The Cabinet of The Government of Hugo Chavez
As Venezuela's Minister of Foreign Relations May 2002 to February 2004, Chaderton Matos capably negotiated with the OAS and the Coordinada Democratica of the Venezuelan opposition. He also was responsible for managing tense diplomatic relations with Colombia, Spain, and the United States, whose governments at the time, led by Andres Pastrana, Jose Maria Aznar, and George Bush, openly supported the opposition. In spite of being in charge of foreign relations, Chaderton Matos also worked on many issues of internal Venezuela politics.
Chaderton Matos created a debate in a television program in which he denounced racism in Venezuela, a stereotype imposed on the Venezuelan people by the communication media. He also has criticized the stereotype of terrorists that western nations project upon Muslims.
In 2004, he was named Ambassador to Venezuela in France. From that position, he denounced international media corporations, questioning the monopolization of information and suggesting reforms within UNESCO and the UN. He also criticized the exclusive use of English in many international forums.
In 2006, without leaving his post as Ambassador to France, he was chosen to be the diplomatic aide to Francisco Arias Cardenas, Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN.
On August 7, 2007, he was named Venezuelan Ambassador to Mexico.
On April 15, 2008, the Venezuelan National Assembly named him Ambassador to the Organization of American States, headquartered in Washington, D.C.
On April 18, 2009, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez selected Chaderton Matos to be the Venezuela ambassador to the United States. The position had been vacant since the expulsion by the U.S. of previous Venezuelan Ambassador to the U.S., Bernardo Álvarez Herrera, in September 2008. Alvarez was expelled in response to Venezuela's expulsion of U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy. The expulsion of Duddy had been an act of solidarity with Bolivia which had expelled the U.S. ambassador in Bolivia due to accusations of involvement in supporting acts of violence by the political opposition in Bolivia and allegations of espionage by U.S. agencies such as USAID. On June 26, 2009, Presidents Chavez and Obama reached agreement allowing the return on Alvarez and Duddy to their mutual posts.
In his position as Venezuelan Ambassador to the OAS, Chaderton Matos has been forceful voice in a number of important discussions and debates, such as those related to the successful overturning in the OAS of the 45-year-old expulsion of Cuba from the OAS and the ongoing debate over the June 28, 2009 coup d'état in Honduras.
Read more about this topic: Roy Chaderton
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