Felipe Pérez.- Good Afternoon.

We thank you all for having come to the Ministry to hear the following information.

We have summoned the national and international press accredited in Havana to let them know that at this time, after a coup d’état has been dealt in Venezuela, a mob of about 400 people is besieging the Cuban Embassy in Caracas. This violent mob is led by members of the Cuban extreme right who live in Venezuela, representatives in that country of the Cuban-American National Foundation and other extremist and terrorist groups based in Miami, USA.

These extremist elements of Cuban descent arrived first at the Cuban Embassy and there, in a climate of tolerance and absolute impunity, began to incite other extremist and violent sectors of the Venezuelan population who had been supporting the coup d’état to break down the door of the Cuban Embassy, and storm the building which houses the Cuban Embassy in Caracas.

At this very moment they are besieging the Embassy; electricity and water supplies for the Cuban diplomats who work in the Embassy have been completely cut off. There is a call to cut the supply of food to our Embassy and some privately owned Venezuelan television channels, which were involved in yesterday’s events and in the putsch against the constitutional Venezuelan government are also making insistent calls to forcibly besiege and storm the Cuban Embassy premises.

The Cuban diplomats, and Cuban ambassador Germán Sánchez, have attempted to communicate with the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, have even faxed a diplomatic note describing these serious events. They have been in touch with the Mayor of that district in Caracas and he and the Foreign Ministry have been called on to meet their responsibilities regarding the protection of Cuban diplomats accredited in Caracas and their families. They have not received any reply. In the midst of the general chaos, no one from the Foreign Ministry or from the Mayor’s Office has replied.

The Cuban diplomats who are currently in our Embassy have instructions to not allow any illegal entry into our Embassy. And I want to make it clear that if any of that violent mob does get into the Embassy, placing the physical integrity of the Cuban diplomats and their families in danger, our diplomats will not hesitate to defend our Embassy, even if it costs them their lives.

The Cuban Government holds those who have been trying to stage a coup d’état in Venezuela to take power illegally accountable for whatever happens at the Cuban Embassy, for the physical integrity and the lives of the Cuban diplomats, their families and the property in our building. They will be held accountable, since they are allowing this violent and extremist action against diplomats accredited in Caracas, in violation of international conventions and of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

I insist that if they break into the Cuban Embassy our diplomatic staff has instructions and is totally prepared to defend it, even if it costs them their lives.

I also want to say that all the news coming from Venezuela makes it absolutely clear that there was a coup d’état yesterday in Venezuela. The Venezuelan Attorney General has just told the press that president Chávez has been arrested and that he is being forcibly detained in a military facility, that it is completely untrue that he has resigned. "President Chávez has not resigned —the Attorney General said— "no document of president Chávez’ resignation has been shown to the public." Therefore, at this moment President Chávez is the constitutional president of Venezuela and he has been forcibly detained while a coup d’état is in progress in Venezuela.

The Attorney General made it clear that, according to the Venezuelan Constitution and not just the one from 1999, he said, but also according to the 1961 Constitution, even if the constitutional President of the republic had decided to resign, to make it effective, his resignation has to be submitted to a plenary session of the National Assembly of the Venezuelan Parliament, and that has not happened.

The Attorney General has denounced that the Attorney General’s Office has been prevented from having access to and contact with President Chávez, that any news they have received has been through military sources, from some military prosecutors who have had access to the place where the constitutional President of Venezuela is being illegally held by force.

The Attorney General has said that if the constitutional President resigns —which has not happened, no document has been shown, the public has not been allowed any access to president Chávez, no resignation document exists, the National Assembly to which, and according to the Constitution, he has to submit his resignation, has not met-- that, according to the Constitution, even if he had resigned, the Vice-President of the Republic, in this case Mr. Diosdado Cabello, would take his place since President Chávez has not dismissed the Vice- President of the Republic nor the Ministers in his cabinet. Therefore, those in Venezuela who are trying to seize power violently, using force, are violating the Venezuelan Constitution, the principles of the rule of law and are placing the country in a situation of complete violation of the precepts of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, adopted by the Organization of American States.

The Attorney General has said that the President was unjustly arrested, that he has not signed any resignation, that even if the President and Vice-President of Venezuela had resigned, responsibility for taking control of the country, according to the Constitution, lies with the Speaker of the Venezuelan National Assembly. Therefore, the events that have been underway since the early hours of this morning are a violation of the Venezuelan Constitution; the putschist junta, which is trying to consolidate its power, is violating the Venezuelan Constitution and the democratic precepts established by the Organization of American States, to which Venezuela is a member.

Several Venezuelan state governors have denounced the putsch and have balked at accepting the legitimacy of the power of the putschists. Several have been arrested and taken to unknown locations, as part of the persecution and repression unleashed by some sectors of the army and coup supporters linked to the junta which, a few hours ago, illegally proclaimed itself the new power in Venezuela.

