Nickdfresh
04-25-2005, 07:00 AM
Chavez: U.S. citizens arrested
Sunday, April 24, 2005 Posted: 9:47 PM EDT (0147 GMT)
Chavez told his show's audience a military exchange program with the U.S. has been canceled.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that a woman linked to the U.S. military had been arrested while photographing a military installation, and several U.S. citizens were also arrested for taking pictures of a refinery, signs, he added, that Washington may be plotting an invasion of his country.
Chavez's announcement, made during his weekly radio and television show, was thin on details and did not specify the woman's nationality or supposed role in the military.
"We put her where we had to," Chavez said, without giving further details on when the incident took place or whether she had been released. "If she or any other U.S. official does this kind of activity again, they will be imprisoned and face trial in Venezuela."
He also said that the other detained Americans were journalists caught while taking pictures of El Palito refinery, some 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Caracas. They were released, Chavez said.
U.S. embassy officials could not be reached for comment Sunday about the incidents.
Two days earlier, the U.S. embassy announced that Venezuela had abruptly suspended a 35-year-old military exchange program between the two countries.
The arrests, coupled with the suspension of the military exchange program, are likely to further strain relations with Washington, which Chavez has repeatedly accused of supporting efforts to destabilize his government and oust him from office.
Chavez said Sunday the military program was canceled because U.S. officers in Venezuela were spreading a negative image of his government to the soldiers they were training and were "sent here to turn our boys against us."
"It's best that they leave, until someday we can have transparent, clear relations and cooperation with the civil and military institutions of the United States, the way we do with almost all governments in the planet," Chavez said.
William Brownfield, the U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, said that Venezuela's announcement was a "sovereign decision" and that the five U.S. officers in Venezuela participating in the program had been notified last week by phone and written notifications that the program had been suspended.
Chavez pointed to the arrests of the woman and the other Americans as signs that the United States may be plotting an invasion.
Minutes before announcing the arrests, he aired a video of the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, a U.S.-backed effort to topple his close friend, Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
Venezuela is a top U.S. oil supplier, but tensions have risen due to U.S. criticism of Venezuela's purchase of 100,000 assault rifles from Russia and to Chavez's criticism of the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
Chavez accuses Washington of being behind a brief 2002 coup against him and of supporting other plots to oust him. U.S. officials deny the claims.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/04/24/venezuela.us.ap/index.html
Sunday, April 24, 2005 Posted: 9:47 PM EDT (0147 GMT)
Chavez told his show's audience a military exchange program with the U.S. has been canceled.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that a woman linked to the U.S. military had been arrested while photographing a military installation, and several U.S. citizens were also arrested for taking pictures of a refinery, signs, he added, that Washington may be plotting an invasion of his country.
Chavez's announcement, made during his weekly radio and television show, was thin on details and did not specify the woman's nationality or supposed role in the military.
"We put her where we had to," Chavez said, without giving further details on when the incident took place or whether she had been released. "If she or any other U.S. official does this kind of activity again, they will be imprisoned and face trial in Venezuela."
He also said that the other detained Americans were journalists caught while taking pictures of El Palito refinery, some 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Caracas. They were released, Chavez said.
U.S. embassy officials could not be reached for comment Sunday about the incidents.
Two days earlier, the U.S. embassy announced that Venezuela had abruptly suspended a 35-year-old military exchange program between the two countries.
The arrests, coupled with the suspension of the military exchange program, are likely to further strain relations with Washington, which Chavez has repeatedly accused of supporting efforts to destabilize his government and oust him from office.
Chavez said Sunday the military program was canceled because U.S. officers in Venezuela were spreading a negative image of his government to the soldiers they were training and were "sent here to turn our boys against us."
"It's best that they leave, until someday we can have transparent, clear relations and cooperation with the civil and military institutions of the United States, the way we do with almost all governments in the planet," Chavez said.
William Brownfield, the U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, said that Venezuela's announcement was a "sovereign decision" and that the five U.S. officers in Venezuela participating in the program had been notified last week by phone and written notifications that the program had been suspended.
Chavez pointed to the arrests of the woman and the other Americans as signs that the United States may be plotting an invasion.
Minutes before announcing the arrests, he aired a video of the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, a U.S.-backed effort to topple his close friend, Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
Venezuela is a top U.S. oil supplier, but tensions have risen due to U.S. criticism of Venezuela's purchase of 100,000 assault rifles from Russia and to Chavez's criticism of the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
Chavez accuses Washington of being behind a brief 2002 coup against him and of supporting other plots to oust him. U.S. officials deny the claims.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/04/24/venezuela.us.ap/index.html