That kind of fear is new, said Liliana Ortega, a leading human rights investigator. Her agency was formed after food riots of 1989, in which hundreds of people were killed. The exact number and identities of the dead have never been confirmed. No one was ever convicted for the killings. Still, Ms. Ortega said, in the days following those riots relatives of the dead quickly began forming support groups and investigative committees. They held news conferences and marches. Since April 11, she said, her office has received threats by telephone and the Internet. Only a handful of the relatives of the dead have filed complaints. "People are afraid," Ms. Ortega said. "That is clear."***
Venezuelans who saw the tape, replayed repeatedly on television, were outraged, blaming the gunmen and the government for shooting at a sea of unarmed antigovernment protesters.
But more than two weeks after 17 people died and another 100 were wounded in the incident, the worst case of political violence in Venezuela in a decade, new evidence has emerged that seems to show that the men on the bridge were exchanging gunfire with other armed men.
The evidence suggests that multiple gunmen - uniformed and civilian, pro- and anti-Chavez - fired weapons in the midst of the largest antigovernment demonstration in Mr. Chavez's turbulent three years in office.
The violence led to Mr. Chávez's temporary downfall when military officers, blaming the government for the deaths, publicly withdrew their support for the president.
It is unclear who actually aimed and fired into the crowds on the afternoon of April 11. But interviews with investigators, police officers and witnesses suggest that a gunfight took place across three blocks of Avenida Baralt, south of the Carmelitas Bridge, which was teeming with unarmed protesters.
At the same time, unidentified gunmen with rifles fired down from at least three tall buildings, hitting most victims in the head and upper body.
Only three people have been arrested in connection with the violence, civilian supporters of President Chávez who were captured on videotape firing from the bridge.***
May 1, 2002 Chavez's citizens group, "political army," is fueling tensions*** CARACAS - Officially, Bolivarian Circles are groups of poor Venezuelans organized by populist President Hugo Chávez to carry out such neighborhood activities as cleaning up garbage and fixing potholes.
But Chávez's opponents allege that they are armed gangs of pro-Chávez radicals and thugs who terrorize them, attack their street marches, shoot up their offices and cruise Caracas streets in menacing motorcycle packs.
Perhaps more than any other action, the creation of the Bolivarian Circles has heightened the impression -- consistently denied by Chávez -- that he is building his own political army. As a result, the groups have become a critical point of confrontation between the president and his opponents.
Opponents now say they've had enough of the Bolivarian Circles and are demanding that the president disarm and disband them as the first step toward the reconciliation that he promised following the April 11 coup attempt. The debate over the fate of these groups might go a long way toward resolving -- or deepening -- the political crisis engulfing Chávez.***