Barry Stoller
Sat, 13 Apr 2002 21:03:46 -0700
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------
NYT. 14 April 2002. Venezuela Leader, Ousted 2 Days Ago, May Be Back. Edited. CARACAS -- The day after an interim government led by the military and powerful business sectors took control here, thousands of angry protesters seemed close to forcing the return of the ousted populist president, Hugo Chávez. The demonstrators took over the presidential palace and several television stations. The swelling crowds -- at turns shouting in anger and dancing with joy -- complained that Mr. Chávez had been forced from power in a coup. By midnight, officials loyal to Mr. Chávez were delivering triumphant nationally televised speeches in celebration of their return to power. In a written statement from the military base at Turiamo, where he had been in the custody of military officers, Mr. Chávez issued a statement at 2:45 p.m. that was directed to "the Venezuelan people, and whoever else may be interested. "I, Hugo Chávez Frias, president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," the statement read, "have NOT resigned the legitimate powers given to me by the people." "The cabinet is back in place," said 60-year-old Miguel Reyes, one of the protesters who stood watching a parade of Chávez officials return to the presidential palace. Referring to Mr. Chávez, he added, "We are waiting for the president to show up, and then we will go home." "What we want is our president," said José Osvaldes, screaming on the street. Carlos Duque, 41, said: "You can't take someone who is democratically elected by the people, and then put in a dictatorship of convenience. We want to get back the president of the republic." The protests made clear that support for Mr. Chávez continued strong in the poorest sections of the city, in tumbledown slums and open-air commercial districts that helped propel him to power. Shouting so hard that some of them cried, the protesters delivered a message that was strident but simple: Mr. Chávez's presidency came through the people's votes and could not be undone by special interests. In a gritty commercial district on the west side of this city that has long been considered Mr. Chávez's stronghold, his support remained strong. A conversation with a subway technician, José Varela, and his fervent expressions of support for Mr. Chávez, drew a crowd. As he spoke, some began to chant Mr. Chávez's name. Others brought out posters of the ousted president. People's eyes turned angry as they talked about recent events; many began waving their fists in the air. "The people are with Chávez!" shouted Luis García, 55, an auto mechanic. Another man shouted, "What they did to him was a coup!" "He has not resigned," said Carolina Avila, one of the merchants. "To me, he is still our president." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews --------------------------- 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 ==^================================================================