Recently Ousted Communist President Hugo Chavez Reclaims Power in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela, April 14 — Hugo Chavez was freed by his military captors and returned to reclaim the Venezuelan presidency Sunday, in a dramatic restoration of power two days after the military said he had resigned. Chavez stepped down from a helicopter, smiled and raised his fist in triumph as a greeted hundreds of cheering supporters outside the Miraflores presidential palace. Thousands in the street beyond began singing the Venezuelan national anthem.

HIS RETURN SHORTLY after 3 a.m. followed the resignation of Pedro Carmona, who resigned amid violent protests after just one day in office as interim president of Venezuela, the No. 3 supplier of oil to the United States.

Chavez’s vice president, Diosdado Cabello, had declared himself acting president until Chavez’s return from military custody. He appeared healthy and hugged supporters as a military band played. Chavez’s family, supporters and former government officials insisted he never resigned as president, as Carmona and Venezuela’s high command claimed.

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.

INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENT

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. Instantly returning to his old talkative form, Chavez gave a rambling hour-long 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. Chavez 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.”

CHAVEZ SUPPORTERS RALLY

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.

RECENT DAYS DEADLY

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. 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. Caracas Mayor Alfredo Pena said at least 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. 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.

CARMONA’S CONCESSIONS

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. Jesse Chacon, president of Venezuela’s telecommunications agency, said TV stations’ conduct last week will be investigated. Chacon condemned stations that failed to cover protests against Chavez’s ouster.

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.

He has the rabid support of the "Welfare sector"...

Of course that's where his support comes from. He's cannibalizing what's left of their market economy and feeding it to a vast army of slackers. And it looks like they only have one job: get really pissed off if anyone touches Chavez. They are true junk yard dogs.

I expect that America's communinists in the CIA and State Depts who are deeply imbedded in our bureaucracies also found a way to see to it that either we stayed out of it all or that we actually worked AGAINST the free wishes of the Venezuelan people!

You're right. State is packed with commies.

--he had the support of the air force general with the f-16's. Think about what happened in south america in the past when they actually have for-real serious coups, not this baby coup we saw. Whomever owns the high ground and the serious firepower wins. Numbers on the ground mean zilch. Check ashcanistan for this deal. High ground and firepower, high ground and firepower. There could be 500,000 anti chavez supporters in a mass demonstration, how many jets would it take to disperse the crowd and restore "law-n-order"? One? Probably. Remember, every "leader" always says the same thing, in some word arrangement or other like this -->their opposition are called "terrorists". You are "with" the leader or a "terrorist". Works in every country on the planet, always has, too, until they don't control the serious firepower.

Air power does not float in the air forever like some kind of impervious Zeppelin. An air force is only as good as its ground crew and air bases. The USA can bomb others with impunity because we have air bases all over the world and can fly and bomb anywhere thanks to air-to-air refueling. And that's not taking into account the Navy's aircraft carriers.

The Venezuelan Air Force's F-16s won't be that effective if Venezuelan Army tanks roll over their air bases. Even F-16s have to land to refuel and rearm! But we don't have much info on what is really going on; probably neither side wants to start shooting yet.

Let's see, when Bush Sr. was in office, what happened to Manuel Norieaga? I imagine Bush Jr. has a spot reserved for old Hugo in Manny's cell. We are already involved in Colombia and will be more so in the near future I believe. Venezuala is right next door so disposing of Hugo should be on the list.

Hopefully, this all will get ol' Fidel on the terrorist list and bombing of Havana can start soon. If we are in an all out war on tyrants, Castro & Chavez definitely make the list.

I don't understand it, but wonder if you were aware of connection to US Virgin Islands. Hovensa is the territory's largest private employer. Since the joint venture was formed in 1998,it has contributed $625 million in payroll and $150 million in property taxes to the economy of the Virgin Islands.Hovensa .-- a joint venture of Amerada Hess, the parent company of Hess Oil Virgin Islands Corp., and Petroleos de Venezuela, the huge state-owned oil enterprise that dominates the economy of the South American nation. commonly known by its acronym PDVSA,

--that is a very good angle and point. I don't know the players there that much to know if this is reality or not. I am surprised though that if this is the case that we didn't put it just another regular old cia puppet instead of chavez again.

