Government would not support aggression against Venezuela

Dominican Republic would not support any aggression against Venezuela nor against its president Hugo Chávez, said yesterday the Government’s spokesman Robert Rodriguez Marchena, in response to allegations from diverse sectors that the purpose of the military exercises being conducted in the Caribbean is to intimidate Chávez’s Government, which maintains frequent clashes with United States president George W. Bush.

"Dominican Republic would not support any aggression against Venezuela. We are a country which has been invaded in two occasions, reason why could hardly support such an action against countries friends," stated Rodriguez.

He said that the Dominican and Venezuelan nations have had good historical bonds, in addition to the good relations between Chávez and president Leonel Fernandez.

On Monday afternoon United States ambassador Hans Hertell denied that the regional military exercises in which soldiers from Dominican Republic, Honduras, Panama, Colombia and the United States participate, are preparations to attack Venezuela.

In separate statements, Armed Forces minister Sigfrido Pared Perez said that the presence in the country of foreign troops is part of the joint exercises with several nations in the hemisphere, which had planned those operations in each of the participant countries since 1988.

Pared Perez said that participating in the military exercises are United States, France, Germany, Central America and other countries with which we maintain bilateral relations and military cooperation agreements.

He said that currently several Venezuela Armed Forces officers participate in courses and joint exercises with the Dominican Army and Navy.

The United States guided missile destroyer Stout arrived in the country on Monday and will be in Dominican territory for three, as part of the training with some 30 Dominican sailors.

United States rejects

A cable from the French Press Agency datelined in Miami says that the United States rejected the accusations that its naval exercises in the Caribbean are destined to intimidate Venezuelan’s government or others in the region, and affirmed that it is an operation for training and cooperation, denominated "Society of the Américas."

"I know that there is a concern from that Government but what I can say is that Society of the Américas is not centered around any country in particular," said the spokesman for the Miami-based U.S. Southern Commando, lieutenant Chris Loundermon to the AFP, when asked about Venezuela’s concern for the presence of 6,500 American sailors in Caribbean water.

The operation involves different types of military cooperation with Colombia, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, he said.