Venezuela Warns against Subversion

Caracas.- After the international success of the First South American Energy Summit, Venezuela is ready to face a domestic challenge that some sources have described as a plot.

In the light of subversive actions scheduled for late May, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on authorities and the people to thwart any conspiracy using mobilization as a pretext to protest the decision of not renewing the concession to a TV network.

Speaking at a gathering with activists for the formation of Venezuela's Socialist United Party (PSUV), Chavez explained that everybody has the right convene marches, but he urged the people to remember what happened in 2002, when a coup d' Etat was perpetrated.

He recalled that then, some irresponsible opposition party leaders and US-manipulated members of the oligarchy convened marches to massacre these people later in order to justify the coup, foreign intervention or his assassination.

The Venezuelan president said those subversive actions were supported by most private TV networks.

I insist, the Government is duty-bound to carry out all efforts to guarantee public order and the life of citizens, and thwart any conspiracy plan, but the people must be alert, he stressed.

"Every 11 will have its 13," he said, in reference to April 11, when the coup was carried out and two days later he was back in power by joint action of the people and military officers who respected the Constitution.

Also Venezuela's defense minister, General in Chief Raul Baduel, called the people to be peaceful and that good sense prevails.

"Those who insist in taking violent actions are dissociated from the sentiment of the majority of the Venezuelan people," warned Baduel, who also called to "reinforce that peaceful vocation."

Other Venezuelan personalities have also warned against a "large-scale" destabilizing plot against the government of President Hugo Chavez.

According to them, there is a plan to "heat the street" with demonstrations against the government for refusing to renew RCTV's permit, which expires on May 27, to use the radio-electric space.

The tactic is aimed at taking violent actions, because the opposition has repeatedly failed to win the elections since 1998, due to Chavez's growing popularity.

The head of State's project aims to establish socialism in Venezuela, for which purpose he called a constitutional reform and urged all left-wing political forces to unite in a single party.

However, local observers like former Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel have warned the opposition against violence, as no good results have come out of it in the past and it is the main cause of the demise of those parties.

Those violent actions include the coup d'etat in April 2002, which was defeated in less than 48 hours by the people and constitutional military officers, and an entrepreneurial strike that paralyzed major economic sectors in the country.

Previously, Minister of Interior and Justice, Pedro Carreno, said that the opposition was forging a subversive plan to heat the street before May 27. The Government said it won't be renewed because of continuous violations of Venezuelan law.

The opposition mobilization began with a pro-RCTV march to the Caracas representation of the Organization of American States (OAS).

Organizers admitted a low turnout and said they were planning a larger demonstration on April 21.

Carreno linked the subversive plan to a bomb attack against a security building in the state of Miranda, and warned that no peace-breaching disturbance will be tolerated.

Source: Prensa Latina