Documents Show CIA Knew of Venezuela Coup

[Rose Siding]

CARACAS, Venezuela -- The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency knew dissident military officers were planning a coup in 2002 against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, according to purported U.S. intelligence documents posted on the Internet.

Citing the documents, Chavez lashed out at U.S. officials on Thursday, saying they knew a coup was brewing but failed to tip off Venezuela's government.

"The CIA knew that a coup was coming ... the government of George Bush knew," said Chavez, whose so-called "peaceful revolution" for the poor and close ties to Cuban leader Fidel Castro have often put him at odds with U.S. policies.

The apparent declassified CIA documents are posted on the pro-Chavez Web site www.venezuelafoia.info, which contains links to other requests for U.S. documents by freelance investigative reporter Jeremy Bigwood.
......
In his speech broadcast on state-run television Thursday, Chavez said documents showing U.S. involvement in the coup "are emerging" and "will continue to surface."

"Having a government of this type in the United States is a threat to the world," added Chavez, who accused the Bush administration of actively supporting the short-lived coup.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-venezuela-us-coup,0,23504.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[aquart]

1. Dammit, it was their JOB to know.

However, knowing and causing are two different things. Did they CAUSE it?

[htuttle]

4. Yes, they caused it

Most of opposition funding traces back to the NED-funded International Republican Institute.

There are many other US fingerprints on the coup, but the money trail leads directly and conclusively to the US NED.

[tngledwebb]

6. YEP,

YEP. YEP.

[AP]

7. The plane they put Chávez on was reg'd to a US company with ties to CIA

right? Chávez got a peek at the number on the tail. I thought that was part of the story just after the coup.

[Sara Beverley]

2. They knew? They were behind it! Why would they tell on themselves?

Get real people!

[tngledwebb]

8. They didn't tell. But

you see the fingerprints of the old 'modified hangout route' aka plausible deniability, aka fire-fighting, etc, well beloved of this particular version of Fascist Govt and the CIA etc for many years. You know the US/CIA history...

[gWbush is Mabus]

3. I bet the CIA funded the coup

[On the Road]

5. When the Plotters of the Venezuelan Coup Were Asked About

American support, they said something like: "When we met with the US generals in December, they said they weren't going to send any troops." Pretty damning for a denial.

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. Knew about it? Hell, they probably planned it.

How many of those Venezuelan officers were grads of the 'School of the Americas'?

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Our wonderful CIA. If there's turmoil in the world, you can expect

to find them there.

[AP]

11. Oliver's Army is Here to Stay...

[mountebank]

12. From the NY Times article on same subject.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/03/international/americas/03venezuela.html?oref=login

I love this part:

When violence erupted on April 11, antigovernment television stations blamed Mr. Chávez, and military officers announced that they were withdrawing support for the president. It has since become clear that supporters of both the government and the opposition were responsible for the violence, but chaos reigned in the hours after the shootings.

"You add all that together and it certainly appeared that the government had used excessive force," said the senior American diplomat, explaining Washington's tough reaction toward Mr. Chávez.

*****************************

Actually, when I add all that together, it still smells like coup-supporting bullshit.