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Citing the documents, Chavez lashed out at U.S.
officials on Thursday, saying they knew a coup was
brewing but failed to tip off Venezuela's
government.
"The CIA knew that a coup was coming ...
the government of George Bush knew," said
Chavez, whose so-called "peaceful
revolution" for the poor and close ties to
Cuban leader Fidel Castro have often put him at
odds with U.S. policies.
The apparent declassified CIA documents are
posted on the pro-Chavez Web site www.venezuelafoia.info
, which contains links to other requests for
U.S. documents by freelance investigative reporter
Jeremy Bigwood.
An April 6 senior intelligence executive brief
-- just five days before a coup that briefly
ousted Chavez -- said "disgruntled senior
officers and a group of radical junior officers
are stepping up efforts to organize a coup against
President Chavez, possibly as early as this
month."
As early as March 11, another brief noted
"increased signs that Venezuelan business
leaders and military officers are becoming
dissatisfied with President Chavez" and said
if the situation were to further deteriorate
"the military may move to overthrow
him."
The authenticity of the documents could not be
immediately confirmed, though the scanned briefs,
with certain portions whited out, appeared to be
formerly top secret documents that are regularly
circulated among top officials in the Bush
administration.
A 2002 State Department review of U.S. policy,
however, said the U.S. government did warn Chavez
of impending plots.
In his speech broadcast on state-run television
Thursday, Chavez said documents showing U.S.
involvement in the coup "are emerging"
and "will continue to surface."
"Having a government of this type in the
United States is a threat to the world,"
added Chavez, who accused the Bush administration
of actively supporting the short-lived coup.
U.S. officials have repeatedly denied U.S.
involvement in the coup of April 11, 2002, which
was spurred by the killing of 19 people during a
massive opposition-led protest.
Loyalists in the military returned Chavez to
power after interim president Pedro Carmona
dissolved the constitution and vowed to hold
elections within a year.
Relations between Caracas and Washington have
been strained in recent years, but diplomats from
both nations have made efforts to improve ties.
William Brownsfield, U.S. ambassador to
Venezuela, said differences between the two
countries can be resolved, according to a report
published by the Venezuelan newspaper El Universal
on Thursday.
The newspaper also said he rejected allegations
that U.S. officials backed Venezuelan coup leaders
or endorsed Carmona's interim government, saying
Washington considers the events in April 2002
"a closed chapter."
"We are willing to work with the
Venezuelan government to improve relations,"
Brownfield was quoted as saying.
The State Department in July 2002 released a
review of its policy and the U.S. Embassy's
actions in Venezuela from November 2001 to April
2002, in which it confirms knowledge of plots to
oust Chavez.
But it says that "far from working to
foment his overthrow, the United States alerted
President Chavez to coup plots and warned him of
an assassination threat that was deemed to be
credible."
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On the Web:
U.S. State Department's 2002 review of policy
before and during Venezuela coup attempt:
http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/13682.pdf
Pro-Chavez Web site with documents:
http://www.venezuelafoia.info
Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press
ORIGINAL
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