Story number 3 for 11 Jul 2001

(Venezuela)–Venezuela has re-affirmed that it will expel foreign nationals who criticize the president, Hugo Chavez. The move may have been spurred by comments comparing him to the disgraced former Peruvian president, Alberto Fujimori. However, Latin America Mission’s Ken MacHarg doesn’t believe missionaries should be overly concerned. “In a conversation with Sam Olsen, who’s director of the Evangelical Council of Venezuela, there is absolutely no danger of being expelled. In fact, the Venezuelan government is working to reach out to both Evangelical and Catholic churches, and ask them to be part addressing issues within the country.” MacHarg says the situation has been helpful for evangelistic outreaches, but he asks people to pray. “While Chavez and his government talk left, they’ve not really moved the country to the left. There’s been a lot of talk, but a lot of the threats about curtailing free speech, about declaring a state of exception, I think it was called, none of that has happened yet.”