Posted on 20-2-2002

Another Turn Of The Coup
(Photo shows Chavez shaking hands with the president of the Venezuelan
senate after taking the oath of office)

Preface: Former coup leader-turned-politician Hugo Chavez was sworn in on
Feb 2 1999 as Venezuela's new president, promising constitutional reform,
an end to corruption and the redistribution of oil wealth. Almost seven
years to the day after leading a failed coup that won him instant fame,
Chavez, 44, raised his hand and immediately broke with the wording of the
traditional oath of office by calling the constitution "moribund." "I swear
in front of my people, that over this moribund constitution, I will push
forward the democratic transformations that are necessary ...," he said,
standing before a Congress packed with legislators, supporters, journalists
and 16 heads of state.

CARACAS, Venezuela 19 Feb 2002: A Venezuelan Navy vice admiral demanded on
Monday that President Hugo Chavez resign in the latest show of discontent
among the military top brass with the leftist President's stewardship of
the South American nation. Vice Adm. Carlos Molina Tamayo, who serves as
Venezuela's ambassador to Greece, urged his colleagues at a news conference
in Caracas to add their voices to increasing demands that Chavez step down.

Molina Tamayo was the highest-ranking officer to demand that Chavez, a
former army paratrooper, resign. Earlier this month, an air force colonel
and a National Guard captain also demanded Chavez's resignation. Their
demands generated spontaneous anti-Chavez protests that drew thousands to
Caracas' streets and spurred millions of dollars in capital flight. Wearing
his full colours and reading a prepared statement, Molina Tamayo accused
Chavez and a National Assembly, Supreme Court, elections board and finance
ministry dominated by Chavez allies of seeking to impose a totalitarian
regime here. He warned that Chavez's combative style of government, and his
creation of neighbourhood committees known as "Bolivarian Circles," could
provoke unnecessary bloodshed between Chavez defenders and an increasingly
potent opposition.

The vice admiral - who said he was trained in electronic warfare in the
United States - accused Chavez of veering Venezuela away from its
traditional allies, such as Washington, and damaging its interests by
cozying up to Cuba and other totalitarian regimes. "I publicly state my
rejection of the conduct of President Chavez and his regime," he said. "We
demand a truly democratic system." Molina Tamayo condemned what he called
"a lack of state of law" in Venezuela; condemned Venezuela's relations with
"the terrorist Colombian guerrillas;" lambasted what he called illicit
"enrichment" of top government officials; accused Chavez of installing "an
extreme leftist" regime; and demanded an end to Venezuelan sales of oil to
Cuba.

His demands were likely to exacerbate uncertainty about Venezuela's
political stability and its economic prospects. Investors and citizens sent
hundreds of millions of dollars abroad after the earlier demands for
Chavez's resignation by Air Force Col. Pedro Soto and National Guard Capt.
Pedro Flores, who claimed to be speaking for most of Venezuela's armed
forces.