VENEZUELA

SF Gate: Venezuela's Chavez says U.S. was behind 2002 coup and seeks to overthrow him again

President Hugo Chavez angrily accused the United States on Tuesday of backing a coup in 2002 and of helping Venezuela's opposition stage another attempt to overthrow him.

Chavez also accused the Bush administration of spreading lies about his government to justify its demise, saying it used similar tactics in Iraq, and of falsely charging Venezuela with supporting Colombian rebels.

He said the United States was providing hundreds of thousands of dollars to Venezuelan groups that organized a petition for a recall referendum on his rule -- and to groups that are plotting his ouster.

"The government of Washington is using the money of its people to support -- not only opposition activities -- but acts of conspiracy," Chavez said in a speech to small business owners.

"The government of the United States is attacking the Venezuelan people again, just like they attacked the people of Iraq," he added.

He said he had evidence that Washington was involved in an April 2002 coup that ousted him for two days. He said the Bush administration "had a responsibility in the massacre" that helped trigger the coup, and that U.S. military personnel were involved alongside rebel Venezuelan military.