Hope and Fail

Hillary: Venezuela silences independent voices and shares American values of free speech

Speaking at the Community of Democracies meeting in Krakow, Poland, Hillary Clinton warned against allowing countries throughout the world to silence free speech and impede non-government organizations (NGOs).

One line from the speech popped out two days later, when the secretary of state issued a statement about Venezuela’s independence day (which the South American nation celebrates one day after the United States).

This is what she told those gathered in Poland:

In Central Asian countries, constitutions actually guarantee the right of association. But governments still place onerous restrictions on NGO activity, often through legislation or stringent registration requirements. Venezuela’s leaders have tried to silence independent voices that seek to hold that government accountable. In Russia, while we welcome President Medvedev’s statements in support of the rule of law, human rights activities and journalists have been targeted for assassination, and virtually none of these crimes have been solved.

Fair enough. Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez shut down radio stations in that country last year that criticized his government.

But in the statement on Venezuela’s independence, Clinton said “on behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States:”

The cultural ties between United States and Venezuela are deep and enduring, and it is fitting that we celebrate our independence anniversaries within one day of each other.

We share a common history of emancipation and democratic aspiration. Patriots across the Americas committed their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to the cause of independence and to ensure that all people would have the right to chart their own destinies. The development of our nations has been driven by common values and a belief in individual liberties, fundamental civil rights such as freedom of speech and expression, and a right to self-determination. Living up to these values is our shared responsibility.

On Saturday, our secretary of state called out Venezuela for silencing independent voices. On Monday, she praised Venezuela for its belief in “fundamental civil rights such as freedom of speech and expression.”

What happened on Sunday?