Violence breaks out in Venezuela

Witnesses reported that at least one person was hurt on Sunday when Chavez supporters allegedly threw stones, bottles and firecrackers at opposition supporters visiting a local mayor detained at security police headquarters.

It was the first violent incident since Chavez and his opponents began their formal campaigns leading up to the referendum on the leftist president's rule.

Armed officers guarding the Caracas headquarters of the DISIP political police did not intervene to stop the attack, witnesses also said.

Supporters of Henrique Capriles, the mayor of Caracas'

Baruta district who has been detained for alleged incitement

since 11 May, scattered when masked youths attacked them.

At least one of the alleged attackers carried a poster urging

voters to support Chavez in the referendum.

"Hello President"

The violence occured as Chavez was delivering a speech on his radio and television show "Hello President".

Chavez showed what he said was a document proving that US-based National Endowment for Democracy gave $300,000 to several opposition groups.

"The government of Mr. George W. Bush continues putting its

hands where it should not put them," said Chavez, who will face a recall referendum on 15 August.

The opposition gathered millions of signatures to challenge Chavez's rule in the polls.

Chavez said the money given by the endowment was used by the opposition to draft a government plan titled Country Consensus as a blueprint for a post-Chavez Venezuela.

The former paratrooper accused the opposition of "selling its sole to the devil" to remove him from power.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/694EC7BB-53C3-4F67-927C-FF863C50E263.htm

Violence erupts as opposition demands birthday celebration access to jailed Mayor

Violent opposition radicals have provoked a security situation outside the Caracas headquarters of the State Political & Security (DISIP) police in a show of support for imprisoned Caracas (Baruta) Mayor Henrique Capriles Radonski (32) who spent his birthday in close custody awaiting trial next week on a series of public order offenses.

Opposition-controlled print & broadcasting media are playing up an incident in an assault on the DISIP HQ at El Helicoide was foiled ... three persons have been injured according to reports, including a child of only two years.

As duty officers awaited the arrival of a National Guard (GN) riot squad, opposition protesters ran amok claiming that Capriles Radonski's incarceration is illegal and that he should be "liberated" from the police building.
Natiuonal Assembly (AN) deputy Gerardo Blyde ... a vociferous opponent of President Hugo Chavez Frias ... claims that the unauthorized protest led by the Primera Justicia (PJ) political party was "set upon" by 15-20 individuals he personally alleges were "Chavistas."

Other reports say the fighting started when local hoodlums without political motives started throwing stones and broken bottles ... opinions vary as to who started the fight but overwhelmed DISIP officers quickly closed off the entrance to the building and refused to allow anyone to pass through the gates.

Blyde told reporters "this should not happen at the gates of the DISIP ... instead of helping to break up the disturbances, they closed the entrance and would not allow anyone to enter or leave until (armed) reinforcements arrived."

Earlier a large queue of opposition personalities had formed outside the DISIP HQ demanding to visit Capriles Radonski on the occasion of his 32nd birthday ... among them Carlos Ocariz, Julio Borges, Gerardo Blyde, Liliana Hernandez and members of Bandera Roja (Red Flag) along with family members including Sofía Imberg.

Frustrated in their attempts to gain entry, the large crowd of opposition radicals began to shout birthday greetings over the walls using loud-hailers ... they were led by Chacao Mayor Leopoldo Lopez and opposition deputy Julio Borge.

National Guard (GN) troops were forced to use tear gas to disperse the worst of the violent revelers who continued to taunt the unarmed DISIP security staff.
Capriles Radonski is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday (July 13) to face charges of violating diplomatic rights at the Cuban embassy during the April coup d'etat against President Hugo Chavez Frias; he is likewise charged with hostage-taking, violent abuse of his office as a local Mayor and of public intimidation.

He had been detained at the direct request of the Attorney General, but only after he refused to appear in court to answer the charges.
The court considered there was an overwhelming risk that he would fail to show for trial and that he might join a string of other opposition personalities who have fled Venezuelan jurisdiction into self-exile in the United States.

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=21977

Venezuelan President Chavez again accuses US of backing campaign to unseat him

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez restated his long-time contention that Washington is behind a campaign for a "yes" vote in an August 15 recall referendum aimed at removing him from power, in order to control Venezuela's oil.

Chavez said he would present proof on Sunday that the US was financing the Venezuelan opposition's referendum campaign in order to open his country's huge petroleum industry to foreign investment.

http://trinicenter.com/cgi-bin/selfnews/viewnews.cgi?newsid1089574054,9127,.shtml