Full interview of McCain on Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, and Spain

This is a followup to Maria’s post on this topic:  there is a full recording of McCain’s interview with a reporter on Spanish-language Radio Caracol Miami on Sept 17, 2008, where he makes his ambiguous comments about Spain.  He says Chavez is moving Venezuela towards an autocracy, and Bolivia is a similar situation — so similar that he has nothing specific to say about the nation.  He emphasizes that the U.S., because of its human rights record, should be paying close attention.

McCain claimed “I know the issues, I know the region,” but mentions nothing about U.S. Ambassadors being expelled from both countries.  Also, both Venezuela and Bolivia have democratically elected presidents, and Evo Morales has recently been re-confirmed as such.  Plus, Bolivia not a similiar situation to Venezuela in the sense that the current national government is not being accused of human rights abuses.

He is then asked about Cuba, and emphasizes the importance of free and open elections.  I can’t speak for Venezuela, but in Bolivia the elections I saw (both local and national) were beyond reproach — far more so than in Florida in 2000 during the Bush-Gore Presidential election.

McCain is very hesitant and evasive when she asks about President Zapatero of Spain.  I get the impression that his comments on Calderon of Mexico (which he gives in partial response to her question) were something he wanted to say regardless of the context.  When she repeats that she is asking about the President of Spain, his pause and response, “What about him?” suggests that he really didn’t connect what she had asked the first time.

McCain is now claiming that he understood who the reporter was asking about, and yes, he meant to slight President Zapatero.