[First announcer] Hugo Chavez was ousted today as a result of a coup d'etat. Please pay attention to a commentary on this issue. [second announcer] In a rare development, which reminds one of the American-backed coup d'etat by General Pinochet against the legally-elected President of Chile, Salvador Allende, in 1973, the legally-elected President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, was ousted as a result of coordinated operations carried out by a number of army generals, as well as prominent industrialists, capitalists and forces acting as American agents. Venezuela is one of the largest oil producers and exporters in the world. It has vast natural resources and riches. However, despite the passage of 170 years since its independence, it is one of the poorest countries in the world. More than 80 per cent of its population live below the poverty line. Indeed, that is the fate of many Latin and South American countries which have been living for decades under American-backed military regimes that oppressed their own peoples. [passage omitted: On developments in Venezuela after World War II] As a result of developments in the 1990s, Hugo Chavez was elected in the free elections held in 1998. He gained the votes of the vast majority of voters and immediately declared that the aim of his government was to eliminate poverty and injustice and guarantee the independence of his country in the face of foreign interference. Chavez's policies were aimed at eliminating injustice and poverty in his country. Thus he introduced reforms in the economic and commercial arenas, as well as in the oil [industry]. As a result, industrialists and prominent capitalists, as well as defeated political forces acting as foreign agents and the military figures associated with them, became concerned about the situation. Gradually, this led to the formation of a coalition. Indeed, the officials of the Chavez government repeatedly said that foreign intelligence agencies were involved in the formation of that coalition. As far as the issue of foreign policy was concerned, Chavez sought to preserve the independence of his country in the face of American pressure. He pursued an independent policy. One of the main objectives of his policies was to properly utilize Venezuela's vast natural riches, namely oil. In this way, he sought to implement his policy of eliminating poverty. Moreover, Chavez's foreign policies were contrary to American interests in Latin America, as well as in other parts of the world. In Latin and South America, Hugo Chavez established close and friendly relations with Cuban President Fidel Castro and invited him to visit his country. He also supported movements that opposed American intervention in the region, thereby infuriating Washington. That was particularly because his policies enjoyed widespread support among regional countries. Washington was concerned that the Chavez model might affect other [Latin] American countries. Moreover, America also openly opposed Chavez's policies of establishing friendly relations with certain countries that pursued independent regional and international policies. Nevertheless, the most important reason for America's concern was the issue of oil. This issue is closely intertwined with America's policies towards the Middle East. Following Iran's proposal on cutting off the supply of oil to countries that support Israel for one month, which was supported by some oil-exporting countries, there was an increasing probability that Venezuela would also support [the proposal]. Therefore, the ouster of the Chavez government was an effective solution. It also served the interests of the forces that opposed Chavez inside [Venezuela]. Therefore, it seems that the coup d'etat in Venezuela should be assessed as a plot that was hatched for that purpose.