[News] Venezuela still threatened, attacked

[News at freedomarchives.org]

(Updated) One Death During Clashes Between Venezuelan Opposition Militants
and Troops as G-15 Summit Starts

Saturday, Feb 28, 2004


By: Martín Sánchez / Portia Sánchez - Venezuelanalysis.com

Editors note: Newly released medical reports indicate the protest left one
person instead of two, and 30 wounded instead of 18.


Sophisticated gas masks were used by opposition demonstrators seeking to
oust Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, during clashes with National Guard
troops.
Photo: Ernesto Navarro

Caracas, Venezuela. Feb 27, 2004 (Venezuelanalysis.com).- Militants from
political parties opposed to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez attempted to
march into the building where Presidents from 15 developing countries are
meeting as part of the G-15 Summit in Caracas.

One person was reported dead and more than 30 wounded. Among the wounded are
several supporters of President Chavez, and National Guard officers, but the
majority were opposition demonstrators wounded by rubber bullets.

The demonstration was organized by opponents of the President to pressure
the National Electoral Council (CNE) to approve a recall referendum on the
President. The opposition claimed that the goal was to deliver a document to
the G-15 presidents urging them to p ut pressure on the CNE to approve the
recall.

Elections officials are currently counting and validating petitions
collected by the opposition, but numerous irregularities have forced the
officials to delay a decision, and ask people listed in petitions with
irregularities to re-confirm their signature.


Opposition demonstrators attacks National Guard troops guarding the G-15
Summit. Commercial media outlets called the demonstration "peaceful", and
argued that demonstrators were "provoked" by troops.
Photo: Ernesto Navarro

Government authorities warned opposition politicians about the security
perimeter established to protect the presidents and their delegations.
Radical opposition militants decided to try to break the perimeter and
clashed with National Guard officers who used tear gas and rubber bullets to
prevent the demonstrators from advancing towards the building where the G-15
Summit was being held.

Chavez's party headquarter torched by opponents

A local headquarter of President Chavez's party Fifth Republic Movement
(MVR) was torched by opposition militants. Antonio Ledezma, a leader of the
Coordinadora Democratica (Democratic Coordinator) opposition coalition, was
seen at the MVR headquarter giving orders to opposition militants. National
Assembly deputy Francisco Ameliach sh owed pictures of his party's building
burned with Mr. Ledezma nearby. "This is the last time they do this to us,"
said Ameliach, who also announced legal action against the political leader.
Last year, another MVR party building was burned by opposition militants.

A building of the pro-government Fatherland For All (PPT) party was also
vandalized by opponents of Chavez.

Up to six opposition sharpshooters were detected by authorities hiding in
rooftops near the demonstrations, according to National Assembly deputy
Francisco Solorzano.


Sophisticated gas masks were used by opposition demonstrators seeking to
oust Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, during clashes with National Guard
toops.
Photo: Venpres

Opposition militants wore professional gas masks, prompting pro-government
political commentators to claim that the opposition's actions were well
planned and financed.

TV footage showed officers from the opposition-controlled Metropolitan
Police, helping the demonstrators as they changed locations to clash with
National Guard troops. Venezuelan Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel said
the government could take control of that police force for their
anti-government actions. Several Metropolitan Police officers are facing
trial for some of the deaths during the coupt d' etat of April 2002.


Leopoldo Lopez, an opposition leader and Mayor of Venezuela´s wealthiest
municipality (Chacao), leads demonstrators towards the perimeter set by
authorities to protect foreign delegations attending the G-15 Summit.
Photo: Venpres

Interior Minister condemns violence

"They weren't holding rosaries and bibles, they came with a violent
attitude, holding sticks, bottles and stones, to confront the National
Guard, which had to respond with tear gas to control the situation and
guarantee order," said Interior Minister Lucas Rincon holding a police
helmet stained with blood, and penetrated by a bullet shot by opposition
demonstrators. "It wasn't confetti what they threw at the troops," added
Rincon.

Rincon, said there were five people detained with weapons without permits,
and two police officers from opposition-controlled municipalities wearing
body armor and holding weapons disguising in civilian clothes.

"The march achieved its goal," said the Coordinadora Democratica in a
statement after the clashes. Opponents claimed that Chavez pretended to use
the G-15 Summit as a propaganda platform.


Anti-Chavez demonstrators block traffic in south eastern Caracas to protest
electoral authorities' decision to ask people listed in petitions with
irregularities to reconfirm their signature.
Photo: N. Heredia
The Coordinadora Democratica announced militant actions after the Electoral
Council (CNE) announced that recall petitions with irregularities require
re-confirmation by signers. The CNE decided to ask for reconfirmation
instead of invalidating the petitions in order to defend the signers´ will.
However, opponents accuse the CNE of dragging their feet to delay the
referendum. Last Wednesday, opposition leaders said they no longer
recognized the authority of electoral officials due to this decision.

Interior Vice-minister, Carlos Vettiol, commented that the government of
Venezuela is obligated by international law to protect the integrity of the
foreign delegations attending the summit. "We explained that to the
opposition leaders, but they chosed not to hear us," said Vettiol.

The Attorney General, Isaias Rodríguez, and the Public Ombudsman, had sent
public defenders to monitor the opposition march. Rodriguez said that the
actions of the opposition "contradict the Constitution, the law, and the
peace of the country."

Media offensive

Venezuelan commercial media ran ads inviting people to attend the "peaceful
demonstration", and gave non stop coverage to the protests and clashes with
authorities since early that morning. Government officials said the media
coverage was reminiscent of the days before the coup d'etat of April 2002,
and the lock-out and strike of late 2002.

"She what happened in Haiti? That's what's going to happen here," said an
opposition political leader.


"Hugo: to stop me from protesting, you will have to kill me".
Photo: Ernesto Navarro

Opposition leaders appeared in the media encouraging supporters to continue
demonstrating until Sunday, when electoral authorities are scheduled to
announce how many petitions to demand the recall of several elected
officials are valid.

Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel criticzied the local media, and
international oulets such as CNN, for not showing any images of the
demonstrator's attacks against the security perimeter.


Opposition Mayor Leopoldo Lopez, has been accused of providing demonstrators
with anti-gas masks like the one he used when trying to break the security
perimeter that protected foreign delegations attending the G-15 Summit.
Photo: Venpres



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«Above all, always be capable of feeling deeply any given injustice
committed against anyone, anywhere in the world. This is the most beautiful
quality in a revolutionary. » Ernesto Che Guevara

«Sobre todo, sean siempre capaces de sentir en lo más hondo cualquier
injusticia cometida contra cualquiera en cualquier parte del mundo. Es la
cualidad más linda de un revolucionario.» Ernesto Che Guevara


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