Posted on 05/03/2002 4:08:52 PM PDT by kattracks
The Venezuelan vice president-designate said the government had evidence of a new coup attempt being hatched in the country, including a plot to kill President Hugo Chavez.
"We have information that there exist determined people who are preparing a new adventure," Defense Minister Jose Vicente Rangel, who has been chosen by Chavez to become Venezuela's next vice president, told a commission of the National Assembly.
Chavez was briefly removed from power last month as a result of a civilian-military coup, but he was quickly restored to power when the coup fizzled after key military units refused to support it.
"I have important information about some people, who still believe they can persuade some military units to take part in a new adventure aimed at seizing power," Rangel told the commission that is probing last month's coup attempt.
The defense minister did not name names or publicly present any specific evidence. But he indicated that his information was "well-founded" and came "from impeccable sources."
He also said he had evidence of a possible conspiracy to assassinate Chavez but did not offer any details.
The warning came as part of an expanding parliamentary probe into the dramatic events of April 11-14, when the president was briefly jailed after a junta led by prominent businessman Pedro Carmona installed itself in power.
Carmona, sown in as president, went ahead and dissolved the National Assembly and other civic institutions, pre-empting democratic concerns that led to Chavez's restoration to power.
The botched coup was preceded by mass street protests against Chavez's rule, during which at least 17 people were killed.
Overall 57 people lost their lives in the four tumultuous days in April that shook the foundations of Venezuela's democracy, according to human rights groups.
On Thursday, the parliamentary investigators heard from Carmona, who said there was no coup attempt in Venezuela two weeks ago and argued that a group of military men had placed him at the head of an interim government to fill a "power vacuum" created by Chavez.
"I was called to fill a power vacuum that had occurred and to form a transitional government," said Carmona, who is currently under house arrest.
But Rangel dismissed this contention as a cynical attempt to escape responsibility.
"The thesis that there was no coup in the country is unsustainable," he said. "It is cynical for those implicated in the coup attempt to insist they had nothing to do with the situation."
The commission was to hear later in the day from General Lucas Rincon, inspector general of the armed forces, and General Manuel Rosendo, chief of the military's Unified Command.
While issuing dire warnings, Rangel said the Chavez government was determined to restore civil peace in Venezuela through national dialogue.
"I bring to this debate the words 'dialogue', 'understanding,' 'agreement,'" he said. There is no substitute for dialogue, there is no alternative -- what happened on April 11 cannot be repeated."
However, in an interview with The New York Times published earlier Friday, Chavez dismissed his domestic opponents as disorganized and lacking serious leadership for an adequate exchange of ideas.
"I do not have here in the opposition someone I can call to sit here with me to talk about themes in depth, someone who is a serious, honest leader who has the leadership in the opposition," the Venezuelan president was quoted by The Times as saying.
A new adventure? LOLOL! And the guy's name is Rangel? Any relation to our illustrious NY representative on the DemonRat side of the aisle?
I'll bet the "adventurers" manage to off Chavez this time.
It does not look good for the dictators!
Quick! Round up the usual suspects!
You're a piece of work.
Chavez was elected with the support of the peasants, no wonder the 'elites' want a coup. The people of Venezuela support their President why don't we stay out of it?
chavez provides aide and comfort to FARC.
That makes him an enemy. Our enemy
The sooner chavez is "hanging with elvis" the better
And who exactly, pray tell, was it that were murdered by his sharpshooters in the demonstrations against his growing dictatorship, prior to the coup attempt? The "elites"?
the infowarrior
Why would a farc supporter be here on the boards at freerepublic, in the good ole usa... this late on a friday night, saturday morning?
I said earlier that chavez would move to kill his opposition after making nice for about sixty days.... guess I was being optomistic.
He better watch out, things are often NOT as they seem.
If he were smart he would call for new elections in the immediate future, exclude himself from being elected now or ever, hand pick a transitional team with a coalition from the other side included... and then retire to cuba where he could tender his resignation, after guarantees from the new government to keep fidel in oil for the next ten years...
Instead, he will pull a sadaam and kill his own family if necessary, to try and stay in power.
What a chump. We give him a second chance and he blows it in less than 90 days... sounds a lot like arafat.
In what way? Do you have any sources that document this claim?
From what I've read, it is unclear who was doing the shooting and the affiliation of those who were shot.
If you're going to make a personal attack in a post, it's good manners to flag the subject. BTW I'm not a FARC supporter, although I am an opponent of globalism and our (the U.S.A.) role as globocop.
I said earlier that chavez would move to kill his opposition after making nice for about sixty days.... guess I was being optomistic.
I don't see anything in the article about this. I wonder what would happen if some disaffected military and business leaders forced Bush to resign, dissolved Congress and the judiciary only to find a groundswell of public opposition and loyal military restored them two days later?
He better watch out, things are often NOT as they seem.
Hmmm...
If he were smart he would call for new elections in the immediate future, exclude himself from being elected now or ever, hand pick a transitional team with a coalition from the other side included... and then retire to cuba where he could tender his resignation, after guarantees from the new government to keep fidel in oil for the next ten years...
Isn't it funny how something that sounds smart to one person can sound stupid to another?
Instead, he will pull a sadaam and kill his own family if necessary, to try and stay in power.
Amazing how you can anticipate the actions of someone you probably have never met and likely know little about.
What a chump. We give him a second chance and he blows it in less than 90 days... sounds a lot like arafat.
We???
You must be from Venezuela.
If you keep up on the war in columbia. You'd know that FARC and ELN use venezuela for R&R.
chavez has been turning a blind eye to it.
chavez also "sells" oil to cuba and is castros #1 ( only? ) source
BTW castro is a "little " behind in his payments to venezuela and chavez keeps giving it to him
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