Rebels Launch Coup Attempt in Venezuela

Rebel soldiers tried to overthrow the troubled, elected government of President Carlos Andres Perez early today, cutting off roads to the capital and trying to seize the country’s second-largest city.

Heavy machine-gun fire and mortar fire was heard around Perez’s residence and the Presidential Palace when the attempt began shortly after midnight, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Soldiers were shooting at passing vehicles and pedestrians.

Perez appeared on national television shortly after the shooting began and said loyal troops had defeated a coup attempt by forces led by a paratrooper regiment.

But the attempt had clearly not been quelled and Perez’s whereabouts were not known. There was no word from whoever was leading the rebels.

Three hours after the attempt began, sporadic shooting was heard in the capital and the presidential residence and government palace appeared to be held by loyalist troops.

But rebel troops cut off the two main roads into Caracas and troops of undetermined loyalty took over the international airport.

In Maracaibo, the country’s second-largest city and oil capital, rebels surrounded the gubernatorial palace, reporters in the city 350 miles west of Caracas said.

The past few days had been characterized by indirect warnings from the military that Venezuela was facing “threats from inside and abroad.”

Venezuela has had a democratically elected government since 1958, the longest of any South American country. But the nation of 19.3 million, one of Latin America’s richest, has recently been wracked by a wave of protests.

Perez appeared on the commercial TV network, Venevision, three times early today. He said units from the “Jose Leonardo Callejas” paratrooper regiment were leading the revolt. The regiment is based in Maracay, about 70 miles west of Caracas, site of one of the country’s most important army and air bases.

The leader of the opposition Social Christian Party, the country’s second largest after the governing party, also called on Venezuelans to back the government.

“We are a civilized nation and we all repudiate those who are trying to interrupt the legal order,” said the Social Christian leader, Eduardo Fernandez.