Venezuela's Economic Crisis Deepens - General Must Face Trial (a nice diversion as unrest grows)

CARACAS, Venezuela - A dissident general must face trial on charges of inciting a military rebellion against President Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's high court ruled Wednesday.

At a rally Wednesday, Chavez pleaded for patience with his government's efforts to resolve Venezuela's problems after supporters of the populist leader shouted complaints.

Gen. Carlos Alfonzo would be the first officer involved in an April 2002 coup to face trial. The coup briefly ousted Chavez.

Alfonzo, now under house arrest, was discharged from the military along with hundreds of other officers for their alleged role in the putsch. He could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted. It wasn't immediately clear when Alfonzo would go to trial.

"I'm innocent of the crimes they are trying to accuse me of," Alfonzo said. "I am a soldier of democratic convictions. I wasn't nor will I be a coup leader."

Defense attorney Alberto Arteaga called the high court ruling "contrary to the law," adding that magistrates violated the rights of "an innocent man."

The Supreme Court ruling could open the way for magistrates to authorize trials for other dissident officers.

Last year, the Supreme Court ruled there wasn't enough evidence to order trial for four top military officers accused of leading the coup.

At the rally, Chavez was addressing supporters in central Portuguesa state after granting loans to small farmers, when a woman in the audience demanded president accept a letter she had written.

"I can't take your letter, dear," he said. "I can't. I can't. I know your problem must be important but can you have a little patience, lady?"

The incident reflected mounting frustration with Venezuela's economic and political turmoil. One in every five Venezuelans is jobless, and the economy shrank almost 9 percent in 2002. Economists expect the economy to contract between 10 and 20 percent this year.

The economic crisis deepened after opposition labor unions teamed up with business leaders to stage a failed two-month strike to force Chavez from office. The strike, which collapsed in February, paralyzed Venezuela's oil industry and cost the country an estimated $6 billion.

Steve Forbes: Backyard Trouble [Full Text] There's another foreign policy problem brewing, this time in our own hemisphere--an attempt to make Venezuela a second Cuba. Strongman Hugo Chávez, who led an unsuccessful coup attempt in 1992, was elected president in 1998 in a popular vote of revulsion against the embedded corruption of the existing political elites. Since then, Chávez has been doing everything he can to turn his "presidency" into a dictatorship like Fidel Castro's. He used his initial popularity to gut constitutional checks on his power. Regime opponents now face arrest and even outright murder. Chávez is setting up vigilante committees in neighborhoods to inform on people. These committees also serve as an armed militia to back Chávez.

Venezuela has been a democracy since 1958, when a courageous leader, Rómulo Betancourt established representative government following a dictatorship. In the early 1960s Betancourt beat back Castro's efforts to overthrow Venezuela's democracy. Now Chávez wants to turn back the clock. He's cozied up to terrorist groups around the world, including those waging a murderous guerrilla war in neighboring Colombia.

Venezuelans of all classes and occupations have taken to the streets to protest Chávez's actions. He was thrown out briefly in a coup last year, but the coup collapsed when it became clear that the old corrupt elites were going to return to their money-grabbing ways and would take their time restoring democracy. Chávez's smile, however, was soon wiped off his face as spontaneous protests continued. There was a general strike a few months ago, the effects of which sharply reduced Venezuela's oil production. But Chávez has clung to power.

Whether Chávez's rule should continue is supposed to be the subject of a referendum in August, but this Castro wannabe has made it clear he won't leave office voluntarily. He will either try to postpone the election or use his armed thugs to rig the results.

The U.S. has reacted gingerly lest Chávez play the anti-U.S. card--always an option in Latin America--to shore up his sagging popularity. The U.S. should make clear that a clean August vote must take place--that Chávez must not be allowed to set up a virtual dictatorship, even if that means oil prices go up because we embargo Venezuela's oil exports. When Venezuelans see that we're serious about Chávez, perhaps their army will do what it should have done a long time ago--send Chávez to Havana on a permanent vacation--and then promptly return to the barracks. [End]

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