Dissident Venezuelan officers go into exile

03 Jun 2003 17:15:47 GMT

CARACAS, Venezuela, June 3 (Reuters) - Two dissident Venezuelan army captains, who feared persecution after helping to oust President Hugo Chavez in a brief coup in April last year, flew into exile in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.

Brothers Ricardo and Alfredo Salazar, who escorted Chavez to an island off Venezuela's coast during the coup, left on a commercial flight from Caracas, their lawyer said.

The Venezuelan government granted the brothers safe conduct out of the country six weeks after they had sought asylum at the Dominican Republic's embassy in Caracas.

"They had the security services and armed pro-Chavez groups on their heels," said their father, retired Gen. Ricardo Salazar. "They will return when there is freedom in our country."

Political conflict over Chavez's leftist rule has kept Venezuela in conflict for more than a year and a half. The Salazars are the latest in a string of dissidents to seek political asylum since Chavez was returned to power 48 hours after he was toppled in the April 2002 rebellion.

Two other military officers left Caracas for asylum in Uruguay over the weekend and two more are waiting for permission to go into exile in Peru.

Chavez has sought to bring to trial for treason dissident officers, opposition leaders and former workers at the state oil company for backing last year's coup and launching an anti-government strike in December and January.