Spain says former government backed Venezuela coup

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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L23288036.htm

MADRID, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Spain's Socialist government accused the previous administration of backing a short-lived coup against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2002, a charge the conservative opposition labelled a "lie".

The shock accusation by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos threatened to boil over into an embarrassing political spat during a visit by Chavez to Madrid to patch up relations damaged by the coup.

"Under the previous government, in an unprecedented move for Spanish diplomacy, the Spanish ambassador (in Caracas) received instructions to support the coup," Moratinos told state television in an interview broadcast late on Monday.

Moratinos said Spain's Socialist government, which took office in April, was focused on improving relations with Latin American governments, especially those with strong democratic support such as Venezuela's.

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1. rock on! i love the new Spain

[Carl Brennan]

2. Oh, goody, goody, goody. Now

let's see what happens when this little investigation gets going and what role Spain and the US had in the coup.

The truth comes out in such mysterious ways.

[Carl Brennan]

3. Oh, goody, ....now look

....."I have no doubt that that is what happened. The Spanish ambassador was the only one, together with the U.S. ambassador, who recognised the tyrant -- a tyrant put in place via a blood-bath and a break with the institutional norm," Chavez said in an interview on Spanish state TV on Tuesday.

However, a spokesman for Aznar's Popular Party denied the allegations.

"The foreign minister lied yesterday and slandered (former) Prime Minister Aznar," party spokesman Eduardo Zaplana told a press conference, adding his party would react strongly......

This could real interesting. Bush won't be able to tamp out all these little fires,hee.