The following article was published in "The Guardian", newspaper
of the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday,
April 24th, 2002. Contact address: 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills.
Sydney. 2010 Australia. Phone: (612) 9212 6855 Fax: (612) 9281 5795.
CPA Central Committee: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Webpage: http://www.cpa.org.au>
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Viva Chavez!
People's victory in Venezuela
Viva Chavez! shouted exuberant Venezuelan crowds who greeted their
elected President as he returned to Caracas following the attempted coup
by elements of the military top brass, business leaders and some misled
trade unionists.
In dramatic developments over the last few days the government of Hugo
Chavez was overthrown in a military coup d'etat but was then returned to
power by the actions of the Venezuelan people. The "President" appointed
by the military, who had the support of the United States, had been
forced to flee after only a few hours in the position.
Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan people demonstrated in support of
Chavez in the streets of Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela and
other cities and towns. In the face of the mass demonstrations by the
working people and revolts by some sections of the armed forces that
remained loyal to the elected President, the coup quickly collapsed.
Hugo Chavez, who had triumphed in two elections, was implementing social
and economic programs to relieve the terrible poverty in which the
majority of the Venezuelan people live. He was building up a
participatory democratic structure and, with the aid of Cuban doctors,
helping the sick with medical programs.
Chavez had won the hearts and minds of the poor of Venezuela but his
progressive measures were not to the liking of business circles and
reactionary military leaders. They were not to the liking of the United
States Government either. It is certain that CIA and other US agencies
gave their approval to the coup leaders.
In an all too hasty celebration the "New York Times" wrote in an
editorial: "Venezuelan democracy is no longer threatened by a would-be
dictator ... [because] the military intervened and handed power to a
respected business leader."
Chavez was supplying cheap oil to Cuba in exchange for Cuban assistance
with health programs and there are suggestions that Venezuela was
considering joining some Middle East countries that have proposed
suspension of oil supplies to countries helping the Israeli aggression
against the Palestinian people.
The military coup was met with strong opposition from other Latin
American governments.
A summit of Latin American leaders said in a joint statement: "We
condemn the interruption of constitutional order".
The Mexican President Vicente Fox said his country would not recognise
Venezuela's new government until elections had been held. Argentina and
Paraguay also declared they would not recognise the coup government.
The coup appointed President, who was an oil executive, dismissed the
popularly elected members of the Congress and the judges of the Supreme
Court. He also suspended 48 laws that had been adopted by the Chavez
Government that generally increased the state's role in the economy.
Venezuela's state-owned oil industry -- Petroleos de Venezuela -- is one
of the world's largest oil companies and would have been a target for
privatisation had the coup succeeded.
Venezuela, which is the world's fourth largest oil producing country,
exports 57 per cent of its oil to the US and accounts for 14 per cent of
US oil imports.
The country also has large oil resources, some of which are not yet
being exploited. They are a prime target for the US oil companies and
for Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and others who are all tied to the oil
corporations.
In an ironic twist, considerable revenue flowing into the coffers of the
Venezuelan Government comes from Venezuelan-owned gasoline stations
throughout the US.
While some of the top brass of the Venezuelan armed forces had denounced
the Chavez Government, others had declared their support for
constitutional processes and this was a factor in the failure of the
coup plotters.
The armed forces have had strong ties with the US military which, as in
other Latin American countries, has concentrated on training leaders of
the armed forces. Some believed that Chavez was distancing Venezuela
from Washington.
The Chavez Government had recently suspended Venezuela's participation
in regional military exercises. Chavez had also expressed his support
for Cuba and had warm personal relations with Fidel Castro. He has given
support to the freedom fighters of Colombia. All are reasons for
reactionary business and military elements in Venezuelan society to
attempt a counter-revolution.
Speaking on TV following his restoration, Hugo Chavez said: "These
events that brought blood and pain should be a lesson for all. I call
for peace. I call for calm, for rationality, for the unity of the country."
His conciliatory tone contrasted with that of the US State Department's
Condoleezza Rice who declared: "We hope that Chavez recognises that the
whole world is watching and that he takes advantage of this opportunity
to right his own ship which has been moving, frankly, in the wrong
direction for quite a long time."
The US declared unqualified support for the coup and praised the
military for their "restraint". It claimed that the action of the
military was not a coup but an effort to reassert democracy, even though
Chavez had been overwhelmingly elected in a multi-party poll.
Lies and more lies
The US statement claimed that Chavez had resigned the presidency and
that before resigning he dismissed the Vice-President and the Cabinet.
The US State Department was lying. These stories, which were also spread
by the Australian media, were completely untrue.
The progressive revolutionary changes have been saved by the
magnificent, strong and decisive actions of the popular masses and by
elements of the armed forces that remained loyal to their elected President.
It shows that the people can win and that the North America beast can be
defeated. Viva Chavez! Viva the people of Venezuela!
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