraq and 
Libya -- all countries on the State Department list of state sponsors of 
terrorism. In February, Secretary of State Colin Powell said it was ``strange'' 
that Chavez would see fit to visit such countries.>>

trans:  He was put on the list of 'axis of evil' leaders to be removed.

<<Chavez also angered Washington with his strong opposition to the U.S. war in 
Afghanistan.

``This is no time for a witch hunt,'' Rice said. ``This is a time for national 
reconciliation in Venezuela.''>>

trans:  Give the coup masters important posts in your government, Hugo, or 
watch your back.  Better still, do both.
 

 Steven Sherman