Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2002
URGENT!! Chavez Freed! Democracy Victory in Venezuela!!

***URGENT!! CHAVEZ FREED! DEMOCRACY VICTORY IN VENEZUELA!!!
***For more information please visit:
http://argentina.indymedia.org/
http://www.PeaceNoWar.net

1) Chavez Freed, Returns to Venezuela (Assoicated Press)
2) Liberan a Hugo Chavez (Argentina IMC)
3) Military coup in Venezuela Saturday 13 Apr 2002 (UK IMC)
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1) Chavez Freed, Returns to Venezuela
By ANDREW SELSKY
.c The Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Hugo Chavez was freed by his military captors and
returned to reclaim the Venezuelan presidency Sunday, in a dramatic
restoration of power two days after the military said he had resigned.

Chavez stepped down from a helicopter, smiled and raised his fist in triumph
as a greeted hundreds of cheering supporters outside the Miraflores
presidential palace. Thousands in the street beyond began singing the
Venezuelan national anthem.

His return shortly after 3 a.m. followed the resignation of Pedro Carmona,
who resigned amid violent protests after just one day in office as interim
president of Venezuela, the No. 3 supplier of oil to the United States.

Chavez's vice president, Diosdado Cabello, had declared himself acting
president until Chavez's return from military custody. He appeared healthy
and hugged supporters as a military band played.

Chavez's family, supporters and former government officials insisted he never
resigned as president, as Carmona and Venezuela's high command claimed.

“Today we are celebrating a new democracy,” said one man who took a
microphone to greet Chavez.

The Organization of American States was sending a delegation to Venezuela to
assess the situation. Chavez is a former army paratrooper who led a failed
1992 coup but was elected in 1998 on an anti-poverty platform. His term was
to end in 2006.

Chavez's attorney general, Isaias Rodriguez, told Carmona's ministers they
were under arrest pending possible charges.

“They must take responsibility. They will be put on trial with all their
rights, but they will be put on trial,” Cabello said. Some military
officials also would be tried for military rebellion, he said.

Tens of thousands of people surrounded the presidential palace Sunday after
news of Carmona's resignation. They set off powerful fireworks as they waited
for Chavez's anticipated return from military custody.

“Chavez is coming! Chavez is coming!” said Dario Fereira, an unemployed man
wearing a tattered shirt.

Chavez administration officials - many of whom had evaded dozens of police
raids under Carmona's brief reign - and loyalist military officers hugged
each other in the palace's marble-floored courtyard.

“In these past two days they have persecuted us,” said Rafael Ramirez,
president of the state-run national gasoline company.

Unshaved and with red-rimmed eyes, Ramirez said he had hidden in friend's
homes after Chavez's arrest on Friday. Asked about the turnaround, Ramirez
said: “It's marvelous because the Venezuelan people responded to this
illegal coup attempt.”

Chavez's labor minister, Maria Cristina Iglesias, said Chavez was kept on
Orchila Island off the Venezuelan coast.

Just hours earlier, interim president Carmona - a businessman and co-leader
of a general strike called last week against Chavez - announced he had
resigned.

Carmona was named president by the military high command Friday, hours after
generals arrested Chavez for allegedly ordering gunmen to fire on a massive
opposition protest on Thursday. Sixteen died and hundreds were wounded in the
melee.

Dozens more died in rioting and looting on Saturday.

Caracas Mayor Alfredo Pena said at least nine people were killed and 40
wounded Saturday. But an Associated Press reporter witnessed dozens of bodies
at city hospitals.

“We have every right to protest, but they are gunning us down out there,”
said Edgar Paredes, his clothes soaked in blood as he brought his wounded
brother to a hospital. He didn't know who shot Luis, and probably never will.
Like most violent demonstrations here, gunfire can erupt from any side, at
any time.

Demonstrators supporting Chavez - or opposed to the way he was ousted -
forced Carmona to step down. The commander of a strategic air base in the
central city of Maracay rebelled Saturday, setting in motion nationwide
protests demanding Chavez's return.

Thousands took to the streets, taking over state TV, to demand that Chavez be
reinstalled. Signaling a split in the armed forces, several military
commanders refused to accept Carmona's appointment.

Some Latin American leaders denounced Friday's irregular transition of power.
The United States said Chavez was responsible for his own ouster because of
attempts to violently suppress a Thursday opposition demonstration in which
gunmen fired upon a 150,000-strong march.

Thursday's march capped a general strike called to support oil executives who
were protesting a Chavez-appointed board of directors at the state oil
monopoly Petroleos de Venezuela.

A work slowdown by the executives severely cut production and exports in
Venezuela.

At the palace, supporters displayed a huge poster of Chavez lit by
floodlights. A military brass band stood at the ready. Red-bereted soldiers
with automatic rifles paced through the hallways; others pumped their fists
and egged on the crowd.

“Chavistas ” seized the state-run TV station late Saturday. Even as gunfire 
rattled downtown streets, pro-Chavez lawmaker Juan Barreto praised the
“peaceful insurrection ” that called for Chavez's return.

