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08/05/2004:

"Famous names speak up for Chavez in Venezuela poll"

Guardian UK
Writers, politicians and film-makers from more than a dozen countries have offered their support to the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, who faces a referendum this month on his future.

The group have signed a manifesto saying that, if they were Venezuelan, they would vote for Chavez in what will be a volatile contest. The manifesto is being launched as opponents of Mr Chavez claim he has "kidnapped" the electoral council responsible for overseeing the vote.

Signatories include the Argentinian Nobel peace prize winner Adolfo Perez, the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano, the musician Chico Buarque and the architect Niemeyer, both from Brazil, and British film-makers Ken Loach, Alex Cox and Mike Hodges, writers Harold Pinter and Eric Hobsbawm and politicians Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone. full article