Venezuela's vice president accused U.S. religious broadcaster Pat Robertson on Tuesday of making "terrorist statements" by suggesting that American agents assassinate President Hugo Chavez.
Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said Venezuela was studying its legal options, adding that how Washington responds to Robertson's comments would put its anti-terrorism policy to the test.
"The ball is in the U.S. court, after this criminal statement by a citizen of that country," Rangel told reporters. "It's a huge hypocrisy to maintain this discourse against terrorism and at the same time, in the heart of that country, there are entirely terrorist statements like those."
Chavez said while concluding an official visit to Cuba that he had yet to be informed of Robertson's comments.
"I haven't read anything. We haven't heard anything about him," Chavez said, when asked in general terms about a U.S. religious leader having said Chavez should be killed. "I don't even know who that person is."
The U.S. government, meanwhile, distanced itself from Robertson's comments.
Robertson on the Christian Broadcast Network's "The 700 Club" on Monday: "We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability." "We don't need another US$200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."
Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of U.S. President George W. Bush, accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him.
U.S. officials have called the accusations ridiculous.
"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."
"Very Christian" comments
Other religious leaders in the U.S. reacted strongly to Robertson's comments. "It's absolutely chilling to hear a religious leader call for the murder of any political leader, no matter how much he disagrees with such a leader's policies or practices," said the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Rangel called Robertson "a man who seems to have quite a bit of influence in that country," adding sarcastically that his words were "very Christian."
The comments "reveal that religious fundamentalism is one of the great problems facing humanity in these times," Rangel said, at times referring to Robertson as "this evangelical pastor."
Robertson's remarks appear likely to further aggravate tensions between Washington and Caracas.
Chavez has repeatedly claimed that American officials are plotting to oust or kill him - charges U.S. officials have denied. Chavez has irritated U.S. officials with his fiery rhetoric against American "imperialism" and his increasingly close ties to U.S. enemies such as Cuba and Iran. He says he is leading Venezuela toward socialism and, in a visit to Cuba this week, praised Fidel Castro's system as a "revolutionary democracy."
Speaking about the legal ramifications of Robertson's words, Rangel said "this is a very delicate situation." "There is a legal measure in the United States that condemns and punishes statements of this nature," the vice president said, referring generally to laws dealing with television broadcasts.
"The response from the U.S. government and its legal institutions, to a message of this kind by a supposed religious spokesman calling for a head of state's assassination - because 'a war is too costly and it's cheaper to kill him' - puts to the test the U.S. government's anti-terrorist discourse," Rangel said.
The vice president also said the Organisation of American States could take up the case, saying an inter-American anti-terrorism accord includes provisions against inciting others to kill.
Venezuelan officials said earlier this year they had tightened Chavez's presidential security in response to unspecified threats.
Rangel said Robertson's call for Chavez to be killed "justifies and explains the Venezuelan government's concern."
Chavez is up for re-election next year, and polls suggest he is the favourite.
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