MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chavez “ousted before the end of 2003”

Twice former Venezuelan president Carlos Andrés Pérez forecasted that current president Hugo Chávez will be ousted from office “this year”, and his ousting “will not be without violence”.

In an interview with Colombia's main daily "El Tiempo" Mr. Pérez said that "Chávez will not have a peaceful exit because he refuses dialogue. He will be ousted with violence and the Armed Forces are going to intervene to rescue Venezuela from this tragedy".

Mr. Pérez who was president between 1974/1979 and 1989/1993, will be forced out of office for having refused to accept the referendum launched by opposition forces in Venezuela. According to the Venezuela constitution a mid term referendum on the presidential mandate is open to the electorate. However President Chavez's appointed Electoral Court has impeded the procedure.

"The referendum will not take place. We're facing a dictatorship and article 350, civil disobedience, is applicable for the return to democracy", said Mr. Pérez adding that Mr. Chavez will be out of office before the end of the year, and following the "dictatorship", a regime of civilians and military will emerge.

"Violence is bad, and we don't promote it, but no other option is possible. There's no other way in spite of the consequences", indicated Mr. Pérez whom Mr. Chávez as a paratrooper officer tried to oust him of office in 1992.

Mr. Pérez anticipated that "post-Chavism is going to be extremely difficult because of the hatred Mr. Chavez has sown among Venezuelans and a "collegiate government will be needed" to pacify and stabilize the country.

"Then in two, three years when things have calmed and conditions are appropriate a presidential election can be convened and democracy can begin to thrive again".

Mr. Pérez rejected point blank that his attitude and forecast was a "conspiracy" as President Chavez claims.

"Who lives in Venezuela is well aware that there's no conspiracy: you have the Venezuelan people trying to get rid of a dictatorship through the constitutional instrument of a revocatory referendum. There's no need to conspire against Mr. Chavez because all Venezuela is against him".