RHC on Venezuelan Coup, Attack on Cuba Embassy 12 Apr 2002 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 12 April 2002 . *PEREZ ROQUE RESPONDS TO THREATS ON CUBAN EMBASSY AFTER RIGHTWING COUP IN VENEZUELA Caracas, April 12 (RHC)-- In spite of international press reports supporting the version of military leaders in Venezuela who announced this morning that President Hugo Chavez had resigned, it is now clear that Chavez was toppled in a right wing coup d'état. Military commanders said today that the President had stepped down after being pressured to do so in the wake of violent demonstrations in Caracas yesterday that left at least 13 people dead and over 100 wounded. However, in recorded statements made by Chavez' daughter, Maria Gabriela Chavez, to Cuban TV's round table anchor Randy Alonso, she said that her father had not resigned but was being held in detention. This development confirmed the suspicions of many of Chavez' supporters about whether or not he had been removed in a coup. Chavez' daughter's statements were echoed by the Minister of Education, Aristobulo Isturiz, who revealed to the press that the President had told those military leaders that demanded his resignation that he would do no such thing and that they would have to go ahead with their coup and take responsibility for their actions. The nation's attorney general, Isaías Rodríguez declared today that even if the President had resigned it would be legally invalid because the Constitution requires that such a resignation be carried out before the National Assembly. He added that important principles of international and national law had been broken and that Venezuela was dealing with a coup d'état. Hugo Chavez' daughter said that her father was being held incommunicado in Tiura Fortress and that he had asked her to retain a lawyer to defend his rights as an imprisoned president. The Cuban daily Granma this morning lamented Chavez departure blaming the rich, powerful business sector and its connections with the commercial mass media and the United States for Chavez' departure. This position appeared to be held out by the self-appointment of Pedro Carmona, head of the nation's largest business association, as interim head of government. Carmona had been one of the foremost opposition leaders against Hugo Chavez, especially since Chavez had come to blows with powerful oil executives over the running of the state oil company, Pétroleo de Venezuela. One of the first acts of Carmona has been to reinstate the fired top oil executives and military personnel the President had removed, and exports of oil to Cuba have been suspended. One of Chavez' acts that most infuriated Washington and the corporate sector was his rapprochement with Cuba and his opening of major business ties with the island including preferential oil tariffs. He also gained US president George Bush's ire when he criticized the bombing of Afghanistan at a moment when, observers note, few leaders in the world had the courage to do so. Granma reported that individuals such as Carmona had continued to exhort their supporters to demonstrate in the streets in spite of the obvious risks of violence as the crowds got larger and more aggressive. It is unclear who provoked the firing on the protestors but many witnesses said that the first shots could have come from provocateurs on the scene. In spite of propaganda to the contrary, supporters of Hugo Chavez are reminding the world that he never violated the Venezuelan constitution in any way - as have the plotters in the coup - but gained the hatred of the old oligarchy by attempting to wrest power from their hands by redistributing power, money and land. The new constitution he bequeathed to his nation by referendum is one of the most progressive in the world. Cuban Foreign Minister, Felipe Pérez Roque, held a press conference late Friday to respond to the events taking place in Venezuela. The Cuban minister decried the coup d´état and condemned the attack by a mob of some 400 on the Cuban embassy in Caracas. Warning that the Cuban diplomats inside the embassy would defend it even at the cost of their own lives, Pérez Roque held those who had carried out the coup responsible for their lives and property. Repeating that President Hugo Chavez had clearly not resigned, the Cuban Foreign Minister called on the restitution of the democratically elected government of Chavez. Responding to a question as to whether there were Venezuelan government officials in hiding in the embassy, Pérez Roque categorically denied that there were, adding that this was a rumor spread to incite the mob to violence against the embassy. *STATEMENTS BY HUGO CHAVEZ'S DAUGHTER ON CUBAN TV Journalist Randy Alonso spoke today with the daughter of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Maria Gabriela Chavez. He asked her to comment on the events going on in Venezuela. Maria Gabriela: "I spoke with my father two hours ago. He phoned us and told us to please tell the world that at no point has he resigned, that at no point has he signed any decree sacking Vice President Disodado Cabello, and that he certainly has not resigned. He said that a group of military officers had simply arrested him and taken him to Fuerte Tiuna, the Army Headquarters. He said that he is presently in detention under the Fuerte Tiuna regiment of the military police. He is completely incommunicado, and has only been allowed to speak with us, his children. "He asked that we find him lawyers, that we speak with friends and relatives, to make sure that his rights are respected. He said he did not know when we would be able to speak again. This was two hours ago, at 9 o'clock in the morning here in Venezuela." The daughter of President Hugo Chavez said that government officials and followers are being detained and kidnapped, and that others have had to hide. She said she did not know when she will hear from her father again. MG: "I asked when we would speak again, and he said, I don't know. He said now you have to help me, you have to find lawyers, pressure people, and tell everyone that I am in prison, that I am an imprisoned president-those were his exact words, at no point did he resign. "After I spoke with my father I managed to speak with Vice President Diosdado Cabello, and with deputies of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. I spoke with Juan Barreto, one of the deputies-he is in hiding, for they are also looking for him-and with Freddy Bernal. The former director of the DISIP, the Venezuelan Intelligence Service has been abducted; the Attorney General of Venezuela has also been detained-no communication media has talked about this. And what is important is that he never resigned, that there has simply been a coup d'etat, which they want to disguise under an alleged resignation. "He asked that I tell you this, that you tell the world. And Vice President Disodado Cabello has asked that it be denounced before the Organization of American States, the group of 77, all international organizations, that this is an extreme rightwing dictatorship that is being instated here in Venezuela, and they want to disguise it under a resignation. But it is all a lie. They are looking for all government followers to arrest them, and they have all had to go into hiding." Maria Gabriela Chavez was asked by Randy Alonso about the situation of her family. MG: "Well, we are all also practically in hiding. But we are all right, we are now more calm, we are together. With me here is my brother Hugo, my sister Rosa, and my daughter is also with me. We are calm now, and I have faith that things will settle, and we are ready to help our father through all this. "You have my cell phone number. I will keep it on at all times. You can call me any time for anything. It is easier if you call me, for anything that you may want to know. I will keep you informed. We will do anything that needs to be done for our father. We also love you all, we love the Cuban people, and thank you for your support." (c) 2002 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytsa-04.13.02-18:21:41-11490