Posted on 04/16/2002 6:36:55 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
CARACAS - President Hugo Chávez moved swiftly to consolidate his power by naming a new commander of the joint military staff Monday as his government announced that some military officers suspected of involvement in a short-lived revolt against him had been detained.
Chávez named Gen. Nelson Benitez Verde to replace Gen. Manuel Antonio Rosendo as chief of the unified command. Although he professed the need for national reconciliation instead of revenge, government leaders said that both civilians and military officers who tried to oust Chávez will face criminal charges before military tribunals.
Vice President Diosdado Cabello said some military leaders of the coup against Chávez remained fugitives. Late Monday, however, business leader Pedro Carmona, who enjoyed a two-day reign as president while Chávez was captive on an isolated island, had been released from jail and placed under house arrest.
Cabello said at least 120 people orchestrated a conspiracy against Chávez, including 80 members of the military. Many were briefly jailed and released; it was unclear how many were still being detained Monday night.
Even civilians like Carmona will be tried before a military court with inciting a military rebellion, Cabello said.
''This was not a fortuitous rebellion or a popular rebellion,'' Cabello said. ``This was a civic-military rebellion, and those involved should take responsibility.''
REVOLT'S LEADERS
The issue of how to deal with leaders of the revolt is among the most daunting challenges Chávez faces. While the 47-year-old former paratrooper has publicly called for unity and dialogue, the detention of leaders of the opposition suggested the president would seek to discipline his foes even as he tries to mend his political fences.
As the nation returned to normal, Chávez gave a long public address Monday before a packed room of journalists, where he called for dialogue and insisted many coup participants were manipulated. Many members of the armed forces who tried to overthrow him were deceived by civilian conspirators, Chávez said.
''They were tricked,'' Chávez insisted. ``I have no feelings of revenge or hate. No. I will review each one on a case by case basis and respect everyone's human rights.''
He also blamed the media for allegedly distorting information and magnifying the extent of the uprising. ''The news media have enormous power, and they should not act as a laboratory of lies, sowing terror,'' Chávez affirmed. ``That is terrorism, becoming a nest of terror in order to create a psychological impact.''
The entire cabinet named by Carmona was freed from captivity, defense minister Jose Vicente Rangel said.
The military officers still detained include Rear Admiral Carlos Molina Tamayo, recently forced to retire for making public statements against Chávez, and considered one of the top military collaborators in the coup; Vice Admiral Héctor Ramírez Pérez, named Carmona's defense minister; and Army commander General Efraín Vásquez.
THE DETAINEES
Cabello stressed that the government planned to treat the detainees better than they treated Chávez.
They will be allowed to speak to their families and receive visitors, he said.
''Chavez has to play this very cautiously, especially with the military because there are lot of them,'' said analyst Luis Vicente Leon, director of the Datanalisis polling firm. ``They don't want to create any important martyrs.''
Chávez was detained for two days by the military after mass marches turned violent Thursday. Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets to demand the ouster of the head of state. At least 11 people died that day.
When allegations surfaced that Chávez had sent supporters to fire at the crowds, a team of officers and opposition leaders forced the president out of office.
Carmona was named interim president, but quickly alienated his military allies by doing away with the pro-Chávez Supreme Court, constitution and National Assembly.
By Saturday afternoon, the coup crumbled.
Carmona was forced to put congress back in place and scale back other Draconian measures. With Chávez resisting the overthrow, Carmona was tossed out and replaced by Cabello, Chávez's vice president.
''What a big mistake, chico,'' Chávez said. ``They stuck it in his head that he'd be president. . . . He's in a big jam now.''
Chávez said people like Carmona plotted the overthrow for months.
As proof, Chávez noted that the interim government left behind a presidential sash at the Miraflores palace, claiming the plotters had it made months before in preparation for the coup.
The Chávez government is also convinced that even the mass uprising of protesters Thursday was far from spontaneous.
''Who pushed an enormous mass of Venezuelans to come to Miraflores where they knew 20,000 people were there waiting for whoever was coming?'' Cabello said. ``They are, morally at least, responsible for a great number of deaths.''
2 YEARS IN PRISON
Chávez himself served two years in prison for attempting an overthrow of former president Carlos Andrés Pérez in 1992. Like this weekend's mutiny, Chávez's revolt failed and he landed in jail.
During his two days of detention Friday and Saturday, Chávez said he found himself thinking about those days behind bars. Calling himself the ''Prisoner President,'' he penned poetry. .
Chávez declined to comment on the Bush administration's tepid response to his overthrow and quick comeback.
Deciding against ''diplomacy by microphone,'' instead he continued his call for national dialogue, and urged the opposition to join him in future round table discussions.
''For a kiss,'' he said, ``you need two mouths.''
Hugo Chavez, left, is embraced by Fidel Castro in this Dec. 14, 1994 , file photo at the University of Havana, Cuba, during Chavez's visit to Cuba at Castro's invitation. Chavez, whose self-proclaimed mission was to fulfill the dreams of 19th century independence fighter Simon Bolivar of a free and unified South America, was Friday ousted at age 47. (AP Photo/CP, Jose Goitia, File)
Indeed they will. However, Chavez will overplay his hand AGAIN and give his opponents every excuse to pitch him. He'll likely catch a bullet next time in some sort of firefight IMHO.
Let's hear the outcry from the Left about these military tribunals...
Want to hear this guy spin a yarn? Captive Chavez prayed under stars for Venezuela (don't cry for him)
Yep. However, I suspect there are some with sniper skills who aren't under Chavez' control. This isn't over IMHO.
''They were tricked,'' Chávez insisted. ``I have no feelings of revenge or hate. No. I will review each one on a case by case basis and respect everyone's human rights.''That sounds like the formula for the diseased animal of Rationalism to raise its head. It sounds like the rhetoric of idiocy from Robespierre, thru Lenin and Ross Perot. The enlightenment rationalist view of nebulus rights, in this case "human", as interpreted by ""feelings" of the Annointed having more weight than justice.
We are watching that fist form and it will strike down those that can give them true Liberty.
Cordially,
After the dictator is deposed, you have a short trial and shoot him, within 6 hours. Then you put his dead corpse on tv so everybody knows he's dead and it strikes fear into the hearts of any supporters. Concurrently, you go after his underlings until they are either dead or fled from the country. Until then, everything is under 24 hour curfew and martial law. Then you start slowly loosening up and rebuilding, starting with pro-government demonstrations.
The coup plotters will rue the day they let Chavez live. They got caught up in being fair and not wanting blood on their hands. This mistake will cost them their lives. This business about Chavez not wanting martyrs is pure posturing. Once he has a firm grip he will do to the plotters what they should have done to him first; shoot them. They are dead men.
FARC: A Terrorist Regime waiting in the Wings-- Hugo Chavez's involvement.
I'll give you no argument. I do believe no one expected the events to unfold the way they did. That Chavez's armed Bolivarian Circle Chavistas would ambush a peaceful march and that his senior military would then ask him to resign, just wasn't on the day's agenda. I think they just tried to do the best with the cards that were dealt and weren't prepared. The senior military men who asked Chavez to resign didn't command any troops so they only had a small window to act before the situation would be reversed. Personally, I don't know what more they could have done with out a more appropriate candidate to put into the presidency. There is much division between political parties, however they do agree, Chavez is nothing but trouble.
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