Attempt on Life of Venezuelan Leader Denied

Two men were shot and killed by security forces Monday when their speeding truck raced toward a ceremony in a western town attended by President Carlos Andres Perez, government officials said.

Perez was unhurt, but at least 11 people were injured in the incident, officials said.

Television and radio reports said gunmen had fired at the president, but the chief government spokesman described the shooting incident as confusing and denied there had been an assassination attempt.

Information Minister Angel Zambrano said the truck driver and passenger, described as intoxicated, were fatally shot and that “some children were injured.”

Zambrano’s statement said the truck incident occurred at the end of a hospital dedication ceremony in western Paraguaipoa.

Zambrano’s statements contradicted eyewitness reports from reporters saying that unidentified gunmen opened fire on the presidential convoy.

In February, Perez survived an attempted coup in which military plotters planned to assassinate him. Dozens died in the botched coup, and the leaders were jailed. The plotters claimed to be striking out at government corruption.

Venezuela, a once-prosperous oil exporter, went into a decline after oil prices began to fall in the early 1980s. Inflation is running at 32%.