Venevision, Globovision, RCTV and Televen were showing cartoons
www.vheadline.com Posted: Thursday, February 20, 2003 By: Kira Marquez Perez
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 15:05:01 +0100 From: Kira Marquez Perez marquez@uni-duesseldorf.de To: editor@vheadline.com Subject: About the coup
Dear Editor: The coup d'etat in Venezuela on April 11, 2002, was a very well planned event. One or two weeks before, the main leaders traveled to Washington to meet some representatives of the US State Department. During several weeks, the conspirators had been organizing secret meetings. Some Generals have now even revealed that they had been planning everything for more than a year. Isaac Perez Recao (paramilitary of the worst reputation, owner of the company Venoco and ex-boss of Dictator Pedro Carmona Estanga, to whom several weapons and fake identity documents were confiscated) and Daniel Romero (private secretary of corrupt ex-President Carlos Andres Perez) stated (once Chavez had been forced out of office) that they had started to organize the complot several months before in different meetings that took place not only in Caracas but also abroad: Miami, Washington, Madrid, etc.
The Chuao demonstration on April 1, 2002, was no peaceful demonstration at all.
The real goal of this demonstration was clearly exposed by Carlos Ortega, Enrique Mendoza, Guaicaipuro Lameda and others. Anyone can ask for TV reports of that day and he or she can see in these reports how these "gentlemen" shouted: "Let's go to Miraflores to get rid of Chavez!"
As soon as this demonstration arrived at El Silencio, two armored vehicles (called La Ballena and El Rinoceronte) belonging to the Policia Metropolitana (directed by "opposition" leader Alfredo Pena) were sent to attack the persons that were congregated in the surroundings of the Palace of government (Miraflores). Their mission was to dissipate the multitude and make some space for the attacks. Clear images of the Policia Metropolitana shooting on the people can be seen in videos taken on April 11th and on the following days.
On April 11, between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., the people began to hear shooting. Some of the first dead and injured started to fall on the streets without any obvious explanation (most of the dead were supporters of President Chavez). At the beginning, nobody knew exactly where the shooting came from. However, a few minutes later it was evident that there were snipers shooting from the roofs of the Hotels Eden and Ausonia. Many dead fell directly in front of the Palace. Other Venezuelans were murdered at the Bolero Corner (esquina Bolero) and several others were razed close to the Fermin Toro High school (Liceo Fermin Toro) and at the Baralt avenue.
The actions of the snipers, as well as the deaths in the surroundings of the Palace, revealed, even with more clarity, the real intentions of this "demonstration." These snipers were not casually there. They were part of a well-thought plan to overthrow the democratically elected government.
They needed an excuse. They needed dead people, violence, etc. to justify a coup in a country where liberty and democracy were absolutely respected; in a country in which nobody had been punished nor followed for political reasons, where not even one newspaper, radio or TV station had been censored (although they actually deserved it) and where the widest freedom of expression existed.
Therefore, the "opposition" had to fabricate a motive to justify the conspiracy, using for this purpose one of the most macabre expressions of organized crime I have ever seen. The seven alleged snipers were immediately set free by the government of Dictator Pedro Carmona Estanga (an additional proof of the whole complot). In the morning of Saturday (April 12), explicit orders were received from Carlos Molina Tamayo (now s fugitive from Venezuelan justice) to set the snipers free. These seven individuals left the country immediately.
The participation of the Venezuelan media in the coup was decisive.
As the confrontations were taking place in the surroundings of Palace, President Chavez tried to speak to the country on Radio and TV to call the people to remain calm and sensible. However, as soon as his image appeared on the screen, interferences began and a noise silenced his voice. In a similar way, the signals of Venezolana de Television (VTV) and Radio Nacional (the two channels of the State) were intervened by the 'putschists.' At 8:00 p.m., all transmissions of VTV were suspended and the television screen turned black. Viewers could only hear a man's voice, that identified himself as Captain Alonso Rodriguez, who announced the cessation of the transmissions in the State channel and his support to the coup-d'etat. There was also sabotage to telephone communication.
The Venezuelan media did not only burden the country with their lies and dodges and create the situation of confrontation that was present at that moment, but, additionally, on April 11, they went on to a new phase: they kidnapped the truth, censored information and silenced the government of Mr. Chavez.
To achieve this, Gustavo Cisneros had built a high-tech operation centre in Mexico with specialized staff from his company: DirecTV (he built it two months before the coup). In the April 13, 2002 edition of El Universal (when Chavez had been kidnapped and the 'putschists' were enjoying their few hours of power) a proud statement from Mr. Hector Pena (executive president of DirecTV) appeared, in which he actually confirmed the use of this operation center in Mexico to support the coup. Additionally, Pena stated that Cisneros had remained in contact with this transmission center during the entire coup. It is really surprising how a couple of technicians hired by Gustavo Cisneros were able to cut off the entire Venezuelan communication system and silence the President in such an important moment as that.
Where was CONATEL (the National Council of Telecommunications) as this was happening? Definitely, this state organism must remain watchful in the future in relation to such sabotages. Mistakes such as those committed on April 11 cannot be repeated.
On the evening of April 11, military pronouncements against the constitutional government of President Chavez began. One of the Generals that expressed his support to the coup was Luis Camacho Kairuz (Deputy Interior & Justice Minister, who had been placed in that office by the traitor Luis Miquilena). All that was happening, reminded us of the persistent calls promoted in most TV programs and newspaper articles for supporting the coup. These calls, which were made by several members of the so-called "opposition," took place almost every day before the coup and were particularly significant on the morning of April 11.
An open conspiracy and a barefaced abuse of the liberty of expression ... the press can not be used to promote and support a coup but believe it or not: That does happen in our beautiful Venezuela!
