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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">August 13, 2004 <i>(11:25 a.m. EDT)</i> No. 92</span></span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">CANADA URGES VENEZUELANS TO CONDUCT<br>
FAIR AND PEACEFUL REFERENDUM VOTE</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew today called for a fair and peaceful presidential
recall referendum in Venezuela on August 15. He also reiterated Canada’s support for
the observation mission from the Organization of American States (OAS), which will be
monitoring the vote.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“This referendum is an important milestone in Venezuelan democracy,” said
Minister Pettigrew. “It offers the opportunity to decide the future direction of the country
and to end months of political polarization and instability. I wish to emphasize the
importance of a violence-free vote, with results that are accepted by all sides.”</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">International observation by the OAS and the Carter Center is intended to ensure that
the referendum is transparent, fair and democratic, and instills confidence in the
process. The Government of Canada is contributing $30,000 to assist with the OAS
observation mission, which will include four Canadians.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Following the attempted coup to unseat Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in
April 2002, Canada has repeatedly called on all sectors of Venezuelan society to find a
peaceful, democratic, constitutional and electoral solution to the political crisis. We have
also strongly supported ongoing facilitation by the OAS in this effort.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">In May 2004, Canada contributed $60,000 to an OAS mission that oversaw the
reconfirmation of 1.2 million signatures deemed invalid by Venezuela’s National
Electoral Council. Four observers in that mission were Canadian.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The Carter Centre is one of the largest observation missions in Venezuela, and is there
along with the OAS to observe the referendum. The two groups have coordinated their
observers to ensure there are representatives monitoring the voting throughout the
country.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">For more information on Canada’s relations with Venezuela, please visit the following
site: </span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221081414/http://www.international.gc.ca/latinamerica/venezuelarelations-en.asp"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca/latinamerica/venezuelarelations-en.asp</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">.</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">For more information on Canada and the OAS, please visit
</span></span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221081414/http://www.international.gc.ca/latinamerica/oas-en.asp"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca/latinamerica/oas-en.asp</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">.</span></span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">- 30 -</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Sébastien Théberge<br>
Director of Communications<br>
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs<br>
(613) 995-1851</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Media Relations Office<br>
Foreign Affairs Canada and International Trade Canada<br>
(613) 995-1874<br>
</span></span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221081414/http://www.international.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"></span></span></span></p>
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