Radio Havana Cuba-15 April 2002
 
 
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Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 15 April 2002

 .

*VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT CALLS FOR CALM, UNITY AND REFLECTION IN
 DRAMATIC RETURN TO HEAD HIS NATION

Havana, 14th April (RHC)--In what regional observers are comparing
with the CIA Bay of Pigs fiasco of almost exactly 41 years ago,
President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela was restored to his position in
Miraflores Palace in Caracas at 02:45 Sunday morning, ending a two
day coup that was thwarted by the massive support of the people of
Venezuela.

In statements made within minutes of his triumphant return to
Caracas, President Chavez began by paraphrasing the Bible saying
"Give unto God what is God's, unto Cesar's what is Cesar's and to the
people what is the people's". He called for calm and prudence asking
for unity even from his traditional enemies who were behind the coup,
such as the Catholic Church and the private business sector. He added
that everyone should reflect on what had happened and that he himself
had some reflecting to do. He congratulated the Venezuelan armed
forces for carrying out their civic duty and defending the nation's
Constitution.

Cubans, who had stayed glued to their radios and television sets into
the small hours of Sunday morning, were elated by the return of
Chavez. Cuba and Venezuela have a very close relationship with
Presidents Chavez and Castro beingfirm friends. Baseball crazy Cubans
also long ago took to Chavez as a former well-known ball player. Cuba
was the only country that stood solidly behind Hugo Chavez from the
outset. In a statement by the island's UN ambassador, Bruno
Rodriguez, Saturday, he said that if Hugo Chavez was forced to fly to
Cuba by those who had detained him, then the fastest plane that the
island had would be given to him to return to Venezuela. When
President Chavez thanked Cuba for its solidarity from Miraflores
Palace early this morning, the crowd outside went wild with cheering.

Countries across the world congratulated Hugo Chavez on his return.
In Latin America, aside from Cuba, Argentina was the strongest critic
of the coup d'état. Most other nations had been guarded in their
condemnation of the coup making statements that decried the attack on
a constitutional government but falling short of defending Hugo
Chavez as its duly elected leader. Colombia was the only Latin
American nation to openly support the coup.

In Panama, criticism mounted over the Mireya Moscoso administration's
unreflective position regarding the events in Venezuela. In what many
observers agreed was an entirely uncalled-for action, the Panamanian
government announced early Saturday that Panama would not grant
political asylum to imprisoned president Hugo Chavez...if, indeed, he
were to ask for asylum there.

The former president of the Panamanian Supreme Court, Cesar Quintero,
described the Mireya Moscoso government's stand as contradictory, and
attributed it to its dependency on the United States.

And Panama's ex Vice President Ricardo Arias said that the absence of
a condemnation by Panama of the disruption of constitutional order in
Venezuela was "a political and diplomatic mistake."

In Europe, the European Union expressed satisfaction over the
reinstallation of Venezuela's legitimate government, while the United
Kingdom congratulated the people of Venezuela for the return of a
constitutional democracy and an end to the coup.

In Washington, meanwhile, diplomats admitted that they were taken by
surprise at the rapid turn of events. The National Security Advisor,
Condoleezza Rice, who many believe almost certainly knew beforehand
of the coup and the CIA's involvement, commented dryly that the US
was monitoring events closely and that Chavez should take the
occasion to "correct the erroneous path upon which he had previously
embarked".

And in an even more contorted reading of the failed extreme right
coup d'état, former Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Pérez said in
New York Sunday that the Venezuelan people had ousted Hugo Chavez
Friday and that it had been the Venezuelan military that had
re-instated him the next day. The discredited ex President, wanted in
his home country on charges of corruption, also proposed that Hugo
Chavez convene new elections so that the Venezuelan people decide who
they want for President.

Qatar was happy with the return of President Chavez said an official
statement. The two countries as part of OPEC have a close
relationship. Other OPEC countries also sent their congratulations
and support.

According to official reports now in from Caracas, 12 people lost
their lives during the events in Venezuela on Saturday, while 53 were
wounded. The head of the Caracas Metropolitan Fire Brigade, Rodolfo
Briceño, said that the wounded were being treated at hospitals in the
capital. The Caracas Metropolitan Police is being held responsible
for most of the deaths and injuries in its efforts to violently
repress pro-Hugo Chavez demonstrators.

(c) 2002 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved.
 
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rhc-eng-27648
2002-Apr-17 00:43:42