MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Spanish fingers in anti Chavez 2002 coup.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez asserted that “it was true” that the former Spanish conservative administration of Jose Aznar had supported the April 2002 coup.

Mr. Chavez currently on a state visit to Spain made the statement on leaving the Spanish Senate where he met with Upper House president Javier Rojo to consider bilateral relations.

When asked about Spanish Foreign Affairs Miguel Angel Morantinos statement that the Spanish Ambassador in Caracas in 2002 had received instructions to support the finally aborted coup, Mr. Chavez responded, "From Venezuela's point of view I have no doubts that it was true".

Mr. Chavez added that when the insurrection in April 2002, the Spanish Ambassador "came running" and stood next to the United States Ambassador, "the only two".

He went on to say he very much regretted Mr. Aznar's administration decision because "I know it did not represent the feeling of the Spanish people".

Describing the decision as "a major mistake" of the Aznar administration, Mr. Chavez said that relations between both countries "have turned the page" and now we have "a promising integration challenge", for both elected governments.

In April 2002 populist President Chavez and a close friend of Cuba's Fidel Castro, was kidnapped and arrested by a dissident military group while a new president, (supposedly with US support) was named. However, a couple of days later Mr. Chavez was back in office and in full command of the Armed Forces and the country

Mr. Chavez on Monday visited the Spanish Trade Unions Congress, (Comisiones Obreras) where we considered the need for a "workers brotherhood" which will extend integration to all "social groups".

Meanwhile in Venezuela, Minister of Interior Jesse Chacon revealed that a week before the recall presidential referendum of last August 15 an attack with explosives against Defence Minister General Jorge García Carneiro was frustrated.

Apparently an anti-tank mine was planted next to General García Carneiro's mother's grave a week before the referendum, when the family was scheduled to visit the cemetery on the second anniversary of her death.

Minister Chacón confirmed the aborted attack adding that is was not made public at the moment "precisely because of the imminent voting less than a week later".

The revelation comes a few days after the death of Special Prosecutor Danilo Anderson who was blown to pieces in his car with C 4 explosive plastic.

Mr. Anderson was tasked with a special investigation into the ramifications of the April 2002 coup against President Chavez.

"So far we have nothing to connect both attacks, besides the type of explosives which are strictly of military use. At this stage we can't talk of a plan, but we don't discard such a possibility. The perpetrators of both actions are experts in explosives", concluded Venezuelan Interior Minister.