Brasília, December 6, 2002 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The government of president Hugo Chávez reaffirms its willingness to engage in a dialogue with the opposition, which stubbornly insists on changing the democratic state in Venezuela. This remark was made today by Venezuela's acting minister of Foreign Affairs, Arévalo Menendez Romero, who is in Brazil to participate in the 23rd Mercosur Summit Meeting, open for the first time to countries from the Andean Pact.

Accompanied during an interview today at the Itamaraty Palace by Venezuela's minister of Production and Trade, Ramôn Rosales, Menendez Romero distributed a note to the press, in which he emphasizes his government's desire to negotiate and denounces the "desperation" of the opponents, who "act outside the constitution and the laws of the Republic, practicing violent and rebellious acts, which are backed by the unethical and immoral behavior of some of the media."

According to Menendez Romero, these acts are the fruit of the practice of coercion and ruthless manipulation of the population, which create a tense climate in Caracas. Reasons that lead the Chávez government to alert the international community to the danger that organized sabotage represents to the peace, democracy, and integration that Venezuela desires with the other countries of the continent. (DAS)