Chavez press conference at UN

NEWSMAKER TRANSCRIPTS
Special Events
Sept. 20, 2006

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

It is a great pleasure for me to see familiar faces in this room.

I wanted to greet you with great affection today, which is such an important day, and I am at your disposal. So as not to waste time, let's go directly to the topic.


QUESTION:

My first question to you is that in your speech today, you talked about those four points you made about reforming the United Nations. Those four points that you made, other leaders have also made similar points. What is it that you have, any plan that you have to implement those reforms given the fact that the United States has sway over most of the things over here? So can you implement those reforms?


CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

I believe that at this point in time, given the degree of deterioration of the United Nations system...

(CROSSTALK)

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

... I believe that given the degree of deterioration, we cannot speak of a reform any longer, but rather of a refoundation.

What started happening here in 1945 after World War II has collapsed. There is no way to save it. There is no room for reform. That is my opinion at least. This is a mortal disease.

I believe the system was created for a certain era, but the era is over. It was designed for a bipolar era. The Soviet Union collapsed. The United States empire is on the way down and it will be finished in the near future, for the good of all mankind. And I hope that we will never have to face another empire.

That is why I believe we need to refound the system, the international system. I don't know whether it should be called the United Nations again or not.

Now, regarding the plan, we have some ideas. There are four proposals in order to elaborate a plan. But we know we need to elaborate a whole plan for the United Nations.

We hope that the United Nations, we hope that the secretary general and the secretariat, we hope that our friend Kofi Annan could create a committee. This would be a first starting point, a committee of heads of states, of world leaders in order to have a diagnosis (OFF-MIKE) and a plan, something which I consider fundamental. And then, later on, able to make proposals to the General Assembly.

(AUDIO GAP)

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

... in a new international (inaudible) in order to guarantee the respect for peace, of sovereignty of the peoples, of self-determination, and so that we can see the emergence of a new international system, what Simon Bolivar used to call the balance or equilibrium of the universe that cannot be imposed through war.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

There is no possibility of having a balance or an equilibrium through war. That is what gives way to imbalances, violence, bloodshed and terror. We need to retake the path of brotherhood and peace. Those would be or modest contributions.

Thank you.

QUESTION (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

Mr. President, I have two questions. In case Venezuela is elected to the Security Council this year, what would be the agenda that you would follow as a member state? What would be the real impact that it would have on the Security Council agenda, given the fact that it has a vote but not a veto?

And my second question, very briefly, you have said that you do not recognize the president -- the new president of Mexico. And the government of Mexico had told you that they will not let you in if that is your objective, if you will only go (inaudible) the other person takes office.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

We have said that our aspirations for the Security Council are well founded: an independent board that would represent not only Venezuela but also the peoples of the Third World, the peoples that met there in Havana a few days ago -- the nonaligned, the G-77, the G-15, the G-20, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Oceania.

That is to say, even the poor peoples of the first world, because there are many poor people in the United States. You know that what has been growing in the United States has been poverty, in these last few years especially.

So, yes, we have only one vote and we have no veto. But we have a voice. Voice, one vote, and a lot of voice and many voices. And we will speak again and again and again about our truths.

And you know what? Christ was the great preacher of the word. And the word, when it is based on the truth, tends to multiply itself, because it is the truth, because it has a good base, it has a good fertilizer.

We will always be with the truth, even though the battle has been hard. And the days ahead of us will not be easy because the North American empire, the imperialism of the White House, is enormous. And it has great power.

There have been threats. You know that there are some countries that are very poor and depend on the World Bank giving them some contribution, and the Monetary Fund as well. They have been threatened with taking away the contribution of the World Bank and the Monetary Fund as well.

I have proof of it, but there is dignity in the world; there is dignity. Threats of different type, of withdrawing military assistance or different types of assistance given to different countries.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

But anyway, in the struggle of David against Goliath, we are David and Goliath will fall down. It has been written, with the help of God and the conscience of the governments, the majority of the governments of the world.

Now, Mexico, our dear country -- are you Mexican? What part of Mexico are you from?

(UNKNOWN)

The federal district, Mexico.

(AUDIO GAP)

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

... and it is part of our America.

Thank you.

QUESTION:

Margaret Prescod with Pacifica Radio.

CHAVEZ:

Hi, how are you?

QUESTION:

Thank you, sir.

I am well. How are you?

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION:

First of all, on behalf of Pacifica KPFK, the management has asked me to say that those of us on the West Coast are feeling very deprived. You come only to the East Coast, and we would like to have you on the West Coast as well. And I've been asked to convey that to you. So we look forward to a trip from you.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

Take me there then. Take me there.

