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Pedro Carmona: Encyclopedia BETAFree Encyclopedia |
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During violent clashes between pro- and anti-Chávez supporters on April 11, 2002, Lucas Rincón Romero, commander-in-chief of the Venezuelan armed forces, announced in a broadcast to a nationwide audience that Chávez had tendered his resignation from the presidency, which was not true. Chávez agreed to be taken captive by the army, but not to resign, this to avoid bombing of the presidential palace he was residing in during the coupe of Carmona. While Chávez was brought to a military base and held there, military leaders appointed Carmona as the transitional President of Venezuela, following popular protests and support from elements of the Venezuelan military, press, business community, and political parties.[1] Carmona's new attorny general declared after the inauguration that the following would be decreed: dissolving the national assembly, dissolving the supreme court, dismissing the attorney general under Chavez, dismissing the head of the central bank, dismissing the ombudsman and dismissing the national electoral board; in other words an establishment of a new regime that would give Carmona absolute power, instead of Chavez his democratically elected government with an overwhelming 80% of the total votes. The next day after Carmona became president, the commercial television channels broadcasted pro-chavez supporters shooting at an empty street, reportedly where the fires came from the snipers that led to casualties on both sides the day before. The journalists on the talk show explained how they had misleaded the entire pro-chavez camp by showing this footage without the empty street, and by their involvement in filming an anti-chavez message from a general in the home of the host of the television network which to chavez responded by canceling his state visit to costa rica so that they could capture him, and they thanked all the commercial television channels for their big role in turning democracy into a dictatorship led byCarmona. The day before, commercial television channels showed the same footage as they did the day after, but this time only showing pro-chavez supporters shooting, without the empty street. They also reported that pro-chavez supporters were shooting at the anti-chavez supporters, which caused all the casualty they said, while in fact they were shooting at an empty street where reportedly snipers were active. This is when every commercial television channel demanded the resignation of Chavez, and called upon generals, other officers and soldiers to break away from chavez, which the generals responded on by supporting Carmona, the navy first in breaking away with the Chavez government. After these broadcasts, the pro-chavez supporters in numbers of 500.000 surrounded the presidential palace and demanded Chavez be returned. So in the face of public protests and under pressure from some quarters of the military,[2] Carmona was removed by civil authorities and initially the vice-president of Hugo Chavez was put into office as president to avoid a power vacuum and to get Hugo Chavez out of capitvity. This is when the generals of the venezuelan army, navy and airforce vowed to the new president Diosdado Cabello. On this, and a few hours later after the inauguration of Diosdado Cabello, Hugo Chavez was restored as the president of the republic of Venezuela. In other words, democracy triomphed. During Carmona's 36-hour government, military officers continued to hold Chávez against his will and attempted to force his exile. There were reports that U.S helicopters landed, to kidnap Chavez out of the country to the U.S., in favor of Carmona. Additionally, security forces conducted raids without warrants and took some Chávez supporters into custody illegally, including National Assembly deputy Tarek William Saab, a member of the Chavez-aligned MVR, who was taken into protective custody by security forces after a large crowd had gathered around his home, threatening him and his family. He was held incommunicado for several hours.[3] Prior to the overthrow and his subsequent exile, Carmona was president of Fedecámaras (the Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Industry and Commerce), Venezuela's largest business-owners association. See also*The Carmona Decree*Venezuelan coup attempt of 2002 External links* BBC: Venezuelan coup leader given asylum*CBS: Venezuelan Coup Leader Exits *Latin Business Chronicle: Pedro Carmona: Actions, Not Words *BBC Mundo: Pedro Carmona, presidente por un día *Venezuela's Attorney General Office requests formal charges of civilian rebellion against Pedro Carmona Estanga * http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144 Chavez the film
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