Posted on 08/01/2002 10:31:11 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - With clashes already erupting outside the Supreme Court, many Venezuelans fear more violence and military unrest over a court decision on whether to try four high-ranking officers for rebellion in an April coup.
Venezuelans widely consider the pending decision to be a test of the court's alleged loyalty to President Hugo Chavez's leftist government. The court has been accused of siding with Chavez, who revamped Venezuela's judiciary after his 1998 election.
Hearings in the case have sparked clashes between so-called "Chavistas" and government opponents who support the officers. Police used tear gas and fired shots into the air to stop fighting outside the courthouse on Wednesday. At least five people were hurt.
Venezuelans remain sharply divided over the April 12-14 coup attempt that briefly ousted Chavez, and any decision by the Supreme Court could spark anger.
A final decision has been put off at least until next week. On Wednesday, the court rejected a draft order by one magistrate that would have ordered the four officers to stand trial. The court appointed another magistrate to draft another ruling by Monday.
The officers welcomed the decision as a sign that the Supreme Court was planning to rule in their favor.
If the court does rule against trying the officers, it could encourage an opposition movement that argues that the Constitution allows citizens and soldiers to disobey an authoritarian government that violates human rights, analysts said.
"It could be an incentive to attempt another rebellion," said Angel Alvarez, a political scientist at the Central University of Venezuela. "It could encourage people to invoke the Constitution to rebel against the regime."
"Chavistas" would say the Supreme Court has turned against the government — a significant step when several corruption cases against Chavez are pending, said Luis Vicente Leon, an analyst with the Datanalisis polling firm. Some pro-Chavez lawmakers have threatened to "storm" the Supreme Court if it doesn't order a trial.
A ruling against the officers could dash opposition hopes of ousting Chavez, whose term ends in 2007, through a corruption trial. Chavez is accused of receiving illegal campaign donations and illegally spending $2 million from a federal fund.
"What is clear is that no decision by the Supreme Court will be interpreted as clean and fair. It will interpreted by one band or the other as a manipulation," Leon said.
Navy Vice Adm. Hector Ramirez Perez, Rear Adm. Daniel Comisso Urdaneta, army Gen. Efrain Vasquez and air force Gen. Pedro Pereira are charged with rebellion for the coup. The charge carries a 30-year prison term.
What happened during the violent days that saw Chavez's removal and stunning return is a matter of fierce debate in politically polarized Venezuela, with Chavez's most radical opponents refusing to acknowledge that a coup even took place.
Chavez was ousted by rebel officers a day after 18 civilians were killed during an opposition protest. He swept back to power after popular and military protests against an interim government that abolished the Constitution.
The government alleges that the defendants threatened Chavez with violence to get him to resign his presidency. The officers say they acted after another general announced — falsely, as it turned out — that Chavez had resigned on April 12. They also justified their actions by saying they refused a Chavez order to deploy troops against unarmed civilians.
Chavez could win even if the court throws out the case, Leon argued. It could dissuade more opposition marches, provide a show of an independent judiciary at work and salve a restive armed forces, he said.
"Opening a trial involving actors still influential in the armed forces ... could generate internal pressure in the military that may not be to Chavez's advantage," said Leon. "If I were Chavez, I would prefer 20 times for it to end here."
They better think of something.
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