辦公投 委內瑞拉動亂不安

委內瑞拉首都卡拉卡斯自上週來爆發的反查維斯暴亂，截至目前為止並未有任何緩和的跡象，而且，受到鄰近加勒比海島國海地亞里斯提德政權被推翻的影響，聚集在首都的反查維斯群眾，更加激動了。甚至出現民眾站在街頭，手舉海報，上頭寫著：「再見！亞里斯提德。查維斯，下一個就是你！」

事實上，反查維斯的力量一直在委內瑞拉潛伏著，這幾年也不斷出現零星的示威活動。但使得這次動亂火上加油的原因在於，委內瑞拉全國選舉委員會於 2日晚間宣布，要求舉辦公投的連署人數未達法定標準，因此，將不予舉行公投。暴動民眾聞訊後，隨即設置路障、焚燒輪胎，當日一名抗議者在暴亂中遭槍殺身亡。

根據委國憲法規定，舉辦公投需 240萬人連署才能展開，但這次參與連署的308萬人中，僅183萬多張有效票，其中110萬多張需要重驗。選委會因此提議，在3月18到22日再重新驗票，這樣如果連署通過，才趕得及8月19日罷黜正式生效。但是，如果公投晚於8月19日舉行，即使罷黜成功，也不會舉辦選舉，屆時總統將由副總統繼任，直到2006年任期屆滿。

上週來，為辯護公民連署票的合法性，反對陣營走上街頭，發動一連串暴亂事件。代表查維斯總統的官員與反對派也已展開會談，就全國選舉委員會提出的驗票方式進行討論。同時美國也表示，希望委內瑞拉全國選舉委員會能以完全透明化的作業方式，盡快完成連署簽名的檢查。如此才可以透過民主程序讓民眾表達意見。

此間，委內瑞拉總統查維斯則大罵布希「渾蛋」（ Asshole，屁眼），認為美國的所作所為根本是在干預委內瑞拉的內政。

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called President Bush an "asshole" on Sunday for meddling, and vowed never to quit office like his Haitian counterpart as troops battled with opposition protesters demanding a recall referendum against him.

Chavez, who often says the U.S. is backing opposition efforts to topple his leftist government, accused Bush of heeding advice from "imperialist" aides to support a brief 2002 coup against him.

"He was an asshole to believe them," Chavez roared at a huge rally of supporters in Caracas.

The Venezuelan leader's comments came as fresh violence broke out on the streets of the capital, where National Guard troops clashed with opposition protesters pressing for a vote to end his five-year rule.

Military helicopters roared in low runs overhead as soldiers fired tear gas and plastic bullets to repel several hundred opposition demonstrators who threw stones and set up burning barricades in eastern Caracas late into the night.

Troops and opposition activists also skirmished in other cities.

"We call on the country to continue with peaceful resistance," opposition leader Enrique Mendoza said. "This fight will last as long as necessary."

A soldier and a cameraman were shot and injured during the clashes and an opposition protester was wounded in the head by gunmen firing from motorbikes, witnesses and officials said.

Electoral authorities, citing the need to preserve peace in the country, said they were postponing until Monday the preliminary results of their verification of the opposition's petition for a recall vote.

One demonstrator carried a banner reading: "Bye bye Aristide, Chavez you're next," referring to Haiti's leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who fled into exile on Sunday in the face of an armed rebellion.

TENSIONS AHEAD OF POLL RULING

But the firebrand populist vowed to defeat any attempt to unseat him and threatened to cut off oil supplies to the United States from the world's No. 5 crude oil exporter should Washington try an invasion or trade sanctions.

"Venezuela is not Haiti and Chavez is not Aristide," he said.

Tens of thousands of Chavez supporters marched earlier on Sunday to protest what they condemned as U.S. meddling in Venezuelan affairs. The State Department routinely dismisses the president's accusations.

The referendum campaign is the latest political fight for Chavez, who survived the short-lived 2002 coup and a strike last year by opponents who fear his self-styled "revolution" is slowly turning Venezuela into a Cuban-style communist state.

