Jorge Valero

Jorge Valero Briceño (born November 8 1946) is the current Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister for North America and Multilateral Affairs, and the Permanent Representative for Venezuela to the United Nations. He was born in Valera, Trujillo.

Early career

A graduate of the University of the Andes with a degree in history, Valero received his Masters Degree in Latin American studies from the University of London. He has also taught in undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of the Andes and the Central University of Venezuela. He was the President of the Latin American Parliament’s Social Debt Commission ("Comisión de la Deuda Social del Parlamento Latinoamericano"). [ [http://www.venezuela-oas.org/resumen_curricular_embajador_jorge-valero.htm Valero's CV from the OAS website] ] As a longtime politician, Valero has authored numerous opinion pieces, [ [http://www.venezuela-oas.org/Articulos%20Prensa%20JVB.htm Bibliography of opinion pieces] from Valero's OAS website] but as an academic, has also written several academic papers and books on history.

Political office

Valero has previously served as a Deputy in the Venezuelan National Congress. A strong backer of the Hugo Chavez regime, Valero went on to serve several posts in the current government. He also appointed Ambassador to the Republic of Korea. In 1999, Valero was Venezuela's Representative on the Governing Board of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) [ [http://www.opecfund.org/publications/PDF/AR/AR99es.pdf 1999 OFID Annual Report] ] , and in 2000 he was the President of the Presidential Preparatory Commission for the OPEC Summit hosted in Caracas that year. Valero currently serves as Deputy Foreign Minister for North America and Multilateral Affairs and also as the Permanent Representative for Venezuela to the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS).

As one of the most prominent spokesmen for the Chavez government to the international community, Valero often makes headlines for his stridently antagonistic comments about the United States and its allies, for example by commonly referring to the United States as an "empire," recently accusing the United States of human rights abuses and genocide for its embargo of Cuba, [cite news|language=Spanish|title=Venezuela califica de criminal y genocida el bloqueo de EEUU contra Cuba|date=2007-10-30|publisher=Agencia Boliviariana de Noticias|url=http://www.abn.info.ve/go_news5.php?articulo=108627

:"“Venezuela exige al Gobierno de Estados Unidos ponga fin al cruel y punitivo bloqueo contra Cuba. Los derechos humanos del pueblo cubano son vulnerados en forma masiva, flagrante y reiterada, con esa acción genocida."] and also during the 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis accused the government of Colombia of state terrorism and genocide for its long armed conflict with the FARC rebels. [cite news|language=Spanish|date=March 4, 2008|title=Valero califica ataque a las FARC como "acto genocida"|url=http://www.unionradio.com.ve/Noticias/Noticia.aspx?noticiaid=233690|publisher=Union Radio

:"No podemos permitir que en nombre de una supuesta lucha contra el terrorismo se practique el terrorismo de Estado y el genocidio, no podemos permitir bajo ninguna circunstancia se viole la soberanía de ninguno de los países del continente, que se transgreda el derecho internacional y los derechos humanos", dijo Valero durante su intervención ante los representantes del resto de los países del hemisferio."]

References