Hands Off Venezuela Campaign- www.handsoffvenezuela.org
---------------------------------------------------------- Venezuelan Group to file court cases against U.S.Ambassador Charles Shapiro

*by Cort Greene*

Caracas,Venezuela April-11-2004

The Association of Victims of the April 11,2002 coup against Hugo Chavez (ASOVIC) have said that they will file court papers at the World Court in the Hague and in the U.S.Courts, charging U.S.Ambassador to Venezuela, Charles Shapiro for his involement in sniper shootings at the Llaguno Bridge durning the coup against President Chavez at the Miraflores Palace, that left several people dead, including a jounalist.

Charles Shapiro is no stranger to being a participant with military coups, having been Deputy Chief of the Mission ( a position usually staffed by the CIA) at the U.S.Embassey in Chile at the time of the bloody and murderous military coup against the democraticly elected President Salvador Allende on September 11,1973.The U.S goverment inspired coup, carrried out by the CIA and Armed Forces of Chile, left in place a terrorist dictatorship for more than a decade.

In a statement by Merly Morales, spokeswoman for the lawyers of the (ASOVIC)," there are elements for conviction, in which in our judgement, serve as evidence to ask for the opening of an inquiry before the U.S.Courts and the appropiate international tribunals" against Ambassador Shapiro.

Evidence ranges from special courses in assault tactics given by U.S.authorities to members of the Caracas Metropolitan Police Phoenix Group and the Chacao and Baruta Municipal Police in the months leading up to the coup to conversations that were recorded in the Center of Operations of the Metropolitan Police on April 11, 2002 between Police Commissioner Forero and Ambassador Shapiro(code name Zeus 32 America) durning the hours of fighting and shots being fired against people with references from the Center that the Phoenix Group should use long-range rifles to neutralize the "talibans" who the police refered to as the pro-Chavez supporters at the Miraflores Palace.

There is also evidence Merly Morales says that is "presented by the (Chavez) administration relating to the presence in Venezuelan territory of U.S.ships on April 11, as well as (U.S.) military personnel in the military installations at Fort Tiuna that would lead one to believe that there was a act of State committed against the constitutional goverment of Venezuela that directly affected members of our association (ASOVIC) that were injured and killed.

The U.S.goverment has used every means at it's disposal at intervention to overthrow the Bolivarian Revolutionary process, from the training of ganster paramilitaries in Miami, to funding opposition groups, to using the Courts and Election Council systems and out-right support of a miltary coup.The Venezuelan masses have shown time and again their willingness to fight reaction.Now is the time for Solidarity action with them.Join us!

No to U.S.intervention in Venezuela!

Defend the Venezuelan Revolution!

Forward to Socialism!

Please pass this along to others,raise the issue in your Trade Union local or Group.

"An injury to one is an injury to all"

Up coming event- Encuentro Mundial De Solidaridad Con La Revolcion Bolivariana-
Solidarity Conference in Caracas April 13th-15th.- with many great speakers including Alan Woods of British Socialist Appeal(CMI), Mazoor Ahmed-Member of Parliament in Pakistan  and The Struggle(CMI) and Miriam Municio of Sindicato de Estudiantes(CMI) in Spain -   www.alternativabolivariana.org/encuentro/index.htm

Add your voice to the Campaign- Statement and signatures of supporters- www.marxist.com/Latinam/hands_off_venezuela2.html

E-mail us at-
venezuela (at) socialistappeal.org

Socialist Appeal- www.socialistappeal.org and In Defence of Marxism- www.marxist.com

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Venezuela-Corriente Marxista Revolucionaria-   venezuela.elmilitante.org   

"Workers of the World Unite"