Originally published at: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/23/international/americas/23PENT.html

Pentagon to Investigate Its Own Role in Venezuela

By Christopher Marquis

April 23, 2002

WASHINGTON, April 22 - The Pentagon has ordered a review of its actions during the 48-hour ouster of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela earlier this month to ensure that American military officials did not encourage a coup, a senior Defense Department official said today.

The official stressed that the Pentagon has no evidence, nor even a suspicion, of American involvement in the brief removal of Mr. Chávez by a coalition of Venezuelan business leaders and dissident military officers. But he added that a review has been ordered to ensure no American officers were encouraging or supporting a coup on their own.

"We are conducting our own review, just to make sure there were no freelancers here," said the official, who asked not to be identified.

The Bush administration has vigorously denied any suggestion that it gave a green light, tacit or otherwise, to the forces that tried to seize power from Mr. Chávez. But in remarks to the press, at least one of the anti-Chávez leaders, Rear Adm. Carlos Molina, said he believed that he was acting with American support.

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