Two killed in Venezuela demonstrations
Tens of thousands protest scrutiny of recall petition
Friday, February 27, 2004 Posted: 10:34 PM EST (0334 GMT)
CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) --Two people died and 21 were wounded by gunshots when national guard troops clashed Friday with tens of thousands of antigovernment demonstrators who took to the streets of the capital to protest the government of President Hugo Chavez, an official said.
For hours, members of the national guard -- wearing riot gear -- faced off against the demonstrators, firing tear-gas canisters and pellet guns to halt the crowds' advance along Avenida Libertador, a main thoroughfare that cuts across the city.
More than 400 people were treated for asphyxia, and the wafting gas forced the evacuation of hundreds from nearby buildings, Fire Department Cmdr. Rodolfo Briceno said.
It was not clear how many of the casualties were members of the guard and how many were demonstrators.
One policeman was shot in the head and taken to a hospital, a colonel told reporters. One photojournalist also was taken to a hospital.
In Washington, the State Department warned U.S. citizens in the country to "avoid all demonstrations and areas where groups are gathering."
Opposed to the rule of Chavez, the demonstrators were protesting Tuesday's decision by the National Electoral Council ordering that 1.4 million signatures on a recall petition be scrutinized for possible fraud.
The protest coincided with a summit of the 19 members of the G-15 being held about three miles away, where Chavez was meeting with the presidents of Brazil and Argentina.
Venezuelan military officials had warned protesters not to provoke violence by attempting to reach the summit, The Associated Press reported.
The opposition has collected 3.4 million signatures, far more than the 2.2 million required under the country's constitution to mandate a recall vote.
But the council questioned the authenticity of those pages that contain similar handwriting for several people.
The demonstrators acknowledge that the handwriting was in many cases done by the same person, but contend that the signatures and fingerprints accompanying each of the names is different.
They accuse the government of changing the rules of the game.
The government has been urged by the Organization of American States, the European Union and the U.S.-based Carter Center to overlook slight errors and accept the petition, according to the AP.
Chavez, whose term of office is slated to expire in 2006, had agreed to call a special election if the National Council ruled against him and recommended a recall vote.
But last week he said that he would appeal a vote against him to the nation's highest court, the Supreme Justice Tribunal.
The opposition blames Chavez for the country's economic woes.
Chavez's removal was the focus of a general strike in 2002 that had crippled the economy and sparked huge, sometimes violent demonstrations. The strike forced Venezuela -- the world's fifth-largest oil producer -- to buy gasoline from Brazil and Trinidad.
Chavez still enjoys support among the nation's poor, who were planning to hold a pro-government rally Sunday.
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