(17 Apr 2002)

1. Various of Organization of American States Secretary General arriving at Presidential Mansion
2. Various of Secretary Cesar Gaviria and President Hugo Chavez at Miraflores Presidential Mansion
3. Secretary General Gaviria departing
4. Secretary General at news conference
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Cesar Gaviria, OAS Secretary General:
"For the members of the Organization of American States the constitutional government is that of President Hugo Chavez, and I am sure that none of the 24 governments represented doubt it."
6. News conference
7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Alan Brevver, constitutional lawyer and opposition to Chavez leader:
"If it happened like that then, I don't believe any high-ranking military member had the intention of misleading Venezuela, if any did then we could open a judicial process to determine via discussion."
8. Sign of Bolivian Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela
9. Cutaway of interior
10. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Ricardo Celchi Orellana, Ambassador of Bolivia in Venezuela:
"Obviously when someone asks for political asylum it is because they believe their life to be in danger, or the lives of their families."
11. Requests for political asylum
12. Exterior of Bolivian Embassy
13. Secretary General of OAS at news conference at Venezuelan Episcopal Conference building
14. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Cesar Gaviria, OAS Secretary General:
"And after listening to them we are more convinced that the church can play a very important role in these moments and can also be one of the players which can truly overcome many differences."
15. Wide shot of the briefing
16. Various of Congress
17. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Jose Caldera, Congressman:
"We are ready to return to the streets with the people, as we've done."
18. Various of aftermath of attack on opposition parliamentarian

STORYLINE:

Cesar Gaviria, Secretary General of the Organisation of American States, met Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Caracas on Tuesday while on a fact-finding mission which started on Monday.

After surviving a botched coup attempt, President Hugo Chavez won a precarious second honeymoon from Venezuela's business elite and the middle and upper classes which rose up to overthrow him last week.

Secretary Gaviria spoke to the media and assured them that the OAS is totally behind Hugo Chavez and his presidency. In a news conference later in the day, he said the church could play an important role in easing tension. He urged Venezuelans to express dissent constitutionally, instead of through coups.

Opposition leaders expressed reservations about Chavez's willingness to bring about reform, despite fresh assurances from his government.

The interim president installed by the military, businessman Pedro Carmona, was released from secret police custody late on Monday and placed under house arrest pending charges of rebellion and usurping authority.

Chavez, meanwhile, replaced members of the military high command that arrested him on Friday. It wasn't known exactly how many people were arrested after the coup.

Some officers claimed many of their brethren remained in custody. Others asked for political asylum at the Bolivian Embassy in Caracas.

The one (m) million-strong Venezuelan Workers Confederation, which with Carmona's business chamber led a general strike last week against Chavez, is demanding that everyone be freed.

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