VENEZUELA: OAS SECRETARY GENERAL CESAR GAVIRIA MEETS WITH LEADER OF MILITARY OFFICERS REVOLTING AGAINST PRESIDENT CHAVEZ'S GOVERNMENT
Record ID:
222805
VENEZUELA: OAS SECRETARY GENERAL CESAR GAVIRIA MEETS WITH LEADER OF MILITARY OFFICERS REVOLTING AGAINST PRESIDENT CHAVEZ'S GOVERNMENT
- Title: VENEZUELA: OAS SECRETARY GENERAL CESAR GAVIRIA MEETS WITH LEADER OF MILITARY OFFICERS REVOLTING AGAINST PRESIDENT CHAVEZ'S GOVERNMENT
- Date: 29th October 2002
- Summary: (W1) CARACAS, VENEZUELA (OCTOBER 29, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF PEOPLE CHEERING AND WAVING FLAGS IN ALTAMIRA PLAZA 0.07 2. SMV WOMAN HANDING OUT WHITE CARNATIONS TO MILITARY OFFICERS 0.14 3. SMV OFFICERS HOLDING CARNATIONS 0.18 4. WIDE OF PEOPLE WAVING VENEZUELAN FLAGS 0.24 5. SMV (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NATIONAL GUARD GENERAL CARLOS ALFONO MARTINEZ, SAYING: "Eight days non-stop in a national demonstration of unity that has broken all world records in which union between the people and the national armed forces and the solid will to remain here until this problem is solved is a significant example for the whole world. Long live Venezuela!" 0.52 6. WIDE OF PEOPLE WAVING FLAGS 0.56 7. VARIOUS, PEOPLE CARRYING CHAVEZ AND FIDEL CASTRO EFFIGIES . CHAVEZ'S READS: "GO AWAY, YOU NUT. MURDERER" 1.05 8. SMV PEOPLE HOL.DING POSTERS "MILITARY OFFICERS ARE NOT COUP-INSTIGATORS." 1.10 9. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARMY GENERAL ENRIQUE MEDINA GOMEZ, DISSIDENTS LEADER, SAYING: "Our objectives were satisfied in the sense that the Secretary General heard first hand our ideas, what we think and we explained to him why are we here and above all to insist that we are not coup-instigators. "We are institutional military officers who have resorted to the right given to us by our Constitution as citizens and as members of the armed forces bound by the duty to rescue the constitutional order permanently violated by this government." 1.45 10. CUTAWAY TO MEDIA 1.49 11. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OAS SECRETARY GENERAL CESAR GAVIRIA SAYING: "I hope that both parties can finally sit down at the table and we can find a solution. This is not guaranteed and everybody that will sit at the table knows that." 2.04 12. CUTAWAY TO MEDIA 2.08 13. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) GAVIRIA SAYING: "I was very relieved to listen from General Medina that by no means they are considering the use of force. Truly, that relieves me and I am happy for those people to think that way." 2.25 14. CUTAWAY TO MEDIA 2.29 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 13th November 2002 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Reuters ID: LVAC7R7G05IP3ZJUKELY82735XIP
- Story Text: OAS Secretary General, Cesar Gaviria, has met for the
first time with the leader of the military officers that have
revolted against the rule of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez,
and clinched an agreement in principle to establish a dialogue
among the two parties.
The Secretary General said that all parties are very
much aware that there are no guarantees of success at the
table where "they will sit," clearly indicating that some kind
of agreement to star negotiations had already been achieved.
"I hope that both parties can finally sit down at the
table and we can find a solution. This is not guaranteed and
everybody that will sit at the table knows that," Gaviria
said.
Gaviria also announced that the military officer whom he
met, army general Enrique Medina Gomez, offered him guarantees
that the rebellious officers do not plan to use force to try
to oust President Chavez. "That relieves me," Gaviria told
reporters after the meeting.
"I was very relieved to listen from General Medina that
by no means they are considering the use of force. Truly, that
relieves me and I am happy for those people to think that
way," he added.
The encounter between Gaviria and Enrique Medina Gomez,
an army general, was seen as highly unusual, as international
officials such as the OAS Secretary General, seldom, if at
all, meet with dissidents, particularly not with military
officers accused of sedition.
The meeting was even more extraordinary for not taking
place in neutral territory, such as a neighbouring country or
at the headquarters of, in this case, the OAS in Washington,
D.C. Observers speculated early that it was a signal that
progress was being done in the efforts to reconcile both
parties in Venezuela.
Meanwhile, thousands of people showed up to celebrate the
one week mark of the taking of Altamira Plaza in Caracas by
the group of rebellious military officials. In spite of the
tensions, the celebration was animated, but peaceful.
This is the first time in Venezuelan history that
rebellious military officers and civilians have mixed together
in an effort to unseat peacefully a democratically elected
President, such as Chavez.
In spite of the apparent breakthrough announced by
Gaviria, the high tensions between the government and the
dissident officers were apparent in general Medina's statement
to the press after meeting with the Secretary General. He
accused Chavez of permanently violating Venezuela's
constitutional order.
"We are institutional military officers who have resorted
to the right given to us by our Constitution as citizens and
as members of the armed forces bound by the duty to rescue the
constitutional order permanently violated by this government,"
Medina said insisting that they are not trying to instigate a
coup against Chavez.
It was unclear what the next step might be in bringing the
officers and government representatives to the negotiating
table, but Gaviria will remain in Caracas at least through
tomorrow.
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