Since his first election in 1998, the president has vowed to improve the lives of the impoverished who see little of the country's oil wealth. But his opponents say he has failed and has instead pushed the country into economic ruin.

Political tensions have flared again recently as setbacks delayed a ruling by the National Electoral Council on whether to allow the recall referendum to go forward. Two protesters were shot and killed on Friday during an opposition march.

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Carter Center, which are observing the referendum process, appealed for calm on Sunday ahead of the council decision.

Electoral authorities said they would make a preliminary ruling Monday on whether the opposition collected the minimum 2.4 million valid signatures required for a vote. The opposition says it handed over 3.4 million signatures.

Opposition leaders accuse pro-government officials in the electoral council of trying to block the poll by disqualifying many valid signatures. Chavez says his opponents' petition is riddled with forgeries.

去獨裁 海地人民以暴治暴

我國在加勒比海的邦交國海地，自爆發罷免總統聲浪，進而使得總統亞里斯提德上週末突然辭職去國流亡後，局勢依舊動盪不穩。叛軍 2日更宣告已掌控安全情勢，拒絕解除武裝，並誓言要逮捕總理內普丘恩。叛軍的態勢讓竭力想阻止叛軍填補亞里斯提德出亡所留下的權力真空的美國，趕緊派遣陸戰隊保護內普丘恩。這一切使海地的未來局勢，更顯撲朔迷離。

與多明尼加共同佔有加勒比海內大安地列斯群島中之西班牙島 (Hispaniola)，海地共和國位於該島西部，面積比台灣小一點。做為一個擁有獨立主權的國家，海地的歷史，當真是靠著先民的血淚所揮灑出來的。自1492年被哥倫布發現後，西班牙人即前來殖民（這也就是西班牙島的由來），並在當地大舉開採黃金、白銀等貴重金屬。1697年，法國人從西班牙人手中取得西班牙島之西半部，即今海地全境，在往後數百年之久的殖民歷史中，法國人，扮演舉足輕重的腳色。

而海地之所以接觸到「民主」的價值，說起來，和美國確實有些淵源。當年美國進行獨立戰爭時，法國政府基於「自由、平等、博愛」的信念，曾派軍協助美國；而法國政府所派遣的軍隊，就是就近從海地徵調的若干黑人軍官。這些奉派前往美國支援獨立戰爭的軍官，在美國接觸到民主自由思想，並在返回海地後，號召所有奴隸，一起推翻法國殖民統治。最後在 1804年獨立建國，國名為海地，成為美洲繼美國之後，第二個成立的民主共和國。

只是，共和國成立之後，民主的價值並未真正的深耕於海地這塊土地之上。長年獨裁專制的統治，讓海地民不聊生，甚至憤而採取暴力的方式推翻政權。在該國歷任總統中，有一位在總統府因爆炸身亡，一位遭到毒殺， 9位亡命外逃，6位遭到推翻，還有一位被憤怒的暴民肢解。

剛被趕下台的亞里斯提德，現年 50歲，他最早是海地貧民區的天主教神父，並在杜華利家族29年的獨裁統治後掌權。1990年，亞里斯提德當選為海地第一位經自由選舉產生的領導人，但在當選後8個月即遭到軍事政變推翻，並被迫流亡到美國。發動政變的海地軍方虐待並殺害亞里斯提德的支持者，直到美國1994年介入為止。當時美國總統柯林頓派出2萬名部隊協助亞里斯提德恢復權位，但堅持他必須遵守憲法規定的總統任期，於1995年下台。

儘管亞里斯提德在 2000年再次當選成為海地總統，不過，此次的投票率低，而且遭到反對黨抵制。同年舉行的國會選舉，由亞里斯提德所屬政黨大獲全勝，但也傳出了選舉舞弊的指控，因而使國際間中止對海地所提供的數億美元援助。亞里斯提德不但因此喪失公信力，也使他的政府失去對海地人民履行承諾所需的資金。雖然亞里斯提德被控違反人權、違背協助貧民的承諾、坐視和販毒相關的貪瀆現象、並策動武裝歹徒攻擊政敵，但他一概否認。

