Spain's Senate rejects motion against Hugo Chavez
By Aleksander Boyd
London 23.03.06 | A motion against Hugo Chavez presented by representatives of Partido Popular in Spain's Senate was rejected yesterday by Zapatero's government. The motion, seeking to defend Spanish citizens rights residing in Venezuela, who have been subject to kidnaps, lynchings, extorsions and whose small farms have been expropriated, was dismissed.
The issue seems to be the lack of attention and support dispensed by Spain's diplomatic representatives to victimised Spaniards in Venezuela. Raul Morodo, Spain's Ambassador to Venezuela and staunch Chavez supporter, has ignored completely the plights of the affected until now, refusing even to meet with them.
A Spanish Senator making off the record comments stated that Morodo, who is not a career diplomat but a political appointee who delights in the company of Fidel Castro, asked Zapatero to be sent to Cuba but got Venezuela instead. It is believed that Morodo is raking it in with the multi billion weapon purchases to Spain. Morodo, a personal friend of Defence Minister José Bono, has become a nuisance for Foreign Ministry staff. The facts that a) he attends business from his residence, rather than from the Embassy as customary; b) that in cohorts with Emilio Arrojo, EFE bureau chief in Venezuela, he peddles propaganda in favour of Chavez; c) that he's become one of Chavez's strongest allies, to the point of doing the bidding for Chavez's party MVR before the International Socialist, leaves, in many minds, no doubt as to Morodo's impropriety in representing Spain's interests in Venezuela.
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