Mayor Henrique Capriles will face trial over siege of Cuban Embassy in Caracas.

Caracas, Venezuela. Henrique Capriles Radonsky, the opposition Mayor of Baruta - an eastern <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Caracas district – is set to face trial again. He is accused of leading or not preventing a hostile crowd from besieging the Cuban Embassy in Caracas on April 12, 2002. This incident took place during a coup against President Chávez. After entering the Cuban Embassy premises, Capriles Radonsky demanded Cuban Ambassador German Sanchez Otero to show him around the premises to look for Venezuelan refugees.

Trespassing into the Cuban Embassy compound was captured on a television videotape. Thus, Capriles Radonsky was confronted with six charges: as a participant and accomplice to the violation of international conventions (Vienna Conventions 1961 and 1963), illegal confinement, public threats, destruction of private property, civil violence, and breaking and entering by public employees. Mayor Capriles Radonsky has denied the accusations.  He has claimed he did everything in his power to control a hostile crowd.  

In early 2004, Capriles Radonsky was charged for the first time. He then spent three months in jail. Then, the opposition declared Capriles Radonsky as a political prisoner.  In October 2004, the case against him was dismissed. However, it was reopened again on 30 June 2005.  Then, a judge threw out three of the six charges as evidence submitted by Attorney was due inadmissible.  On December 2006, a new judgment threw out all charges against the Major. Promptly, the Attorney General office submitted an appeal.  As a result, the December judgement favouring Capriles Radonsky was reviewed.  On 8 May 2007, a court decided that the trial against Capriles Radonsky will resume soon.

This incident reminds us of American siege during the Iranian Revolution in 1979.  International Court of Justice took jurisdiction over this case. On 24 May 1980, it ruled out that Iran had an obligation to make reparation to the US. for the siege. Were the fianl outcome of this trial to set Mayor Capriles Radonsky free of all charges, the Venezuelan government will still have to assume responsibility and make reparations from the siege of Cuban Embassy in Caracas.  

Capriles Radonsky - 35 year old - belongs to a wealthy Venezuelan family. He is a lawyer and a conservative politician.  On December 6, 1998, Capriles Radonsky was elected to the National Congress of Venezuela with a Christian democrat (COPEI) ticket. A year later, he became the youngest leader of the chamber of deputies until it was dissolved in August 1999. Capriles Radonsky is now speaker of a rightist political party “Movimiento Primero Justicia” (Justice First Movement) that claims to offer an alternative to the government of President Hugo Chávez. He has recently expressed his intention to run for Governor of Miranda State.

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