亞里斯提德出亡之後，美國總統布希隨即下令派遣一支美軍陸戰隊前往海地，作為「臨時國際部隊的主要構成力量」，以維持海地的治安。加勒比海共同體（ Caricom）也在牙買加召開緊急會議，討論在海地前總統亞里斯提流亡海外之後，此地區國家應該如何幫助海地恢復穩定。但同時，亞里斯提德則宣稱，他遭到了全副武裝的美軍「劫持」，美軍迫令他和家人登上飛機，並急忙將他們送出海地，但美國方面對此加以否認。白宮發言人麥克雷蘭說：「我們在亞里斯提德及其家人離開海地時，採取了保護措施。辭職是亞里斯提德的決定，他也清楚說明了箇中理由。」

在進入首都太子港後，海地叛軍領袖菲力普曾一度表示，他不會在國際壓力之下放下武器。但根據最新外電消息指出，海地叛軍領袖菲力普說，在獲得國際社會的安全保證之後，他的部下將解除武裝。菲力普表示：「既然民主的主要問題，也就是亞里斯提德總統已經出亡，而外國部隊也已經進駐並將保障安全，再加上我們也無意以武器奪取政權，我們認為放下武器是對海地人民的最佳選擇。」

One of Haiti's rebel leaders defied the United States and declared himself chief of the military and police on Tuesday, and his ragtag band of fighters tried to arrest the prime minister.

The presence of U.S. forces, part of a Marine deployment sent by President Bush on Sunday hours after President Jean-Bertrand Aristide fled into exile in the face of a month-long revolt, prevented self-styled leader Guy Phillipe's men from seizing Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, an Aristide appointee.

As the seeds of possible tensions were sown between the U.S.-led force and the former soldiers and accused death squad leaders who helped oust Haiti's first elected leader, Washington warned the rebels to toe the line.

"All illegal and armed groups should lay down their arms. The rebels need to disband and go back to their homes," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

But Philippe, speaking at a news conference earlier, said he was Haiti's military leader. Hundreds of rebels, many in military fatigues and brandishing automatic weapons, have entered the capital city since Aristide flew to Africa.

"I am commander-in-chief of the national resistance front, military chief," the former police chief, 36, said, surrounded by his gunmen and members of the Haitian National Police.

He also said he would obey the orders of acting president Boniface Alexandre, who took over as stipulated by the constitution but whose appointment has been questioned because of the absence of a parliament to approve it.

At the same time, he appeared to warn Alexandre when he said that the "people of Haiti will talk to him as they talked to Aristide" unless he creates a new army.

Asked who had named him Haiti's security chief, Philippe merely said, "The Haitian people."

MARINES TO STEP UP VISIBILITY

The U.S. military in Haiti would step up it presence in the streets in response to Philippe's declarations, Col. David Berger, commander of the multinational force, told reporters.

In a sign that the rebels were not in total control, they failed in a bid to arrest Neptune. A rebel convoy arrived at Neptune's house in Port-au-Prince, but turned away after seeing U.S. forces guarding the residence.

The presence of former death gang leaders among the rebels' leadership has alarmed human rights activists, who were further dismayed on Tuesday at news that deposed dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier wanted to return as soon as possible.

With victory behind them, the rebel's popularity in a land frequently ruled by armed strongmen since independence from France 200 years ago was on display.

One of their leaders, Louis Jodel Chamblain, whose right-wing militia killed thousands during a military regime in the early 1990s, was mobbed on Tuesday by adoring fans, who demanded his autograph as he sat on the roof of a car in the upscale suburb of Petionville.

Several thousand people demonstrated outside the U.S.-guarded National Palace in support of the rebels. The gleaming white presidential office in the middle of the peeling and impoverished city had been a symbol of Aristide's power.

Philippe said he welcomed the U.S. troops, who are spearheading a U.N. force to bring order to a country convulsed by an uprising that claimed some 80 lives. The Pentagon said it will send up to 2,000 troops to head a force of around 5,000, but hopes to hand over its leadership to another country.

Washington is trying to create a council of a dozen prominent Haitians to organize early elections and says its forces will work to disarm the rebels.