Cuba denounces this putsch to the international public opinion.

Cuba holds the perpetrators of the coup, who at this time are allowing her Embassy to be besieged, responsible for whatever happens to the Cuban diplomats and their families. Cuba insists that they are responsible for a situation of violence and aggression against Cuban diplomats.

Cuba repeats that, if those elements break in, the Cuban diplomats will defend our Embassy, even at the cost of their lives, and places the responsibility on those backing the coup who have allowed this, and who are encouraging and calling on all extremist sectors to invade the Cuban Embassy which at this time has no water, no electricity and is totally blocked by that mob which is acting with total impunity.

The Attorney General has said that there is now no constitutional state in Venezuela at the moment, that a coup d’état is taking place in which a de facto junta is attempting, in violation of Venezuelan law and the Constitution, to seize power in that country.

We want our people, the public opinion here and the international public opinion to know about these serious events.

Any questions?

Lucia Newman (CNN).- Yes, good afternoon Foreign Minister. Two short questions. Is there any truth in the rumors or reports that president Chávez’ wife is in Cuba? And secondly, what is your reaction to the announcement by Venezuelan Petroleum that as of now, not another drop of Venezuelan petroleum will be supplied to Cuba?

FelipePérez.- President Chávez’s wife is not in Cuba.
Venezuelan Petroleum is now being run by a group of people aligned with the putschists who are currently trying to consolidate their power in Venezuela using illegal methods, after dealing a coup d’état and de facto assuming control over the country. Cuba does not recognize the legitimacy of the PDVSA management aligned with the putschists.

Mauricio Vincent (El País).- Minister, two questions as well.

Was the Cuban President able to speak with the Venezuelan President late last night before he was left incommunicado?

And the second question is, is Cuba going to take any initiative in some international forum, in the UN, to denounce this situation in the short term?

Felipe Pérez .- President Fidel Castro did speak to president Chávez after midnight last night.

Cuba will invoke the existing international mechanisms for the preservation of democratic institutions and respect for the rule of law.

Cuba will ask for a meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. Cuba at this time is talking to other Non-aligned countries about holding such meeting at the United Nations Organization.

Cuba is now informing the UN Secretary General about the siege of and violence against its Embassy in Caracas.

Cuba is taking steps to let the Group of 77, currently chaired by Venezuela, know about the serious events resulting from the actions of a putschist junta that seized power in Venezuela and now tries to consolidate it

Mauricio Vincent.- Could you tell us something of what the Cuban President and Hugo Chávez discussed?

Felipe Pérez .- No, that is a different question; I can only confirm that they spoke.

Benito J. Milanés (Radio Rebelde).- One question and one clarification.

The question is about the situation facing the Cuban collaborators in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, if you know. And the clarification is, what are the instructions of the Cuban diplomats in Caracas about defending the Embassy, how?

Felipe Pérez.- Right now in Venezuela there are 1043 Cuban civilian collaborators: sports coaches, doctors, paramedics and workers and technicians in other areas of the economy and the service industry. They have been working there by virtue of an agreement legally entered by the legitimate government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Cuban Government.

As of five minutes ago, the news we have is that these people are safe, they are in constant communication with their group leaders, with the people overseeing Cuban cooperation over there and with the Cuban Embassy in Caracas. We too are permanently in contact with them from Havana. They are in safe places, they have been gathering together and at this time we do not believe that these people, most of whom are not in Caracas but in the provinces are in any danger.

In any case, we are holding the putschists accountable for any incident, act of aggression or provocation against these collaborators who have been in Venezuela giving valuable service to the Venezuelan people.

The Cuban Embassy staff will defend the integrity of our diplomatic mission with all the resources at its disposal, especially with their lives, which is their most valuable resource.

Andrea (El Universal). - Good Afternoon

If the current situation continues, what are your thoughts about the fact that Cuba may not receive any Venezuelan petroleum and how will that affect the Cuban economy and the well being of the Cuban people?

Felipe Pérez.- At this moment we are dealing with the immediate situation. That is a subject to which we can return later on. What I can repeat here is my complete confidence that the Cuban Revolutionary Government and the Cuban people are prepared to face up to any situation whatsoever, including the most difficult imaginable. It should not be forgotten that we have just come out of 10 years of special period, of a brutal and unexpected break in our economic ties with our traditional partners and that the country had the ability, the talent and support of its people needed to overcome such serious difficulties

I would like to say here that Cuba is now anxiously awaiting and paying extremely close attention to the reaction of the Rio Group which is meeting in San José, Costa Rica, to the reaction of the Organization of American States and to the reaction of the governments of the continent, including the US government, to this violent attack against the democratic institutions of a country in this hemisphere. Cuba is very closely following the reaction of the governments in this region concerning this matter. It hopes that the governments in the region and regional and international institutions will oppose this coup d’état in Venezuela and demand, as Cuba has demanded, the restoration of the democratically and constitutionally elected government in Venezuela, the reinstatement of the legitimate Venezuelan authorities. Cuba hopes that there will be neither tolerance for nor connivance with the putschists, especially at this time when there is so much talk in favor of democracy and democratic institutions and of respect for human rights, when it is obvious that a group of putschists in Venezuela have used force to illegally take control of the country.

