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U.S.: Chavez 'provoked' crisis that led to ouster

Opinion polls earlier this year showed Chavez's support was waning.
Opinion polls earlier this year showed Chavez's support was waning.  


CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) -- The U.S. government chided ousted Venezuela President Hugo Chavez on Friday, saying his government provoked the crisis that led to his expulsion and expressing tentative support for the interim administration.

Chavez relinquished power early Friday after a day of violent protests in Caracas that left 12 people dead and dozens wounded. Witnesses and television reports said sharpshooters fired into the crowd and that a military tribunal would investigate who ordered the shootings.

"Chavez supporters, on orders, fired on unarmed, peaceful demonstrators," White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said, referring to Thursday's violence that killed 12 people and wounded dozens more. "Venezuelan military and police refused to fire ... and refused to support the government's role in human rights violations."

The inspector general of Venezuela's armed forces, Lucas Rincon Romero, announced Chavez's resignation at 3:25 a.m. Friday. The ousted president is now being held by the military at Fort Tiuna, the army's general headquarters in Caracas.

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Pedro Carmona Estanga, the head of Venezuela's largest business association, has been named the leader of an interim government. The president of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Carmona was one of the most visible leaders of the opposition movement to Chavez.

He appeared on television Friday, flanked by all the nation's top military commanders, and said one of his first acts in office would be to rehire state oil company workers Chavez fired.

"I promise that we will not fail in this difficult task we have received," Carmona said.

The dismissals and general discord over the former administration's handling of Petroleos de Venezuela sparked several protests in recent weeks, capped by Thursday's demonstration of hundreds of thousands of people.

The new government announced Friday that it would hold elections within a year.

Chavez has asked the Organization of American States and other international organizations to intervene, the woman said. Members of her family and high-ranking members of Chavez's government, including the vice president, are in hiding, she added.

"This is a coup d'etat which they are trying to cover up with a so-called resignation," said the woman.

Pedro Carmona Estanga leaves the military base of Fort Tiuna Friday after accepting an offer to lead a transitional government.
Pedro Carmona Estanga leaves the military base of Fort Tiuna Friday after accepting an offer to lead a transitional government.  

Regional leaders gathered in Costa Rica on Friday sharply criticized Chavez' ouster and asked the secretary-general of the Organization of American States, Cesar Gaviria, to call a special meeting of the hemispheric group's Permanent Council to discuss the situation. (Full story)

Mexican President Vicente Fox said his country will not recognize Venezuela's new government until new elections have been held. He said diplomatic relations would continue.

The U.S. State Department statement expressed regret that the Chavez administration did not "act with restraint and show full respect for the peaceful expression of political opinion." (Text of statement)

"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 statement said.

But a woman identified as Chavez's daughter, Maria Gabriela Chavez, told Cuban television Friday that her father told her Friday that he was "an imprisoned president and that at no time [had he] resigned."

Chavez, 47, took office in 1999 after a sweeping election victory and promised constitutional reform, an end to corruption and the redistribution of oil wealth. The former army paratrooper had led a bloody failed coup attempt in 1992.

Chavez enjoyed wide support among Venezuela's poor, but critics charged that he hoped to use the country's constituent assembly to dissolve the government's legislative and judicial branches and change the law so he could remain in office up to 14 years.



 
 
 
 






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