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I'm forwarding this, since the recent information here seems important. - RM >Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2002 10:25:19 +0200 >From: democrite <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.78 [en] (Win98; U) >X-Accept-Language: en,fr,el,ru >Subject: [Fwd: Venezuela. First details of President Chavez's return] > > > >afapp wrote: > > > > Subject: [CubaNews] First details of President Chavez's return > > > > Hugo Chavez freed, returns to claim Venezuelan presidency > > CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Hugo Chavez was freed by his military > > captors and returned to reclaim the Venezuelan presidency Sunday, > > greeting a cheering throng of supporters as he stepped out of a > > helicopter, smiled and raised a fist in triumph. > > Hundreds of people outside the palace and thousands in the > > street beyond began singing the Venezuelan national anthem. > > Chavez, who was ousted by the military on Friday, arrived at the > > Miraflores presidential palace shortly after 3 a.m. in a dramatic > > restoration of power following the resignation of Pedro Carmona, > > who resigned amid violent protests after just one day in office as > > interim president. > > Chavez's vice president, Diosdado Cabello, had declared himself > > acting president until Chavez's return from military custody. > > Chavez's family, supporters and former government officials > > insisted he never resigned as president, as Carmona and Venezuela's > > high command have claimed. > > Chavez, who was freed by his military captors, greeted a > > cheering throng of supporters as he stepped out of a helicopter, > > smiled and raised a fist in triumph. > > The dramatic restoration of power comes hours after the > > resignation of Pedro Carmona. He resigned amid violent protests > > after just one day in office as interim president. > > "Today we are celebrating a new democracy," said one man who > > took a microphone to greet Chavez. > > The Organization of American States was sending a delegation to > > Venezuela to assess the situation. Chavez is a former army > > paratrooper who led a failed 1992 coup but was elected in 1998 on > > an anti-poverty platform. His term was to end in 2006. > > Chavez's attorney general, Isaias Rodriguez, told Carmona's > > ministers they were under arrest pending possible charges. > > "They must take responsibility. They will be put on trial with > > all their rights, but they will be put on trial," Cabello said. > > Some military officials also would be tried for military rebellion, > > he said. > > Tens of thousands of people surrounded the presidential palace > > Sunday after news of Carmona's resignation. They set off powerful > > fireworks as they waited for Chavez's anticipated return from > > military custody. > > "Chavez is coming! Chavez is coming!" said Dario Fereira, an > > unemployed man wearing a tattered shirt. > > Chavez administration officials -- many of whom had evaded dozens > > of police raids under Carmona's brief reign -- and loyalist military > > officers hugged each other in the palace's marble-floored > > courtyard. > > "In these past two days they have persecuted us," said Rafael > > Ramirez, president of the state-run national gasoline company. > > Unshaved and with red-rimmed eyes, Ramirez said he had hidden in > > friend's homes after Chavez's arrest on Friday. Asked about the > > turnaround, Ramirez said: "It's marvelous because the Venezuelan > > people responded to this illegal coup attempt." > > Chavez's labor minister, Maria Cristina Iglesias, said Chavez > > was kept on Orchila Island off the Venezuelan coast. > > Just hours earlier, interim President Carmona -- a businessman > > and co-leader of a general strike called last week against Chavez -- > > announced he had resigned. > > Carmona was named president by the military high command Friday, > > hours after generals arrested Chavez for allegedly ordering gunmen > > to fire on a massive opposition protest on Thursday. Sixteen died > > and hundreds were wounded in the melee. > > Dozens more died in rioting and looting on Saturday. > > Caracas Mayor Alfredo Pena said at least another nine people > > were killed and 40 wounded Saturday. But an Associated Press > > reporter witnessed dozens of bodies at city hospitals. > > "We have every right to protest, but they are gunning us down > > out there," said Edgar Paredes, his clothes soaked in blood as he > > brought his wounded brother to a hospital. He didn't know who shot > > Luis, and probably never will. Like most violent demonstrations > > here, gunfire can erupt from any side, at any time. > > Demonstrators supporting Chavez -- or opposed to the way he was > > ousted -- forced Carmona to step down. The commander of a strategic > > air base in the central city of Maracay rebelled Saturday, setting > > in motion nationwide protests demanding Chavez's return. > > Thousands took to the streets, taking over state TV, to demand > > that Chavez be reinstalled. Signaling a split in the armed forces, > > several military commanders refused to accept Carmona's > > appointment. > > Some Latin American leaders denounced Friday's irregular > > transition of power. The United States said Chavez was responsible > > for his own ouster because of attempts to violently suppress a > > Thursday opposition demonstration in which gunmen fired upon a > > 150,000-strong march. > > Thursday's march capped a general strike called to support oil > > executives who were protesting a Chavez-appointed board of > > directors at the state oil monopoly Petroleos de Venezuela. > > A work slowdown by the executives severely cut production and > > exports in Venezuela, the No. 3 oil supplier to the United States. > > At the palace, supporters displayed a huge poster of Chavez lit > > by floodlights. A military brass band stood at the ready. > > Red-bereted soldiers with automatic rifles paced through the > > hallways; others pumped their fists and egged on the crowd. > > "Chavistas" seized the state-run TV station late Saturday. > > Even as gunfire rattled downtown streets, pro-Chavez lawmaker Juan > > Barreto praised the "peaceful insurrection" that called for > > Chavez's return. > > Bowing to a demand by restive army commanders, Carmona said > > earlier Saturday that Chavez would be allowed to leave the country. > > He promised to reinstate the country's National Assembly, which he > > dissolved on Friday, along with the Constitution, Supreme Court, > > and other institutions. > > Carmona also lost the support of the 1 million-member Venezuelan > > Workers Confederation, which co-led last week's general strike, > > after Carmona decide to dissolve Congress, said confederation > > director Jesus Urbietta. > > At least 20 disturbances were reported in Caracas on Saturday. > > Unrest also was reported in the cities of Maracay, Guarenas, Los > > Teques and Coro. Police fought pitched battles with Chavez > > supporters in the western Caracas slum of Catia, a Chavez > > stronghold. > > > >-- >Les "Editions Democrite" publient un mensuel en francais : > > "Les dossiers du BIP" avec des traductions d'articles provenant de la > > presse communiste(grecque, allemande, anglaise, turque, russe, espagnole, > > portugaise...)sur des evenements qui interessent des lecteurs >communistes. > > Editions Democrite, 52, bld Roger Salengro, 93190 LIVRY-GARGAN, FRANCE > > e-mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
