Venezuela nabs suspected coup plotters

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:47:56 GMT
Two suspects have been arrested during an investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate President Hugo Chavez and launch a military coup.  The suspects were detained in the state of Zulia, 500 kilometers (310 miles) west of Caracas with an arsenal that included a rocket launcher, hand grenades and ammunition, Venezuelan Interior Minister Tarek El Aissami said on Wednesday.  El Aissami did not identify the suspects, but did say that they were Venezuelan nationals. He said the rocket launcher was a Carl-Gustaf model, a bazooka-like weapon commonly referred to as an anti-tank recoilless rifle. Venezuela's military does not have such weapons, El Aissami said.   Prosecutors are investigating a coup plot allegedly planned by active and retired military officers and supported by the opposition media and the US government.   The US government has been trying to overthrow Chavez; in 2002, Chavez survived a US-backed 47-hour coup.  Original Source at PresTV