http://www.democracynow.org/2004/11/29/cia_documents_show_bush_knew_ofNovember 29, 2004
"Newly released CIA documents show the Bush administration—at the very least–knew about the plot to overthrow Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez weeks before the April 2002 military coup. We speak with Peter Korbluh of the National Security Archive and we go to Caracas to speak with attorney Eva Golinger who obtained the documents...
EVA GOLINGER:
...The most important point though, about these documents is the one you referred to, the April 6, senior executive intelligence brief that went to over 200 representatives of five different government agencies...but they talk about level of detail in the reported plans and the fact that the plans targeted Chavez for arrest, along with 10 other senior officials, and that to provoke the action, meaning to provoke the coup,
the plotters would try to exploit unrest stemming from an opposition march scheduled to take place a few days later and this was April 6, the coup happened April 11. On April 9 and 10 was when the opposition declared a general strike. On April 11 was one of the largest marches ever in Venezuela history and the largest that the opposition has led and that’s precisely what happened was that during that march on April 11, violence struck out and basically, I mean what the evidence shows today here is that there were snipers set out in various points along the march route that just began firing and apparently, according to these documents, that was the plan.
In fact, it was the plan in order to justify the coup and blame the violence on President Chavez, which is precisely what the opposition did. The importance of this is that this shows the U.S. government knew ahead of time. This was April 6, 2002. The coup was April 11, meaning the U.S. government knew on April 12 when Ari Fleischer and Phillip Reager of the State Department and Ari Fleischer of the White House came out and made statements saying that to the best of their knowledge, President Chavez provoked the violence and had subsequently resigned because of it... PETER KORNBLUH: The documents don’t really tell us whether the United States was directly involved. They tell us more or less exactly what Eva has just stated, that the U.S. Intelligence community, it’s not actually clear whether it was the CIA or the Defense Intelligence Agency or other members of the Pentagon, had contacts with civilian and military sectors in Caracas and were getting a steady stream of reports on planning for this coup. We know that from the documents. We also know from the documents as Eva pointed out, that this information was, you know, not stopped at some low-level, mid-level desk in the state department or in the CIA, but actually distributed through a very interesting committee called the strategic warning committee headed by the CIA to almost, to the very highest levels of the U.S. government. The senior executive intelligence brief is one step below the presidential daily brief, which goes to the president and about 15 of his top advisers. But the senior executive brief goes to 200 of the, all the most important national security advisers. So this was distributed throughout the US government and certainly since we know that it was distributed, we know that there were meetings held about it, discussions on how to respond, how to perhaps prepare, etc., and as events played out,
it is clear that the United States developed, the Bush administration had developed its response, who to blame, how to spin this, and how to support it. I suspect, and let me just say that these documents are incredibly important and perhaps the tip of an iceberg that Eve is starting to melt..."
Bush Officials Met With Venezuelans Who Ousted Leader
By CHRISTOPHER MARQUIS
Published: April 16, 2002http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0DE3DF1E3CF935A25757C0A9649C8B63 ''We were not discouraging people,'' the official said. ''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.' We were not doing that.''
...In the immediate aftermath of the ouster, the White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, suggested that the administration was pleased that Mr. Chávez was gone. ''The government suppressed what was a peaceful demonstration of the people,'' Mr. Fleischer said, which ''led very quickly to a combustible situation in which Chávez resigned.''
That statement contrasted with a clear stand by other nations in the hemisphere, which all condemned the removal of a democratically elected leader...
Mr. Chávez returned to power on Sunday, after two days. The Bush administration swiftly laid the blame for the episode on him, pointing out that troops loyal to him had fired on unarmed civilians and wounded more than 100 demonstrators...
Still, critics say, there were several signs that the administration was too quick to rally around the businessman Pedro Carmona Estanga as Mr. Chávez's successor..."
Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer
April 11, 2002http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020411-1.html "...Q I'd like to follow-up on the Venezuela thing that you mentioned. The situation with PDVSA, which is the state petrol company in Venezuela, they're having a face off with President Chavez, and this may create all kinds of problems. But also President Chavez is being accused of violating freedom of the press and trying to use the media -- control the media on that particular strike, saying that the strike is actually an attempt to overthrow the government. Does the White House share that view?
MR. FLEISCHER: I have not heard any updates, Jacobo, from the events in Venezuela, other than there's a strike in Venezuela. This appears to be an internal Venezuelan issue. The United States will monitor it. But I don't have anything for you beyond that..."
Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer
April 12, 2002 http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020412-1.html"...Q. I would like to just call a pause to the Middle East for a second. A very important event has happened in Venezuela. We have had the renunciation or forced -- of President Chavez. Now, a new government has taken place. Venezuela is a very important country to the stability of the hemisphere; a democracy, and also the third largest oil supplier to the United States. What does the White House think of the change of government in Venezuela?
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me share with you the administration's thoughts about what's taking place in Venezuela. It remains a somewhat fluid situation. But yesterday's events in Venezuela resulted in a change in the government and the assumption of a transitional authority until new elections can be held.
The details still are unclear. We know that the action encouraged by the Chavez government provoked this crisis. According to the best information available, the Chavez government suppressed peaceful demonstrations. Government supporters, on orders from the Chavez government, fired on unarmed, peaceful protestors, resulting in 10 killed and 100 wounded. The Venezuelan military and the police refused to fire on the peaceful demonstrators and refused to support the government's role in such human rights violations. The government also tried to prevent independent news media from reporting on these events.
The results of these events are now that President Chavez has resigned the presidency. Before resigning, he dismissed the vice president and the cabinet, and a transitional civilian government has been installed. This government has promised early elections.
The United States will continue to monitor events. That is what took place, and the Venezuelan people expressed their right to peaceful protest. It was a very large protest that turned out. And the protest was met with violence. Q The situation in Venezuela is very dire. During the Chavez years, the economy -- situation. Will the United States government back a civilian government, although it's an interim one, to help Venezuela get back on its feet?
MR. FLEISCHER: As I indicated, the events remain fluid. Events are under way still, as we speak. We are consulting with our OAS allies and reviewing the events on the ground. I think you'll have more developments and we'll share with you as they warrant. So it's an ongoing story..."
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