Chavez was arrested and taken to Fuerte Tiuna. Afterwards, he was moved to the island: La Orchila. Several of the rebel Generals wanted to send President Chavez to the United States so that he could be prosecuted there (I have no idea under which charges they wanted him to be prosecuted). Actually, the only ones that had violated the law and should be prosecuted were the putschists themselves. In any case, there was a plane in La Orchila ready for take-off.
- Dictator Pedro Carmona Estanga designated himself "President." He dissolved the National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional), the Supreme Court of Justice (Tribunal Supremo de Justicia) and the National Electoral College (Consejo Nacional Electoral).
Additionally, he removed governors from their offices (although they had been democratically-elected in separate elections that had nothing to do with the Presidential ones). He also dismissed several other authorities from President Chavez' government. The dictator also withdrew Venezuela from the OPEC and decided to change the country's name. Just like that!
Immediately, pursuit and attacks against ministers and representatives of President Chavez' government were initiated. Several of these attacks were carried out by the DISIP and the PTJ and were leaded by Colonel Gonzalo Lopez. Among the victims of these attacks we can mention: Ramon Rodriguez Chacon (Interior & Justice Minister), who was brutally thrashed following orders of the Mayor of Chacao Leopoldo Lopez (who belongs to the "opposition"), or deputy Tarek William Saab, member of the National Assembly, who was also mishandled.
With sadism the TV cameras, who knew in advance what was going to happen, filmed these events.
In the meantime, the media insistently repeated that President Chavez had resigned. However, many people did not believe such a lie (in spite of the strong propaganda), since they never showed any proof of it (it is now clear that the 'putschists' were preparing a falsification of the supposed resignation document). Actually, this subject of the falsifications and montages is quite common in the "opposition." One of the last examples of their lies were the 4 million signatures that they claimed to collect on February 2, 2003. Once again: JUST A LIE (I already mentioned some of their other lies and montages in my article: the attitude of the Venezuelan opposition is simply embarrassing).
By the way, with so many proven evidences of their behavior, it wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that the three soldiers found dead a few days ago in Guarenas were killed by the "opposition" just to blame the government, as they did it with the snipers on April 11, or with the Portuguese Gouveia on December 6, 2002. Now they're even trying to connect Venezuela with Al-Qaeda to justify an intervention. This is really too much. I always ask myself: How far can these people go?
Well, back to April 11, 2002: Millions of Venezuelans started to congregate on the streets of Caracas, Maracay and several other cities to ask for the return of their constitutional President. At the same time, several loyal military groups, leaded by General Raul Baduel, General Garcia Montoya, General Jorge Luis Garcia Carneiro, Colonel Jesus Morao and others, expressed their repudiation of the coup. Things were getting more and more complicated for the conspirators. The multitude of Venezuelans shouting in the streets: "Chavez. We want our president Chavez!" was really impressive! Later, a fax arrived from the Turiamo military base in which our President confirmed once again that he had not resigned (this fax was written in Chavez' handwriting and was signed by him).
While this was happening, all commercial channels: Venevision, Globovision, RCTV and Televen were showing something else. Some of them were even presenting cartoons (and that was really strange, since before that, they had been repeating over and over, the images of April 11 and the auto-designation of Dictator Carmona Estanga).
Nobody knew what exactly was happening because the Venezuelan press was not interested in showing it. It was a report from CNN that allowed many Venezuelans (unfortunately only those who had cable-TV) to get in touch with reality.
Venevision, RCTV, Globovision and Televen never showed images of the millions of persons on the streets that were asking for the return of President Chavez. They also didn't show the escape of personalities of the "opposition," such as reporter Patricia Poleo and several others, who left the Palace of Miraflores appalled when they realized that loyal troops and civilians were determined to recover democracy in Venezuela. You should have seen those images! They're really good!
In any case, they actually had no reason to run, since nobody planned to do anything to them.
But, as we say in Venezuela: "cada ladron juzga por su condicion" and that's the only reason why they were scared: They knew exactly what they had done. Most of these people are still talking nonsense on TV and that's the best proof that nothing has happened to them . But, I think it's time that they start paying for what they've done, and it's very good to know that LEGAL processes have finally begun against Ortega and Fernandez! Very good!
April 12-14 there was absolute censorship in the Venezuelan press. Nobody was allowed to make any commentaries whatsoever in favor of President Chavez or his people. RCTV production manager Andres Izarra, who was in charge of the news in that channel, (probably one of the few Venezuelan reporters that still has ethics and that understands his enormous responsibility), decided to resign because he did not agree with lying in such a barefaced manner. The editorial board at RCTV was actually forcing him to lie. Izarra indicated that RCTV did not allow him to show the huge pro-Chavez demonstrations on the streets of Caracas; they didn't allow him to tell the truth about Chavez' resignation (although it was absolutely clear at that moment that he had not resigned); and they did not allow him to attend the press-conference that took place in Maracay with the loyal military troops. Maria Gabriela Chavez (the President's daughter), even had to communicate with the international press (she talked to Telemundo) to announce that her father had not resigned, because she was not allowed to talk in any of the Venezuelan channels.
- Finally, on the evening of Saturday, April 13, Dictator Pedro Carmona Estanga was arrested by Colonel Jose Gregorio Montilla for "violating the Constitution."
On April 14, a few hours before dawn, President Chavez was rescued by loyal soldiers from La Orchila and was returned to Miraflores, where he was received by his people with songs, applause and even tears of happiness, such as it has been shown in many videos taken on that day, and which RCTV, Venevision, Globovision and Televen have never wanted to show.
Kira Marquez Perez marquez@uni-duesseldorf.de