***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) ============================================================ 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 ============================================================= 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 ________________________________________________________ FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. 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