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION:

Yes.

My question: President Chavez, the recognition of women's enormous contribution to the economy and to the revolution in the form of unwaged caring work is one of the most acclaimed achievements of the Bolivarian revolution that you lead.

You often speak of women's unparalleled passion for the revolution and how women have been central to the creation of a caring economy through cooperatives and more.

Some of the oil revenue has gone into financial help for the poorest housewives, mostly single mothers, equivalent to 80 percent of the minimum wage and into the mission Madres del Barrio.

Should not these measures be long-term rather than short-term, as they are at present, and be called a wage to socially recognize the work and the worker so that wherever women are in the world we can aspire to that and fight for that?

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

We know how important the issue of women and the role of women in today's world are. I am among those who always say that until women, and especially women who have a conscience -- because women suffer more than men from poverty, injustice.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

Somebody said that poverty has a woman's face. Power is machista. Even Catholicism is machista.

I never thought when I was helping the priests officiate mass I was holy (ph). The priest threw me out of the church because I was too rebellious. But I never believed that God took a woman from Adam's rib. That had to be a lie. We came from the womb of a woman. It's the other way around. And Catholicism is machista.

We need to restore balance in the world. And women have to have a greater weight (ph) in political, economic issues, education, science, technology. That is why the Bolivarian revolution put the (inaudible) the 1999 constitution and a number of revolutionary policies are under way. You mentioned some of them.

Several days ago, we marked the fifth anniversary of the women's bank, which has a net worth of hundreds of thousands of women users throughout the country. And women's movements and organizations, literacy campaigns, higher education et cetera, 60, 70 percent of them are women. International volunteers in the community councils and community (inaudible) the neighborhood health committees, labor committees, land committees, most of them are made up of women.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

Venezuelan women are in daily (ph) important with the revolution. They are becoming major players.

And as the head of state of the government, I will always support women's movements, to seek balance in Venezuela and thus contribute to the balance in the world.

Let's talk about the (inaudible) of neighborhood mothers. That is the first stage: We are recognizing the work of housewives. You ask a woman, "Do you work?" "No, I'm a housewife." "What do you mean? You work."

I remember that my grandmother, who raised me, worked so hard to raise me in poverty. And we are (inaudible) 80 percent of minimum wages to women. We have 150,000. In two weeks from now 50,000 more.

Women will join these ranks of those who are receiving 80 percent of minimum wage. The minimum wage in Venezuela is almost $230. Eighty percent is $184.

In many countries of the world, the minimum wage is not even $100. In Venezuela, it's over $200. We have historic (inaudible) standard of living.

Extreme poverty -- we have achieved almost all of the Millennium Development policies in five, six years. We have reduced extreme poverty by more than 10 percent. It was 21 percent when the revolution came and it is now 10 percent. And we work to (inaudible) to zero. Overall poverty was more than 50 percent and we're at close to 20 percent, overall poverty. (inaudible) has been achieved.

Venezuela will become a land free of illiteracy, thanks to revolutionary Cuba (inaudible) the Millennium Development goal has been achieved.

We're starting to bring our people to the highest possible standard of living.

Thank you very much.

QUESTION:

You supported, once, Saddam Hussein and now you support Iran and Syria. Is that a bad omen?

And you visited recently Assad. Did he ask your help to liberate Golan Heights, which has been occupied for 29 years?

And what do you think about the pope mentioning about Islam?

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

Where are you from?

QUESTION:

From Syria.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

From Damascus?

QUESTION:

Yes.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

Beautiful, Damascus.

QUESTION:

Thank you.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

I love Damascus.

QUESTION:

Thank you.

CHAVEZ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR):

I was fortunate enough to be in Damascus, really, a month ago, with my brother, President Assad. We were to the Catholic convents, where the Christians hid 2,000 years ago, after my Lord was crucified, our lord Jesus.

And he showed me, from the palace, from the top (inaudible) which was built with land bought from the Golan, by President Assad. He said, "Here, Hugo, there is a lake there on the Golan Heights where Christ used to preached there. And Paul, the great warrior of Jesus, (inaudible) -- as you know, he was born in Damascus."

We went to the tomb of John the Baptist. Go there sometime.

The real Christians find inspiration there (inaudible) freedom, peace. Christ said it: "My brothers, let us be convinced, as long as there is no justice, there will be no peace in the world." And that is written. And it has been even mathematically proved.

(END OF COVERAGE)

CQ Transcriptions, Sept. 20, 2006