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U.S. Military Tried To Turn Venezuelan Trainees Against Government: Chavez

Monday, Apr 25, 2005

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - President Hugo Chavez says a longstanding military exchange program with the United States was cancelled because U.S. officers in Venezuela were attempting to turn the soldiers they were training against his government.

Chavez also announced the brief detention of several Americans and said the United States might be planning to invade his country.

The U.S. Embassy on Friday said Venezuela had abruptly and without explanation ended the 35-year-old military exchange program. Ambassador William Brownfield said the five U.S. officers in Venezuela involved in the program had been notified.

Some 90 Venezuelan military personnel were in the United States as part of the program, the embassy said. It was not clear how they would be affected.

During his weekly television and radio show, Chavez complained the U.S. officers "are sent here to turn our boys against us."

"It's best that they leave, until someday we can have transparent, clear relations and co-operation with the civil and military institutions of the United States, the way we do with almost all governments in the planet," Chavez said Sunday.

Chavez said that a woman in the U.S. armed forces had been detained by authorities while taking pictures of military installations in central Venezuela. He did not identify her or say whether she had been released.

"If she or any other U.S. official does this kind of activity again, they will be imprisoned and face trial in Venezuela," he said.

Chavez also said several American journalists were detained taking pictures of a refinery about 100 kilometres west of Caracas. He did not elaborate except to say they were released.

Chavez said the cases indicated the U.S. might be planning to invade Venezuela.

Venezuela is a top U.S. oil supplier, but tensions have risen due to U.S. criticism of Venezuela's purchase of 100,000 assault rifles from Russia, and Chavez's criticism of the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

Chavez accuses Washington of being behind a brief 2002 coup against him and of supporting other plots to oust him. Washington denies the allegation although it was slow to condemn the coup.

© The Canadian Press, 2005

Source:
TELUS News

 

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Chavez Says Americans Detained for Taking Pictures of Venezuelan Military Facility, Refinery

By Alice M. Chacon
Associated Press Writer
Apr 24, 2005

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that a woman linked to the U.S. military had been arrested while photographing a military installation, and several U.S. citizens were also arrested for taking pictures of a refinery, signs that the Washington may be plotting an invasion of his country.

Chavez's announcement, made during his weekly radio and television show, was thin on details and did not specify the woman's nationality or supposed role in the military. But it came just two days after the U.S. embassy announced that Venezuela had abruptly suspended a 35-year-old military exchange program between the two countries.

"We put her where we had to," Chavez said, without elaborating, giving an indication of when the incident took place or saying if she had been released. "If she or any other U.S. official does this kind of activity again, they will be imprisoned and face trial in Venezuela."

He also said that the Americans detained were journalists who were caught taking pictures of El Palito refinery, some 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Caracas. They were released, Chavez said.

U.S. embassy officials could not be reached for comment Sunday about the incidents.

But the arrests, coupled with the decision to suspend the military exchange program, are likely to further strain relations with Washington, which Chavez has repeatedly accused of supporting efforts to destabilize his government and to oust him from office.

Chavez said Sunday the program was canceled because U.S. officers in Venezuela were spreading a negative image of his government to the soldiers they were training and were "sent here to turn our boys against us."

"It's best that they leave, until someday we can have transparent, clear relations and cooperation with the civil and military institutions of the United States, the way we do with almost all governments in the planet," Chavez said.

William Brownfield, the U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, said that Venezuela's announcement was a "sovereign decision" and that the five U.S. officers in Venezuela participating in the program had been notified last week by phone and written notifications that the program had been suspended.

Chavez pointed to the arrests of the woman and the other Americans as signs that the United States may be plotting an invasion.

Minutes before announcing the arrests, he aired a video of the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, a U.S.-backed effort to topple his close friend, Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Venezuela is a top U.S. oil supplier, but tensions have risen due to U.S. criticism of Venezuela's purchase of 100,000 assault rifles from Russia, and Chavez's continuous criticism of the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

Chavez accuses Washington of being behind a brief 2002 coup against him and of supporting other plots to oust him, but U.S. officials deny the claims.

AP-ES-04-24-05 1815EDT

This story can be found at:
TBO.com AP NEWS