Venezuela mayor tried over siege

Last Updated: Tuesday, 20 June 2006, 09:29 GMT 10:29 UK

Venezuela mayor tried over siege
By Greg Morsbach
BBC News, Caracas

An opposition politician has gone on trial in Venezuela, accused of involvement in a siege of the Cuban embassy during a failed coup in 2002.

The charges against Henrique Capriles date back to when President Hugo Chavez was briefly ousted from power.
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The court hearing began with the prosecutor reading out six charges against Mr Capriles, accusing him of breaking international law by trespassing into the Cuban embassy compound and intimidating its staff.
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A crowd of Venezuelans laid siege to the Cuban embassy, claiming that government ministers were hiding inside the building. The demonstrators cut off water and electricity supplies and damaged vehicles belonging to diplomatic staff.
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The ambassador says the opposition mayor entered the premises to demand that the building be searched for any fugitive pro-Chavez officials. But Mr Capriles maintains he did everything he could to try to calm the angry protesters outside.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5097734.stm

"The revolution will not be televised"
http://www.chavezthefilm.com/index_ex.htm

if you wish to particpate in Chavez threads on DU.

As far as Im an concerned if you wish to criticise Chavez, you have to address many questions raised by that documentary.

"The revolution will not be televised: radiografías de una mentira"

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3378761249364089950&q=radiografia+de+una+mentira

I remember that embassy attack by the affluent, rightist mob. The Caracas police would not intervene at all. Nor were they intervening when mobs beat and attacked figures of the elected government. It was a fascist coup, plain and simple. Chavez has been very, very lenient--more than I would be, that's for sure!

And the dull-witted Hugo Chavez haters use this as a weapon against Chavez because Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch include these incidents in their criticisms of human rights violations in Venezuela. Such fools.

Venezuela mayor tried on coup charges
By UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
Published June 20, 2006


CARACAS, Venezuela -- A mayor who is an opponent of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has gone on trial for his alleged role in the 2002 seizure of the Cuban Embassy in Caracas.

Henrique Capriles, a mayor of Caracas, denied any wrongdoing dating back to the April 2002 unrest that saw Chavez briefly deposed, el Universal reported Tuesday.

Capriles was accused of accused of trespassing in the Cuban mission during the attempted coup, when anti-Chavez protesters stormed the building believing the president's Cabinet was inside hiding.
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http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20060620-034050-3987r