Venezuela's Chavez warns Costa Rica on 'coup plot'

Chinadaily -November 4

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez on Sunday accused Costa Rican government officials of backing his opponents in an alleged coup plot from San Jose to topple his leftist government.

Chavez, a fiery, outspoken former army paratrooper who often denounces conspiracies against him, did not provide details about how Costa Rican officials were involved.

...Costa Rica earlier this year granted political asylum to Carlos Ortega, a firebrand Venezuelan union boss who led a crippling opposition strike in December and January that failed to topple Chavez.

Chavez, who also survived a brief coup in April last year, on Sunday played an unspecific audio tape he said was a recording of Ortega in San Jose, the capital of the small Central American nation, and another opposition leader talking over details of plans to destabilize his government.

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printed from Venezuela's Chavez warns Costa Rica on 'coup plot' on 2004-02-23 14:04:49