Can Venezuela now launch its own War On Terrorism?

"It's either you are with us or against us"

"The State Department is offering rare words of support for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez following his call for reconciliation after a failed coup attempt.

"We're encouraged by President Chavez's calls for national reflection," State Department spokesman Phil Reeker said Monday. "And we urge all Venezuelans to take advantage of this opportunity to promote national reconciliation and a genuine democratic dialogue." (Article)

"In recent days, we expressed our hopes that all parties in Venezuela, but especially the Chavez administration, would act with restraint and show full respect for the peaceful expression of political opinion. We are saddened at the loss of life. We wish to express our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and look forward to working with all democratic forces in Venezuela to ensure the full exercise of democratic rights. The Venezuelan military commendably refused to fire on peaceful demonstrators, and the media valiantly kept the Venezuelan public informed.

Yesterday's events in Venezuela resulted in a transitional government until new elections can be held. Though details are still unclear, undemocratic actions committed or encouraged by the Chavez administration provoked yesterday's crisis in Venezuela." -U.S. State Department statement April 12, 2002 (Article)

"I arrived in the centre of town just as the shooting started," says Kim. "I filmed a while then took cover in a doorway. Whoever was firing aimed directly at the crowd, which was pro-Chavez." (Article)

"On Monday, both Chavez and the U.S. government seemed to try to discourage speculation about any U.S. role in the coup. When a reporter in Caracas asked Chavez whether the United States may have been involved, he responded: "The root is here."

He spoke well of the United States, saying he saluted the U.S. government with "love and affection."

1."A defence department official quoted by the New York Times yesterday said: "We were not discouraging people." "We were sending informal, subtle signals that we don't like this guy. We didn't say, 'No, don't you dare' and we weren't advocates saying, 'Here's some arms; we'll help you overthrow this guy.'" (Article)

2."The attempt to overthrow Chavez did not really come as a surprise. The only question was what took them so long. Nearly a year ago, a visiting Venezuelan, now living in the US, confidently informed me that a coup was in preparation, with the full support of senior figures in Washington. Chavez had been elected on a promise of radical social reform in a direct challenge to Venezuela's oligarchy. It was unlikely that they would let it pass." (Article)

"I also want to make it clear that the doctrine I laid out to the United States Congress is a doctrine this nation will enforce. It says clearly that if you harbor a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, if you provide sanctuary to a terrorist, if you fund a terrorist, you are just as guilty as the terrorist that inflicted the harm on the American people." (Full text)

"We explicitly told opposition leaders that the United States would not support a coup. Many of these conversations took place at repeated numbers of levels throughout the State Department and the NSC, as well in conversations that newly appointed Ambassador Charles Shapiro and former Ambassador Hrinak had with officials in Venezuela," said the Press Secreteary." (Article)

"Whoever was firing aimed directly at the crowd, which was pro-Chavez."(Article)