Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Violence in Venezuela
Aired January 03, 2003 - 14:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Violence in Venezuela. Authorities fire tear gas as tens of thousands of protesters march in support of a general strike.
Our CNN producer Ingrid Arnesen joins us by telephone now. She is right in the middle of the demonstrations in Caracas.
Ingrid, what's the latest?
INGRID ARNESEN, CNN PRODUCER: Kyra, since we last talked, the situation here has really escalated violently, actually a pocket of pro-Chavez demonstrators moved under a bridge. To give you an idea of the picture, the opposition has marched to a point where they were blocked off by national guard and riot police, and turned down a bridge, where the pro Chavez demonstrators are in a standoff all day, which now has turned into fairly violent proportions.
They're blocked under a bridge, and the national guard has been firing rubber bullets, and tear gas into the group that is holding fort under the bridge.
Our cameraman, Jeanne Pierre Salinas (ph) saw them, and the Reuters photographer saw the group under the bridge as well has arms. You can't tell exactly what kind. But we have heard a couple of shots. We do not have reports of anybody being shot or injured at this date.
However, there has been a lot of tear gassing by the metropolitan police, the national guard army. Many, many people have been taken out of here, basically gasping for air. We do not have an idea of how many victims there are to this date, but there have been, I would say, at least several tens, maybe up to 50, possibly, that we have see being taken out of here. What this illustrates is a standoff that continues between the opposition and the government.
We are told that right now, CNN has learned again the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) secretary general, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is meeting at the moment with President Chavez at his palace in (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We do not know what the contents of their discussion is. But we would hope to hear at some point that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) has come back to jumpstart the fragile negotiations that broke off on the 27th -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And Ingrid, you see that videotape and it looks pretty chaotic. Have you heard any reports of deaths, or serious injuries?
ARNESEN: There was have been several serious injuries. There was a Univision -- that's the Spanish television network -- Univision cameraman that was hit in the head with a rock. There was another policeman who has been hit. It is difficult to tell which ones are serious, which ones are not so serious, but clearly, there have been a lot of people taken out by basically a voluntary ambulance service, trying to help people who are injured here. It is quite chaotic, and clearly, both camps are not ready to leave any time soon -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Our Ingrid Arnesen there, in the middle of the demonstrations in Caracas, as that strikes continues to cripple Venezuela's economy, also affecting gas prices in the United States. We will continue to follow what's taking place in Venezuela.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 3, 2003 - 14:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Violence in Venezuela. Authorities fire tear gas as tens of thousands of protesters march in support of a general strike.
Our CNN producer Ingrid Arnesen joins us by telephone now. She is right in the middle of the demonstrations in Caracas.
Ingrid, what's the latest?
INGRID ARNESEN, CNN PRODUCER: Kyra, since we last talked, the situation here has really escalated violently, actually a pocket of pro-Chavez demonstrators moved under a bridge. To give you an idea of the picture, the opposition has marched to a point where they were blocked off by national guard and riot police, and turned down a bridge, where the pro Chavez demonstrators are in a standoff all day, which now has turned into fairly violent proportions.
They're blocked under a bridge, and the national guard has been firing rubber bullets, and tear gas into the group that is holding fort under the bridge.
Our cameraman, Jeanne Pierre Salinas (ph) saw them, and the Reuters photographer saw the group under the bridge as well has arms. You can't tell exactly what kind. But we have heard a couple of shots. We do not have reports of anybody being shot or injured at this date.
However, there has been a lot of tear gassing by the metropolitan police, the national guard army. Many, many people have been taken out of here, basically gasping for air. We do not have an idea of how many victims there are to this date, but there have been, I would say, at least several tens, maybe up to 50, possibly, that we have see being taken out of here. What this illustrates is a standoff that continues between the opposition and the government.
We are told that right now, CNN has learned again the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) secretary general, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is meeting at the moment with President Chavez at his palace in (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We do not know what the contents of their discussion is. But we would hope to hear at some point that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) has come back to jumpstart the fragile negotiations that broke off on the 27th -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And Ingrid, you see that videotape and it looks pretty chaotic. Have you heard any reports of deaths, or serious injuries?
ARNESEN: There was have been several serious injuries. There was a Univision -- that's the Spanish television network -- Univision cameraman that was hit in the head with a rock. There was another policeman who has been hit. It is difficult to tell which ones are serious, which ones are not so serious, but clearly, there have been a lot of people taken out by basically a voluntary ambulance service, trying to help people who are injured here. It is quite chaotic, and clearly, both camps are not ready to leave any time soon -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Our Ingrid Arnesen there, in the middle of the demonstrations in Caracas, as that strikes continues to cripple Venezuela's economy, also affecting gas prices in the United States. We will continue to follow what's taking place in Venezuela.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