Basically, I think the bottom line is all these high level dudes realise the gravy train cash money on the side might be over if they don't play ball, and I bet a variety of "things" got to them to play ball again. There's been so many folks wasted there the past few days. Suppose a lot of the generals had second cousins wasted, stuff like that? Close enough to notice, far enough away to make it look "random".

Besides that I just don't know, the "situation is fluid" is the phrase.

--no it don't float forever, you are correct, but what I said is true, too. Put 500 thou or a million protesters in the streets, one plane can disperse them. napalm and HE sorta works. Even if only 1% get taken out with the first sorte, the rest will leave. Militaries use what they got, and the track record of various juntas and dictators over the planet is-they don't really care if it looks like they are gonna lose everything, they'll crank up what assets they have and use them to stay inpower as long as possible-most of the time anyway. I just happened to read that the air force general and his wing were the first ones to jump ship and support chavez, that's all. And I have no idea how many of the army is still on chavez's side as well, he could have his own tanks and grunts-I'd be surprised if he didn't. Reality is he's back in, not out. Money and power did it, oil money and military power or the threat of it. It would take someone really on the ground there who knew all the players and was posting here to really get closer to the why's of this whole deal.

I also would like to know what's up with cuba right now, any of what they call "mobilization" going on, stuff like that. Haven't heard a peep either way on that yet.

I hate to see the people of VeneZuela stuck in this situation. I am not sure why some fought so boldly against Cardona, Students no doubt.

GHCubana, I agree, I dont think HuGo will leave alive next time which we can only hope will be sooner rather than later as Bill used to say.
We dont need more communism in our hemisphere...

SEMPER FI
Norm

Again, if Bush had concentrated on getting Castro out of power we wouldn't be reading about a Communist victory in Venezuela. Columbia is next my friends.

Well, if Brazil goes Catroite Communist in October as it now seems it might if Lula da Silva gets elected, most of the rest of Latin America will likely fall to the reds over a period of a decade or more and as you say Columbia will be the first to go.

When South America turns red do you think Bush or some other RHINO will finally close the border?

Nope, he will just hold a summit with the Communist Presidents of the various Latin American nations and try to get a Communist "undocumented worker" amnesty bill though Congress in the dead of night on a stealth vote just as he has deviously done in regards to illegal immigration for Mexico. Then the US itself will be Communized over time from within as the Hispanics vote only for far left Democrats and worse.

--I don't know, you tell me. all three of them were purged around the same time two days ago, and all their efforts got deleted. Think about how orwellian this is. I posted my first ever started-post on freerepublic yesterday to ask that question, but the thread got deleted. As these actual questions and replies might get deleted, I am probably taking a chance to even discuss it calmly. Oh well.

While I confirmed that Black Jade is history, sonofliberty2 is still accessable as our his posts. While I am believe that there is a conspiracy for global governance and the New World Order, I really see no conspiracy going on here with FR on JimRob. The man has the right to ban anyone he wants from his website. It is natural for him to ban those with whom he disagrees with the most which unfortunately includes some of my personal favorite posters. There is no US/NWO conspiracy with 9-11. However, I do think the Russkies and the ChiComs may have been in on it. Anyway, don't get discouraged. Keep posting away.

ah, excuse me, glad to hear sonofliberty still here. My mistake, I was told this and it is an error. coolbeans.

The other stuff I'll pass on replying about, some of this and some of that I agree with, some I don't, and I got some differing opinions on the gestalt.

One thing I will say, banning is one thing, banning with no notice is entirely a different thing, and complete disappearing someones work that goes back years? Vindictive, obnoxious, juvenile, and petty. That's the politest thing I'll say about that. My "respect" and "trust" has dropped 18 notches with this latest series of purges. I don't know exactly who(m) did it, so I'll direct that to whichever person or persons did it. They know who they are.

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