US Calls for Investigation of Caracas Bombing

<a href=www.voanews.com>VOA News 14 Apr 2003, 22:37 UTC

The State Department is urging Venezuelan authorities to probe the bombing of a Caracas office building where negotiators had agreed to work toward a referendum on President Hugo Chavez's rule.

State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said Monday that Washington condemns Saturday's attack by those who seek to undermine what he termed a "significant accord." Mr. Reeker also called on Venezuelan authorities to bring those responsible for the attack to justice.

The blast happened at the Caracas Teleport building one day after Venezuelan government and opposition negotiators reached their deal during talks sponsored by the Organization of American States. The parties agreed that the vote would take place after August 19th, the midpoint of Mr. Chavez's six-year term.

Venezuela's opposition has been pushing for the president's removal. They say he is leading Venezuela toward economic ruin and trying to model the country on communist-run Cuba.

In April of last year, Mr. Chavez was briefly ousted in an unsuccessful coup.

In December, the opposition began a failed nationwide general strike to force the president to resign and call early elections. The two-month labor action was felt most severely in Venezuela's key oil industry.