(21 Jul 2009) SHOTLIST
1. Various exterior shots of Organisation of American States (OAS) building
2. Various of meeting of Caracas Mayor, Antonio Ledezma, Governor of the State of Tachira, Cesar Perez Vivas, Governor of Zulia, Pablo Perez and OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza
3. Wide of news conference, (from left to right) Capriles, Perez Vivas, Ledezma and Perez
4. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Cesar Perez Vivas, Governor of Tachira:
"We informed the Secretary General of the situation of political polarisation that we have in Venezuela, of the escalation of the authoritarian campaign led by the government against Venezuelan society, not just the opposition, but the Venezuelan society as a whole."
5. Cutaway of news conference
6. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Antonio Ledezma, Mayor of Caracas:
"The OAS has the opportunity to prove they are useful for something, the OAS cannot be reduced to a simple presidents' meeting, presidents that protect each other, that help each other. The OAS and this chart (the Inter American chart of Human Rights) must serve to safeguard democracy in our nations and Venezuelan democracy is asking for help right now."
7. Cutaway of news conference
8. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Pablo Perez, Governor of Zulia:
"The president was constitutionally elected and we respect him but we were also legally elected and we demand the same respect. The political persecution, we have witnessed it before, such was the case of Manuel Rosales who was a presidential candidate and ran against Chavez in 2006 during his re-election campaign, well Manuel is now exiled and has asylum in Peru. So anything can happen to us."
9. Wide of Insulza speaking to the media
10. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the OAS:
"The OAS is an institution that respects the principle of non-intervention and that promotes democracy on its member states so what we do is to say 'we have a series of issues, they have caused all these difficulties, please, why don't you sit down, why don't you talk, analyse, try to reach an agreement that avoids the exacerbation of the problem in the country'. But we are dangerously going from saying 'oh, the OAS never did anything' to a moment in which people seem to think that the OAS can do absolutely everything."
11. Wide of Insulza speaking to the media
STORYLINE
Venezuelan opposition leaders on Tuesday met the secretary-general of the Organisation of American States in Washington DC to discuss their concerns about growing authoritarianism under President Hugo Chavez.
Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma and others have wanted to talk with OAS chief Jose Miguel Insulza about actions taken by Chavez that they say have eroded the authority and funding of elected officials.
The opposition leaders on Tuesday asked the OAS to take "preventive measures" to save Venezuelan democracy.
The mayor of Caracas and the governors of the states of Tachira and Zulia have visited numerous Latin American countries in the past months denouncing Chavez's campaign against state and local authorities, eroding their powers and competences.
In the US capital since Monday, they have already met the Inter American Commission of Human Rights and have scheduled meetings with Republican and Democrat congressmen and with Dan Restrepo, security adviser for Latin America in Obama's administration.
Tensions between Chavez's administration and elected opposition officials who denounce the government for trying to undermine them and strip them of authority have been running high.

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