Judge orders opponent of Venezuela’s Chavez to remain in police custody until trial begins

Chavez foe to remain in custody until trial

CARACAS, Venezuela — An opponent of President Hugo Chavez must remain in jail until he goes on trial for remarks he made on a television talk show, a judge ruled Wednesday.

The judge refused to release Oswaldo Alvarez Paz on grounds that he could flee the country and ordered him to remain in police custody at the headquarters of Venezuela’s state intelligence service, said Alvarez Paz’s attorney, Omar Estacio.

Alvarez Paz has been charged with conspiracy, spreading false information and publicly inciting crime.

The charges stem from his comments during a talk show March 8, when he said Venezuela has turned into a haven for drug traffickers and he also backed allegations by a Spanish judge that Venezuela’s government has cooperated with the Basque separatist group ETA and Colombian rebels.

Chavez has dismissed those accusations as lies. Alvarez Paz stands by his words and denies breaking the law.

The politician’s detention this week has drawn condemnation from Venezuela’s opposition, human rights activists and the U.S. government.

“We are seriously concerned about the arrest of former governor Oswaldo Alvarez Paz for simply expressing his views on a TV talk show,” U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters in Washington on Wednesday.

“It is unfortunately the latest example of the government’s continuing assault on freedom of expression,” Toner said, adding that the U.S. government is urging Chavez’s administration to fully respect “human rights, including freedom of expression.”

Opposition leaders and rights activists argue the prosecution of Alvarez Paz amounts to political persecution — an allegation that government officials deny.

Estacio told journalists outside the courthouse he would appeal Wednesday’s ruling, saying the judge “violated due process and the right to defense” by failing to provide evidence that Alvarez Paz would flee the country if he were released ahead of the trial.

Prosecutors say Alvarez Paz — who ran unsuccessfully for president in 1993 following his 1990-1993 tenure as governor of western Zulia state — could face two to 16 years in prison if convicted of any of the three charges.

“This is a very delicate and difficult situation for us,” said Santiago Alvarez, one of the politician’s sons. He said intelligence agents have followed the family in cars and motorcycles and for a time were posted outside their Caracas home and their workplaces.

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Associated Press Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.