| From: | "Karen Lee Wald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> |
| To: | "Maceo Carillo Martinet" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> |
| Subject: | Chavez Talks to the People |
| Date: | Sun, 14 Apr 2002 09:11:51 -0700 |
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------
[Note: Reuters tries to get its act together by changing the distorted wording it had used until now]
Venezuela's Chavez Conciliatory as Coup Fails
Sun Apr 14, 6:41 AM ET
By Jason Webb
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Fiery Venezuelan populist
Hugo Chavez returned to the presidency in a conciliatory
mood on Sunday after a government set up following Friday's military coup collapsed in the face of a rebellion by loyalist troops and massive protests.
The former paratrooper turned politician flew back from the Venezuelan island of La Orchila where he had been held under arrest by military top brass who briefly ousted him as leader of the world's fourth-largest oil-exporting nation in favor of mild-mannered businessman Pedro Carmona.
Raising his fist in jubilation, a grinning Chavez, who first came to prominence as leader of a failed coup attempt in 1992, advanced slowly through a tightly packed crowd of chanting supporters toward the entrance of the Miraflores presidential palace as a military band played.
In a largely conciliatory speech, Chavez later told a news conference he had not been mistreated and recognized that both his government and his opponents had made mistakes.
"There isn't going to be any retaliation, no witch hunt.
I haven't any thirst for revenge," Chavez said, calling for his supporters who rioted on the streets in support of his return on Saturday to go quietly back to their homes.
State prosecutors were interviewing Carmona and several
senior military officers at the Fuerte Tiuna military base,even though they were not formally under arrest, Chavez's defense minister, Jose Vicente Rangel, said.
Carmona resigned on Saturday night after protests broke out in favor of Chavez, and loyalist troops seized control of Miraflores.
Instantly returning to his old talkative form, Chavez gave a
rambling hourlong monologue that ended shortly before dawn
broke over the troubled capital. He illustrated his promises
of respect for the law by waving a small blue copy of the
country's constitution and held up a crucifix he had taken
with him into captivity.
He recalled how he had washed his own socks and underwear
and said the popular protests and army mutinies in his favor
marked a historic triumph for the Venezuelan people.
"I never for a moment doubted that we would return.
But I never thought we would return so quickly," he said.
Statements by military generals that he had resigned and
asked to be sent abroad were lies, he said.
"They put a piece of paper on the table saying "Resign," but I said, "I am a president being held prisoner, but I am not resigning."
Rejoicing in their hero's return, thousands of ecstatic
Chavez supporters, mainly from Caracas' sprawling slums,
waved Venezuelan flags, chanted and pressed against the iron
fence around the presidential palace.
Sporadic violence continued in several parts of Venezuela's
chaotic tropical capital, where tens of thousands of angry
Chavez supporters took to the streets on Saturday to demand
the return of a leader they said had stood up for the poor.
In a day of chaos in which it was seldom clear who was
running the country, the Chavez supporters clashed with
police -- there were reports of several deaths -- and
stormed television stations that had been fiercely critical
of the populist leader.
CHAVEZ'S CAREER SEEMED OVER
Loyalist troops took control of the Miraflores palace and
waved their berets and weapons in salute as huge crowds
cheered them on.
Chavez's career had seemed to be finished early on Friday,
when the heads of the armed forces announced that he had
agreed to resign at their request following the deaths of at
least 11 unarmed anti-government protesters.[Cuban media indicates snipers hoping to provoke the coup had fired on the demonstrators, and that pictures showing Chavez' troops pointing guns were actually aiming at the snipers.]
The demonstrators -- among hundreds of thousands who marched to call for Chavez's resignation on Thursday -- were killed by gunmen in civilian dress. The protest had been sparked by a strike called by employees of the powerful state oil company, who objected to Chavez's decision to fire their
board of directors.
Carmona's interim government blamed Chavez for the deaths,
said it was dismissing Congress and the Supreme Court and
would hold elections within a year.
The United States, which disliked Chavez for his friendship with Cuban President Fidel Castro and fretted about his populist leadership of a country that is one of its biggest oil suppliers, was clearly pleased to see the back of him.
Sun Apr 14, 6:41 AM ET
By Jason Webb
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Fiery Venezuelan populist
Hugo Chavez returned to the presidency in a conciliatory
mood on Sunday after a government set up following Friday's military coup collapsed in the face of a rebellion by loyalist troops and massive protests.
The former paratrooper turned politician flew back from the Venezuelan island of La Orchila where he had been held under arrest by military top brass who briefly ousted him as leader of the world's fourth-largest oil-exporting nation in favor of mild-mannered businessman Pedro Carmona.
Raising his fist in jubilation, a grinning Chavez, who first came to prominence as leader of a failed coup attempt in 1992, advanced slowly through a tightly packed crowd of chanting supporters toward the entrance of the Miraflores presidential palace as a military band played.
