Everyone waiting with bated breath for bombing investigation results

www.vheadline.com Posted: Sunday, March 02, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

Following comments by Interior & Justice (MIJ) Minister Lucas Rincon late last week that security forces were pursuing substantial leads in the investigation into the bombings of Spanish and Colombian diplomatic missions last week, many people are waiting with baited breaths to hear who the police have in the frame for the two bombings.  This weekend President Hugo Chavez Frias told reporters that they have suspects in the frame, but did not speculate who exactly these suspects are. 

• If those responsible prove (as the opposition is claiming), to be pro-government supporters then this would surely reflect very badly on the government.

However, if this was the case, it would be highly unlikely that the Minister and President Chavez Frias would be talking about the investigation in such confident and positive terms ... unless they were looking to send out a signal that they will not tolerate this kind of behavior, even from their own backers.

The other possibility is that pro-opposition radicals were responsible for planning the attack. If this proved to be correct the repercussions for the opposition would likely be massive. 

Divides have already become increasingly apparent in Coordinadora Democratica, and such a discovery could well terminally destroy the opposition's unity. Could this be why the government appears to be so up beat about the investigation?

Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel has already held opposition radicals responsible for the attacks, could he know more than he has so far let on?