US-Backed Military Coup in Venezuela 2002

Discussion in 'Warfare / Military' started by Horhey, Mar 25, 2014.

  1. Horhey

    Horhey Well-Known Member

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    Motive

    To begin with, the New York Times reports, the US wanted Chávez removed from office because of his alliance with Cuba and his policy of using oil revenue to fund social programs:

    In January 2001, General Peter Pace, leader of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), stressed that:

    In a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on February 6, 2002, CIA Director George Tenet was asked by Senator Pat Roberts to highlight how Venezuela was "a threat to the U.S. within our own hemisphere". Tenet replied:

    Accordingly, on February 5, 2002, Secretary of State Colin Powell warned the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that:

    In contrast, according to U.S. Embassy Caracas cables, former coup President Pedro Carmona was considered by the U.S. State Department as:

    And later in December 2001, the State Department's view was that:

    US involvement in the coup

    An investigation by the US Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors Office of Inspector General concluded that:

    Furthermore:

    And finally:

    Immediately after the coup

    Despite CIA reports indicating that "disgruntled officers are planning a coup" and that they would try to "exploit unrest stemming from opposition demonstrations slated for later this month"; hours after Chávez was ousted, Ari Fleischer, then the White House press secretary, said, "the Chávez government provoked the crisis," while Philip Reeker, a State Department spokesman, said that "undemocratic actions committed or encouraged by the Chávez administration provoked yesterday's crisis." "You add all that together and it certainly appeared that the government had used excessive force," said a senior American diplomat:

    Furthermore, former Mexican foreign minister, Jorge Castañeda, said that after the coup, Washington, Spain, Colombia and El Salvador planned to foster diplomatic support for Carmona's coup government. A post coup CIA document, dated 04-17-02, describes a:

    Explained later on as:

     

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