Rick Rozoff
Sat, 13 Apr 2002 09:26:34 -0700
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------
Agence France=Presse Saturday April 13, 8:17 PM Street clashes continue in Venezuela Angry street demonstrations ended in temporary calm after the installation of a civilian-led provisional government to replace Hugo Chavez, ousted by three days of strikes and demonstrations. Venezuela's interim government announced the dissolution of all branches of government and the naming of Pedro Carmona, head of Venezuela's most important business association and leader of the opposition to the Chavez administration, as interim president of Venezuela. Carmona named a cabinet and other top federal officials, called for new elections and a constitutional convention. After dark, pro-Chavez demonstrators continued to gather outside the Fort Tiuna military base in Caracas, where Chavez was last seen. Chavez's daughter Maria Gabriela meanwhile told Cuban television that her father had been removed from Fort Tiuna and taken to an unknown location. "They put him on a helicopter and flew to an unknown destination," she said in a telephone interview Saturday. Helicopters flew over the fort which is located in a poor area where many Chavez supporters live. About 200 meters (yards) from the base, demonstrators chanted, "Chavez has been kidnapped," and "Free Chavez," according to AFP reporters. Other demonstrators who supported Chavez's populist policies banged empty pots in poor as well as middle-class residential areas of Caracas. A young woman called AFP offices from a poor neighborhood in the western part of Caracas to say that police were firing on a demonstration. "I would like to be able to explain why, in the first few hours of our new government, such undesirable events happen, but we aren't promoting retaliation or hatred. We identify ourselves with pacifism," Carmona said. Soon after the installation of a new government, police raided headquarters of the Bolivarian Circles, the armed groups of Chavez supporters that police say fired upon anti-Chavez demonstrations. At least five persons were arrested under suspicion of taking part in the groups, including judicial police chief Miguel Dao. Large caches of arms were seized, police said. In the three days of strikes and mass mobilizations that led to Chavez's ouster, 15 were killed and at least 300 injured, in the clash of pro- and anti-Chavez demonstrations, according to fire officials. The Carmona government announced on television the suspension of the National Assembly and called new legislative elections for December. By nightfall Friday, police forcibly removed legislators attached to Chavez's Fifth Republic Movement from the Congress building. Demonstrators in cities around the country meanwhile demanded the resignation of officials at the federal, state and municipal level who are attached to Chavez's movement. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax http://taxes.yahoo.com/ --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================