Venezuela Ex-Cops Asylum Petition May Be Denied by El Salvador
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| Caracas’ Metropolitan Police controlled by Henry Vivas and Lazaro Forero, used AK-47 military-grade machine guns to fire against Chavez’s loyalists gathered at the Llaguno bridge during the April 11, 2002, coup d’etat. Source: Venpres |
Caracas, Venezuela. Nov 27, 2004 (Venezuelanalysis.com).- El Salvador authorities may deny asylum for two Venezuelan former police directors who are being investigated for alleged crimes during the April 11, 2002 coup d’etat against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Last Friday, Henry Vivas, Chief of Security for former Caracas Metropolitan Mayor Alfredo Pena, and Lazaro Forero, former Metropolitan Police (PM) Commander, requested political asylum at the El Salvador Embassy in Caracas.
On Nov 3, Vivas and Forero received citations from State Prosecutor Danilo Anderson, to be charged as co-conspirators in alleged crimes committed during the April 11, 2002 coup d´etat by former Mayor Alfredo Peña. Peña, a strong opponent of President Chavez, later escaped to Miami. Tapes of police radio communications released last year, link the Metropolitan Police chiefs to the April 11 shootings where more than a dozen people were killed.
State Prosecutor Danilo Anderson was assassinated during a terrorist attack last Nov 18 in Caracas. Anderson’s vehicle exploded while he was driving home late night. Some arrests have been made during the investigations, and authorities such as Attorney General Isaias Rodriguez, have said that both former police chiefs, along with former Mayor Alfredo Peña are suspects in the Anderson case.
El Salvador’s initial reactions
The government of El Salvador sent their Ambassador to Costa Rica, Hugo Carrillo, as a special envoy to Caracas, in order to collect details about the asylum seekers before making a decision. However, judging by initial reactions from El Salvadorian authorities, the asylum petition will likely be denied.
Last Friday, Rene Figueroa, El Salvador’s Minister of the Interior, reacted against granting the asylum. “They are being investigated for murder… El Salvador should not grant that petition because they are citizens being investigated,” Figueroa said.
El Salvador Congressman Miguel Bennett is also opposed to granting the asylum. “El Salvador should not interfere in the internal affairs of Venezuela,” Bennett said.
El Salvador’s special envoy Hugo Carrillo, met with Venezuelan authorities today, and with the two asylum seekers. On Monday morning Carrillo will meet with Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel.
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