I'd like to conclude that it was with dismay that we noted that a member of Parliament called President Chávez a brutal dictator. We want you to know that Latin Americans are well acquainted with brutal dictators who waged wars against neighbours, made thousands of people disappear, displaced indigenous peoples, kept secret police, tortured, imprisoned, or killed at will, and utterly disregarded the rule of law.
None of these things are happening in President Chávez's Venezuela. Venezuela is not a dictatorship, and we have never known a brutal dictatorship to accept losing a referendum by 1%.
We would very respectfully suggest that to gain appreciation of the human rights situation in the region, this committee also study the human rights records in Colombia and Honduras.
Thank you very much.