Mexico Won't Recognize Venezuelan Coup Plotters Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit source - Milt Shapiro Mexico will abstain from recognizing new Venezuelan government TheNewsMexico.com - 4/13/2002 President Vicente Fox said Friday Mexico would not officially recognize the new Venezuelan president, Pedro Carmona, even though it will maintain relations with his government, Reforma newspaper reported. "Without abdicating in any way its humanitarian obligations or solidarity with the Venezuelan people," said Fox, "Mexico will neither recognize nor refuse to recognize the new government, but will maintain diplomatic relations." Fox, who was speaking in Costa Rica while attending the Grupo del Rio conference for Latin American leaders, said Mexico's position was based on the Estrada Doctrine of non-alignment that his country adopted at the beginning of the last century. Carmona, a prominent industrialist, was appointed by a business and military backed coalition that forced the resignation of President Hugo Chavez Friday morning. This came in the wake of a national strike and clashes between supporters and opponents of Chavez that left 12 dead. Fox said Mexico laments the interruption in the democratic life of Venezuela and the loss of human life. He blamed the overthrow of the Chavez government on the "widespread and intense reaction resulting from an internal and external (social) polarization and the erratic economic policy recently followed by the (Venezuelan government)." Fox called for the quick return of "democratic life" in Venezuela and the holding of "clear, transparent" elections as called for by the Venezuelan Constitution. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytcamer-04.13.02-13:46:19-23433