Bowing to a demand by restive army commanders, Carmona said earlier Saturday
that Chavez would be allowed to leave the country. He promised to reinstate
the country's National Assembly, which he dissolved on Friday, along with the
Constitution, Supreme Court, and other institutions.

Carmona also lost the support of the 1 million-member Venezuelan Workers
Confederation, which co-led last week's general strike, after Carmona decide
to dissolve Congress, said confederation director Jesus Urbietta.

Jesse Chacon, president of Venezuela's telecommunications agency, said TV
stations' conduct last week will be investigated. Chacon condemned stations
that failed to cover protests against Chavez's ouster.

At least 20 disturbances were reported in Caracas on Saturday. Unrest also
was reported in the cities of Maracay, Guarenas, Los Teques and Coro. Police
fought pitched battles with Chavez supporters in the western Caracas slum of
Catia, a Chavez stronghold.

04/14/02 03:41 EDT
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2) from Argentna IMC
http://argentina.indymedia.org/
Liberan a Hugo Chavez
14 de Abril, 1:37 AM Se confirma que Chavez ha sido liberado y se haría cargo 
del poder al amanecer. El empresario golpista Carmona está detenido.


14 de Abril, 24:50 Los canales RCTV, Venevisión y Globovisión se encuentran
rodeados por manifestantes prochavistas desde aproximadamente las 7 de la
noche. El diario pro-golpista El Universal fue evacuado por temor a los
manifestantes. Aparentemente, según diarios venezolanos, un grupo de
militares iria a buscar a Chavez hasta su lugar de encierro para que retome
el poder.

13 de abril, 23 50 hs: De acuerdo a lo que establece la Constitución de 1999,
por no hallarse presente el presidente electo, Chávez, asumió hace instantes
su ex-vice presidente, Diosdado Cabello.

13 de abril, 22 30 hs: Durante el día murieron al menos 9 personas y 48
resultaron heridas durante disturbios en Caracas

13 de Abril, 22 09hs: Chavez estaría esperando retomar el control del canal
estatal para dar un discurso en cadena nacional. Carmona, presidente que duró
menos de 24 horas, no aparece por ningún lado, y sus ministros están presos
en el palacio de Miraflores. Algunas versiones hablan de mas de un millón de
personas en las calles, pero todavía no está confirmado.

13 de Abril: Desde el Palacio de Miraflores, Radio Caracól informa que Chavez
ha vuelto al poder. En el día de hoy, luego de una jornada de protesta y
saqueos, miles de personas rodearon el lugar de detención de Chavez y
retomaron el Palacio de Miraflores. En estos momentos, se producen protestas
frente a los canales de televisión. Las radios locales anuncian que hay miles
y miles de personas en las calles.
Se puede escuchar on-line, la radio oficial de venezuela, haciendo click aquí.


=============================================================
3) Independent Media Center
http://uk.indymedia.org:8081

Military coup in Venezuela Saturday 13 Apr 2002

On Friday morning, the Venezuelan army forced President Hugo Chavez to step
back from power and put him under arrest. The president of the business
council Fedecamaras, Pedro Carmona Estanga, was appointed to head an interim
government. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The coup followed days of strikes and mass protests which had been initiated
and organised by business councils and business-friendly trade unions. For
several months, the national oligarchy had provoked civilian opposition to
the Chavez-led government, as the planned social and land reforms would have
compromised their established privileges.

The power grab had been predicted by many observers as both the IMF and
financial businesses such as Morgan Stanley had come out in support of a
'transitional government' for Venezuela, supporting Chavez's removal from
office. US secret services and military personnel have been operating in the
region because of their involvement in Plan Colombia and have repeatedly made
clear that they don't approve of the Chavez-government's policies either.

Analysis of the situation prior to the coup:
http://www.narconews.com/alphandary2.html Predictions on Narco News
http://www.zmag.org/content/LatinAmerica/wilpertvenez.cfm Zmag: "An imminent
coup?"
http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news345.htm Schnews: Oil-Derado

Chavez won the Venezuelan Presidency in 1998 and 2000 by the largest
majorities in four decades. Using this enormous popularity, he implemented an
unprecedented number of reforms including: a new Constitution providing
guarantees for indigenous and women's rights; free health care and education
up to the university level; a restructuring of the judicial and legislative
branches to reduce corruption; and a reinvigoration of OPEC that resulted in
raising oil prices.

Both his attempts to limit the access of oil corporations to the vast
Venezuelan oil resources, and his resistance to Plan Colombia and the
military encirclement of Colombia, triggered opposition by the US government.
Several observers have compared the situation with the 1973 coup in Chile,
where US secret services had played a crucial role in assisting the army at
removing the progressive Allende-government.

Read more:
http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=27671 Coup in
Venezuela: Eyewitness Account
http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2002/04/122261.php Coup in Venezuela:
http://argentina.indymedia.orgLatest news on Indymedia Argentina


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