In a largely conciliatory speech, Chavez later told a news conference he had not been mistreated and recognized that both his government and his opponents had made mistakes.
"There isn't going to be any retaliation, no witch hunt.
I haven't any thirst for revenge," Chavez said, calling for his supporters who rioted on the streets in support of his return on Saturday to go quietly back to their homes.
State prosecutors were interviewing Carmona and several
senior military officers at the Fuerte Tiuna military base,even though they were not formally under arrest, Chavez's defense minister, Jose Vicente Rangel, said.
Carmona resigned on Saturday night after protests broke out in favor of Chavez, and loyalist troops seized control of Miraflores.
Instantly returning to his old talkative form, Chavez gave a
rambling hourlong monologue that ended shortly before dawn
broke over the troubled capital. He illustrated his promises
of respect for the law by waving a small blue copy of the
country's constitution and held up a crucifix he had taken
with him into captivity.
He recalled how he had washed his own socks and underwear
and said the popular protests and army mutinies in his favor
marked a historic triumph for the Venezuelan people.
"I never for a moment doubted that we would return.
But I never thought we would return so quickly," he said.
Statements by military generals that he had resigned and
asked to be sent abroad were lies, he said.
"They put a piece of paper on the table saying "Resign," but I said, "I am a president being held prisoner, but I am not resigning."
Rejoicing in their hero's return, thousands of ecstatic
Chavez supporters, mainly from Caracas' sprawling slums,
waved Venezuelan flags, chanted and pressed against the iron
fence around the presidential palace.
Sporadic violence continued in several parts of Venezuela's
chaotic tropical capital, where tens of thousands of angry
Chavez supporters took to the streets on Saturday to demand
the return of a leader they said had stood up for the poor.
In a day of chaos in which it was seldom clear who was
running the country, the Chavez supporters clashed with
police -- there were reports of several deaths -- and
stormed television stations that had been fiercely critical
of the populist leader.
CHAVEZ'S CAREER SEEMED OVER
Loyalist troops took control of the Miraflores palace and
waved their berets and weapons in salute as huge crowds
cheered them on.
Chavez's career had seemed to be finished early on Friday,
when the heads of the armed forces announced that he had
agreed to resign at their request following the deaths of at
least 11 unarmed anti-government protesters.[Cuban media indicates snipers hoping to provoke the coup had fired on the demonstrators, and that pictures showing Chavez' troops pointing guns were actually aiming at the snipers.]
The demonstrators -- among hundreds of thousands who marched to call for Chavez's resignation on Thursday -- were killed by gunmen in civilian dress. The protest had been sparked by a strike called by employees of the powerful state oil company, who objected to Chavez's decision to fire their
board of directors.
Carmona's interim government blamed Chavez for the deaths,
said it was dismissing Congress and the Supreme Court and
would hold elections within a year.
The United States, which disliked Chavez for his friendship with Cuban President Fidel Castro and fretted about his populist leadership of a country that is one of its biggest oil suppliers, was clearly pleased to see the back of him.
U.S. officials said they considered there had been no coup.
The military officers behind Chavez's overthrow said they
merely had done their duty by protecting unarmed civilians.
Chavez, the 47-year old son of poor teachers, led troops in a failed coup attempt in 1992.
After his release from prison, he launched a legal political
career that swept him to power in a landslide election
victory in 1998. Often opting to continue to wear his
paratrooper colonel's red beret, Chavez delighted the poor
but infuriated the rich and the powerful news media with his
rambling, often folksy speeches that denounced the wealthy
elite.
As he amassed more power, his critics said he was leading
Venezuela down the road toward a Cuban-style authoritarian
government. His failure to cut levels of corruption or
poverty also eroded much of his support in his power base
among the poor, and his approval rating had fallen to about
30 percent by the time of the last opinion poll.[This was largely the planned result of a US and oil oligarchy-inspired media campaign]
TROOPS LOYAL TO CHAVEZ
[Only yesterday media was calling these troops "rebels", indicating that the coup-imposed government was legitimate and anyone opposing them, therefore, a "rebel". A more accurate reporting would have labeled the troops that defended their government as "loyalist"]
While many of the top generals turned against him on
Thursday and Friday, his supporters had the last laugh as
most of their troops remained loyal.
At the end of what should have been his first full day in
power, Carmona resigned after closed-door negotiations with
top brass at Fuerte Tiuna.
A few hours earlier, he had made a statement from military
headquarters saying Chavez would shortly be leaving the
country. But the game was up for the interim government.
Chavez's vice president, Diosdado Cabello, was sworn in
temporarily as president to tide over the gap of the few
hours before his boss returned.
==========================
Karen Lee Wald
2175 Aborn Road, apt. 164
San Jose, CA 95121
telephone 408-532-6147
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Karen Lee Wald
2175 Aborn Road, apt. 164
San Jose, CA 95121
telephone 408-532-6147
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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