US Republicons.org website says a senior army general says the Venezuelan government has proof that the United States was involved in a short-lived coup against President Hugo Chavez Frias last year.

Venezuela's National Defense Council secretary, Army General Melvin Lopez said in an interview on state-run Venezolana de Television (VTV) television that "proof exists" the US administration was involved in the mid-April 2002 putsch ... "we have the evidence!"

As VHeadline.com has earlier reported, General Lopez told TV viewers that three US military helicopters were on Venezuelan territory, at the Caracas (Simon Bolivar) international airport during the coup.  US Pentagon officials have declined to comment the allegation.  Dissident army generals had risen up against Chavez Frias on April 11, 2002, several hours after 19 Venezuelans died and over 100 were wounded by gunfire when opposition marchers clashed with government supporters in downtown Caracas.  Loyalists in the military returned Chavez Frias to power two days later.

Following his return, Chavez Frias said "worrying details" had emerged suggesting a "foreign country: might have been involved in his temporary overthrow ... he said a coastal radar installation had tracked a foreign military ship and helicopter operating over Venezuelan waters a day after his ouster ... although he did not say which country had sent the ship and helicopter, legislators have accused the United States of helping execute the coup d'etat.

The US administration has repeatedly denied it was involved in the coup d'etat but acknowledged having held conversations with Venezuelan opposition leaders and military officers prior to the rebellion against Chavez Frias ... the US Embassy in Caracas took a month to deny allegations that US military vessels were in Venezuelan territory saying that the only US vessels to approach Venezuelan waters during the coup attempt were two coastguard vessels on a joint anti-narcotics mission with The Netherlands.

The US embassy also rejected allegations that two US military officials had visited the Fuerte Tiuna military base in Caracas the day before the President's ouster to help coup leaders ... the two officers had (it was claimed) spent two hours at the base on April 11 to investigate information about troop movements ... they left hours before Chavez Frias was deposed and returned to the base on April 13 for another evaluation of the situation.

Officials in Washington claim they told Chavez opponents they would not support any unconstitutional activity aimed at removing the leftist leader from power.  But Chavez Frias has criticized the United States for being too slow in condemning the coup d'etat when it occurred and that, in contrast with most Latin American governments, the United States of America was "sluggish to condemn" the coup ... initially blaming Chavez Frias for his own overthrow, but later joining members of the Organization of American States (OAS) in condemning the coup d'etat as unconstitutional.

Last week, Chavez commemorated the first anniversary of his dramatic return to power by inviting anti-globalization activists to a series of forums in Caracas.  Opposition leaders condemned the celebration, saying it was an insult to relatives of the victims who died in the violence that occurred prior to their military uprising.