NEW YORK, 14 April 2002 – The following communiqué was issued today by the spokesman of the Office of the Chairman of the Group of 77: Ambassador Milos Alcalay, Permanent Representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations and Chairman of the Group of 77 in New York, and Mourad Ahmia, Executive Secretary of the Group of 77, welcome the restoration of the constitutional order and rule of law in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela under the leadership of Hugo Chávez Frías as the duly elected President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the duly elected Chairman of the Group of 77. Such restoration is in full conformity with the principles and objectives of the Group of 77 as stated in the Declaration of the South Summit in which the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the Group of 77 and China reaffirmed their commitment to promoting democracy and strengthening the rule of law.

During the recent disturbing events in Venezuela, the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 in New York, the secretariat an the G-77 Chapters, received messages of support and solidarity as well as pleas for action by the international community in favor of restoring the legally constituted authorities in Venezuela under the leadership of President Hugo Chávez Frías.

The Chairmanship of the Group of 77 in New York and the secretariat in expressing their deep solidarity and support to the people and constitutional Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, reaffirm once again their deep attachment to and respect for the values of the rule of law and democracy as enshrined in the South Summit Declaration, and look forward to a speedy normalization and resumption of the Group’s activities with the support of the membership under the leadership of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

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