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FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2002

President Bush on Thursday made his first public remarks on the temporary ouster of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

Bush didn't answer questions about his administration's involvement in the plot to remove Chávez from office. Instead, he said he hoped Chávez had learned his lesson about the public upheaval that preceded his temporary removal.

But according to the man who stepped in for Chávez, there was no rebellion anyway. In an interview with The New York Times, Pedro Carmona Estanga said it was there was no coup.

"There was simply a vacuum of power that came about after the military announced the resignation of the president," the paper quoted him as saying.

Bush's remarks came at a press opportunity with Colombian President Andres Pastrana at the White House.

Get Bush's Remarks:
Bush and Pastrana (4/18)

Get the Story:
Chavez Must 'Embrace' Democracy, Bush Says (The Washington Post 4/19)
Venezuela’s Leader for a Day Denies There Was a Rebellion (The New York Times 4/19)
Bush Says Goals for Chávez Must Be Democracy and Unity (The New York Times 4/19)
In Venezuela, Chávez Starts Shuffling Disloyal Officers (The New York Times 4/19)
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