nomadlab writes "

Translation of document written by the legal Ministry of Venezuela

Caracas, April 12, 2002

Translated by Lori Zett

The Ministers denounce the coup against Chavez and warn that the President has not resigned.

The ministers called on the Governors and on the Federal Councils of the Government to defend the constitutionality.

The de facto Junta "is violating the constitutional framework of the country."

Two ministers of the President, Hugo Chavez Friasí Cabinet denounced that the national power has launched a coup against the State with the President of Fedecameras, Pedro Carmona Estanga at the head.

The titular [leaders] of Labor, María Cristina Iglesias, and Education, Aristóbulo Istúriz, explained that the elected President was [forcefully] removed from the Palace of Miraflores at approximately 4:00 a.m. today by a group of Generals, and taken by force to the Tiuna Fortress. "They wanted to convince President Chavez to resign, but he refused consistently. Chavez did not renounce. Chavez does not want to leave the country; if they say he left, itís because they removed him by force from Venezuela," Iglesias warned. "To say he is going to renounce is the game that those who have carried out the coup enact in order to pretend that there was no coup.

"The President has shown that he was incapable of using armed forces against the people."

The Cabinet "wants to inform the people what happened: there is a de facto "junta" that has violated the constitutional framework of the country. This is a step backward, toward the past, with the complicity of the High Command of the IPSO which was not named by the President."

What happened to the President, they reiterated, "is the responsibility of those who took him prisoner. The Authority of the Peopleís Defense was not present, nor were the tribunals."

Iglesias and Istúriz emphasized that the military, which is loyal to the constitutional government are under arrest in the military bases of the armed forces. "They are not allowed to leave," they added. "We think that the Vice-President, Diosdado Cabello, is imprisoned or being pursued."

They also urge the Attorney General of the People to initiate the action "which will help the people to reinstate the State of Rights." They requested those who make up the remainder of the powers to guarantee the life of Chavez, the detained officers and of the Ministers.

The members of the Executive called upon all the Governors, and called for the installation of the Federal Council of the Government.

Istúriz emphasized that the plot against the legitimately constituted government linked the coup to the demonstration carried on yesterday in the Parque del Este. The makers of the coup "took the buildings that are [situated] around Miraflores, and placed Alfredo Peñaís sharpshooters with the Metropolitan [Police] and Bandera Roja (Red Flag). In addition there were the Police of Chacao and Baruta out of uniform."

The Ministers also accuse that the command directed by Carlos Melo (From the alliance Bravo Pueblo) and Gabriel Puerta (of Bandera Roja) attempted to attack the Miraflores Palace.

The Minister of Education pledged that the victims of the repression were shot in the head and that the Honor Guard was able to capture the sharpshooters who fired on the demonstrators and that they carried credentials of the police of Chacao and Baruta. "The majority of the shots came from the Metropolitan Police, functionaries who fired against the people who were demonstrating in favor of Chavez." According to Iglesias, the National Guard left once they discovered there were sharpshooters [present] and the Avila Plan was never put into effect.

What happened yesterday "was an act that had been planed within a conspiracy," Istúriz declared. "They needed an incident of this type to manipulate the National Armed Forces."

Fdo. Política Urgente