Hugo Chavez confirms he won’t go to Madrid summit, because Honduran leader will attend

Hugo Chavez says he won’t go to Madrid summit

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez confirmed Friday he will not be in Spain next week when leaders of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean meet, because Honduras’ president will be there.

Chavez had warned earlier that he might stay away from the Madrid conference if Honduran leader Porfirio Lobo attended. Chavez strongly supported former Honduran leader Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted by a coup last June.

“I’m not able to go to the Madrid meeting, but we have commissioned the vice chancellor, (Francisco) Arias Cardenas,” Chavez said during a televised speech.

Chavez, who has repeatedly called the Honduras government illegitimate, recently said he is willing to support the decision of Central American nations to recognize Lobo as president, if Zelaya is allowed to return home and has his political rights restored.

Lobo won the presidency in November, in an election that had been scheduled before Zelaya was overthrown in a political crisis that arose when he ignored court orders and tried to hold a referendum on changing Honduras’ constitution.