Shut up and act!

Sean Penn Under Fire from Former Costar

by Lindsay Robertson · March 29, 2010

Sean Penn's costar in the 1988 cop drama "Colors" has written an impassioned open letter to the actor about recent remarks Penn made praising Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

Actor Maria Conchita Alonso penned the letter, titled "An Open Letter to Sean Penn," on the website Newsbusters. In it, she expresses her disappointment at Penn's statements made on the March 5 episode of HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher." On the panel-based talk show, Penn praised the Venezuelan president, saying Chavez had been elected in "14 of the most transparent elections in the globe, and been elected democratically." Conchita Alonso, who was born in Cuba 52 years ago but raised in Venezuela, begs to differ.

"Dear Sean, WHY?" she begins. "Even though I have great respect for your artistic talent, I was appalled by a recent television interview where you vigorously showed support for the regime of Hugo Chavez. Therefore, I've decided to set the record straight for you regarding the Chavez regime, supporting my case based not only on my political ideologies, but on proven facts you choose to ignore. Otherwise, I believe your position would be different."

In a fervent yet respectful tone, Conchita Alonso goes on to lay out her case against Chavez, citing lack of free speech, disputed elections, international posturing, and escalating violence and poverty, among others, as issues facing Venezuela under and because of Chavez. "My intention isn't to convince you," Conchita Alonso writes, "but to let you know what is truly happening in this beautiful country of noble people, Venezuela. I would encourage you to investigate in depth the 'inside story' and realize for yourself the dark side behind the person you choose to idolize."

In an interview with Fox News today, Conchita Alonso speculated that Penn just doesn't know what he's talking about. "Either he is ignorant in the subject of Venezuela and Chavez -- and by the way, the Castros in Cuba, because, you know, he likes them -- or I don't know why he's talking about that," the former Miss Venezuela said.

Penn, who is currently volunteering in Haiti, is no stranger to the open-letter format. He's written several missives against the war in Iraq and the Bush Administration that have been published on the Huffington Post and elsewhere.

Penn has not yet publicly commented on Conchita Alonso's letter. Conchita Alonso's publicist says Penn "has not been in touch at all" to address her concerns.