By Martin Banks - 16th February 2009
This expulsion by force is an attack on freedom of expression
Joseph Daul
He didn’t have a chance to get his jacket. It is still in his hotel room along with the rest of his belongings. He was not hurt but he says it was an unnerving experience
PP-ED spokesman Pedro Lopez,
It is unacceptable that in a country such as Venezuela somebody could be detained and expelled for freely expressing their views
Hans-Gert Pöttering
Parliament’s president Hans-Gert Pöttering has condemned Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez for expelling a Spanish MEP from the country.
Centre-right deputy Luís Herrero was ordered to leave Venezuela on Saturday, ahead of a nationwide referendum on allowing public officials to run for re-election as many times as they want.
Herrero, who was part of a five-strong EPP-ED delegation observing the referendum at the invitation of a number of opposition groups, was outside his hotel when Venezuelan intelligence officers confronted him with an expulsion order.
Pedro Lopez, an EPP-ED spokesman, said Herrero was forced into a van, driven to Caracas airport and put on a plane to Brazil.
"They took his mobile phone so for two hours we did not where he was or what was happening,” he said.
"He didn’t have a chance to get his jacket. It is still in his hotel room along with the rest of his belongings. He was not hurt but he says it was an unnerving experience."
Herrero arrived back in Spain on Sunday morning and is expected to attend this week’s mini plenary in Brussels.
His expulsion came after he called on Venezuelans to vote freely and not be intimidated by “the fear that a dictator tries to impose” and for expressing concerns that Chávez would engage in fraud to win Sunday’s vote.
Reacting to his expulsion, Pöttering said, “It is unacceptable that in a country such as Venezuela somebody could be detained and expelled for freely expressing their views.”
"The expulsion of MEP Luis Herrero, who was in the country as an observer…from a European parliament political group, shows a lack of respect for democratic institutions."
EPP group leader Joseph Daul said, "This expulsion by force is an attack on freedom of expression. It shows that Chávez does not want witnesses to what may happen in a referendum."
Daul is expected to denounce the incident at the opening of parliament’s mini-plenary on Wednesday while Lopez said the EPP-ED group may also table a resolution condemning the expulsion.
The other four members of the delegation, three Spanish and one Portuguese member, are expected back in Brussels on Tuesday.
Chávez won Sunday’s referendum on removing term limits for elected officials with 54 per cent of the vote, paving the way for him to stand in the next presidential elections in 2012.
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