Venezuelan President Carmona Resigns in Face of Riots (
Caracas, April 13 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuela's interim President Pedro Carmona resigned after supporters of Venezuela's deposed leader Hugo Chavez seized control of the presidential palace and demanded his return to power.
``Before the nation, before the Venezuelan people, I present my resignation,'' Carmona said. He left office after less than 36 hours in power. The country's high military command, which had been backing Carmona, had no immediate comment.
Chavez's vice president Diosdado Cabello said he was in control until Chavez returned from a military post in the Caribbean.
Looting earlier broke out in seven Caracas neighborhoods, leaving nine dead and dozens injured, according to the city's mayor. Protesters blocked the highway connecting the capital with Simon Bolivar International Airport, prompting airlines to recall flights to the South American country.
``We want our president back,'' said Anna Mendez, one of thousands of Chavez supporters waving flags and placards outside the presidential palace during the day. ``We won't accept Carmona for anything.''
Venezuela, a country of 24 million and the U.S.'s second- largest oil supplier, is in the midst of a political crisis, bought on when Chavez was toppled by the military, which then announced a provisional government headed by Carmona.
High Unemployment
Three years of high unemployment and crime and a dispute with the state oil company over political appointments led to the ouster of Chavez, a former lieutenant colonel who led a failed coup attempt in 1992 and was elected six years later. Carmona suggested he would dismantle Chavez laws that allow private property to be expropriated and try to reverse a capital flight that economists estimate has reached $12 billion since the beginning of 2000.
Carmona, who was seeking to preserve his two-day-old government by blunting criticism that he and the military committed a coup d'etat, yesterday dissolved the country's democratic institutions, including Congress and the Supreme Court. He restored Congress this afternoon after military pressure.
``We elected Chavez,'' said Juan Padilla, who marched eight miles to the presidential palace from the Petare shantytown with a group of friends to show his support for Chavez. ``They say that Chavez is not democratic, but what is democratic about this coup? Our vote has to be respected.''
Police Slain, Wounded
One of the dead today and three of the injured are policemen, according to Caracas Mayor Alfredo Pena. The fatalities come two days after 12 people died and more than 100 were injured in the fighting Thursday night and early Friday morning that led to Chavez's ouster.
``The police can't do it alone,'' Pena said. ``The police need the help of the National Guard and right now, they're not in the street.''
Broadcasts showed crowds attacking the Radio Caracas and Venevision television stations, which largely avoided covering thousands of Chavez backers converging on the Miraflores presidential palace, where the government has its administrative offices.
Soldiers on the roof and balcony of the palace raised their fists in solidarity with the protesters.
``We will fight to the death to support Chavez,'' said Pvt. Luis Vallana, one of the soldiers of the military contingent protecting the palace.
Palace Gathering
Members of Chavez's former government gathered at the palace as well.
``Chavez is in jail, but we have Miraflores,'' said Maria Cristina Iglesias, who served as labor minister under Chavez. Supporters of Chavez said he is being held at a military base in the Caribbean, from where he would be transferred to Cuba.
Carmona told CNN that Chavez would be sent abroad ``within hours.'' Iglesias urged soldiers to prevent the plane carrying Chavez out of the country from leaving.
A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said the rioting in Caracas was ``out of control'' and ``critical.'' She said they couldn't restore order.
Another police spokeswoman said that the police had information that pro-Chavez soldiers were headed for the capital from outlying regions.
The U.S. embassy issued a travel alert.
``We are telling American citizens to stay home and to monitor events from there,'' said Lisa Gisvold, a spokeswoman at the U.S. embassy in Caracas. ``American citizens should cancel plans to come to Venezuela.''
Delta Flight
Delta Airlines said its flight to Caracas from Atlanta was called back after Venezuelan civil air authorities told it to turn around. Jacqueline Demora, of the United booking desk, said that the United flight tonight was canceled and the one leaving Caracas tomorrow morning was also canceled.
Taxis refused to carry passengers to Simon Bolivar International Airport from the capital because of disturbances in the western neighborhood of Catia, which straddles the main highway.
``There's lots of police in Catia because there was looting this morning,'' said Josefina Veneri, who saw protesters attacking stores. ``I ran, I was scared.''
Supermarkets and stores were closing in many neighborhoods as fears of looting increased. Rioting in 1989 led to hundreds of deaths.
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