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BRAZILIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS

  March 3, 2003

The Group of Friends of the OAS Secretary General for Venezuela



The Group of Friends of the OAS Secretary General for Venezuela underscores the progress achieved through the “Declaration against Violence and for Peace and Democracy in Venezuela,” signed on February 18, 2003, by the government and the opposition. The Group of Friends expresses its absolute condemnation of the attacks against the offices of representatives of Colombia and Spain that took place in Caracas on February 25, 2003.
The Group of Friends is concerned by any developments or attitudes that could have a negative impact on the confidence-building process between the Venezuelan government and the opposition and reiterates its call for both sides to tone down their rhetoric and avoid mutual recriminations.
The Group of Friends will continue working to encourage the Venezuelan government and the opposition to persevere along the path of understanding, so as to ensure achievement of a solution that is peaceful, democratic, constitutional and based on elections. Toward that end, it is important that they exercise caution in ensuring that moderation prevails, consistent with the terms agreed upon in the “Declaration against Violence and for Peace and Democracy in Venezuela.” The Group of Friends will meet in Brasília on March 10, 2003, to proceed with its task of supporting dialogue and conciliation in Venezuela.
[Unofficial Brazilian Embassy Translation]

Reference: VEN-