Posted on 07/19/2002 6:35:18 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
CARACAS, Venezuela - Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threw stones Thursday at four military officers accused of rebellion. No injuries were reported.
Members of "Bolivarian Circles," neighborhood groups organized by the government, confronted the officers outside the Supreme Court after the officers asked the court to dismiss the charges. Police and National Guardsmen quickly dispersed the protesters.
"What Chavez has done is sow hate and created these groups ... to silence those who are brave enough to condemn his actions," said army Gen. Nestor Gonzalez, a supporter of the accused officers. Gonzalez is also being investigated for his actions during an April coup.
Navy Vice Adm. Hector Rodriguez, navy Rear Adm. Daniel Comisso, army Gen. Efrain Vasquez and air force Gen. Pedro Pedro Pereira are accused of rebelling against Chavez during the April 12-14 coup. If convicted, they could face up to 30 years in prison.
Chavez was ousted a day after 18 people were killed during an opposition protest. Attorney General Isaias Rodriguez argued that the defendants threatened Chavez to get him to quit.
The defense says the officers objected to Chavez's order to deploy troops against unarmed civilians and that they believed an announcement by another general that Chavez had resigned.
Chavez says he never resigned the presidency while in custody.
The court said it would decide on the charges next week.
Meanwhile, in Washington, a top U.S. diplomat said the Venezuelan government should do more to heal deep divisions that persist three months after the coup.
Otto Reich, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs, said Chavez had not lived up to promises he made after he was reinstated.
"The government must reach out. We haven't seen that taking place," Reich told a gathering sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The U.S. administration came under fire from some quarters after seeming to acquiesce in Chavez's apparent ouster. Reich said the United States does not support coups and recognizes Chavez as Venezuela's legitimate president.
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