Journalist.- Minister, please, are there any officials being given asylum in the Cuban Embassy? Would Vice-President Cabello be one of them?

Felipe Pérez.- There is absolutely no Venezuelan being given asylum in the Cuban Embassy in Caracas. These are false accusations which leaders of the Cuban extreme terrorist right living there, people with links to extremist factions in Miami, have made to encourage violent elements in the Venezuelan population to invade, lay siege to and storm the Cuban Embassy which has had its communications, electricity, water and access to outside world cut off.

The Cuban diplomats’ vehicles parked outside our Embassy have been assailed, some almost destroyed. Nevertheless, the Cuban diplomats are calmly safeguarding the lives and safety of their families. And we hope that no violent situation occurs —that would be very serious— against the Cuban diplomats and their families there, who have diplomatic immunity according to all international conventions on the subject.

Is there anything else?

Oscar Madrid.- (ANSA) Foreign Minister, let’s consider a different scenario, one where the coup d’état in Venezuela consolidates its power. What would the Cuban Government’s attitude be? And if it does, might there be a possibility of giving political asylum to president Chávez?

Felipe Pérez.- I cannot imagine a scenario where a coup d’état in Latin America in the 21st century consolidates its power. I cannot believe that this would be possible. I hope that international pressure from the governments in the region, from the US Government and from the rest of the governments in Latin America; I hope that pressure from the Río Group, and from the Organization of American States demanding that the democratic clause in the Inter-American Democratic Charter be complied with prevents the putschists, who are today illegally seizing power in Venezuela, from consolidating their power. So, I cannot conceive of that scenario. It would be an extremely serious violation and a very negative precedent and a devastating blow to the credibility of the entire discourse in favor of democracy that has been bandied about for years in this hemisphere.

I hope that this time a coup-installed dictatorship in a Latin American country will not be tolerated. And I cannot imagine a scenario where the region’s governments, where the regional democratic institutions would tolerate, support or recognize a government which, as the Venezuelan Attorney General has said, is being illegally set up, totally by force in that country, as a result of a coup d’état; a scenario where the constitutional President is under arrest, where he has not resigned, where the Vice-President has not resigned, where the ministers have neither resigned nor been dismissed.

As for President Chávez, first we have to wait and see what the putschists do with him. They now have the constitutional President of the country under arrest and incommunicado, although he has not resigned, no document has been shown to that effect and they are talking, completely fallaciously of "a democratic transition" in Venezuela.

Cuba disagrees with anyone who calls this coup d’état "a democratic transition". There has been a coup d’état in Venezuela and Cuba considers that it must be repudiated, condemned and that the putschists who hold power illegally must be urged to hand power back to the constitutional Venezuelan authorities, democratically elected by the people, according to the Venezuelan Constitution.

Mary Murray (NBC).- Minister, can you give us any information about the Cuban diplomats in Caracas, how many people are in the Embassy? How many diplomatic wives are there in the country, how many children, where the wives and children are?

Also, did the Ministry receive today any request for asylum from Venezuelans here in Cuba?

Felipe Pérez.- The Ministry has received no request for asylum yet, we have not heard of this happening.

The diplomats and their families there make up several dozens. The women and children are currently safe in the Cuban Ambassador’s Residence and the Embassy, at this time, is protected and defended by a group of diplomats from our country. There are some other family members there too and we hope that their lives will be safe and the immunity of the Cuban diplomatic mission there will be respected.

Is there anything else?

Moderator.- One last question, Ramírez.

Francisco Ramírez .- (Notimex) Minister, given such a fluid and uncertain situation, does Cuba have any well founded concerns about President Chávez’ physical integrity?

Felipe Pérez.- Cuba is concerned about the physical integrity of President Chávez who is at this time incommunicado, under arrest and forcibly detained in a military facility, an army barracks.

At the moment Cuba considers President Chávez to be the constitutional President of Venezuela and refuses to accept the news that President Chávez has resigned and challenges the putschists to show the document proving that President Chávez has resigned.

José L. Ponce (director of CPI).- Thank you, very much, Minister.

Felipe Pérez .- Thanks.