Acevedo, Others Killed in Plane Crash

The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) April 21, 2002 Sunday Final Edition
Copyright 2002 The Commercial Appeal, Inc.
The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
April 21, 2002 Sunday Final Edition
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A4
LENGTH: 412 words
HEADLINE: COPTER CRASH KILLS TOP VENEZUELAN OFFICER
BYLINE: John Rice The Associated Press
DATELINE: CARACAS, Venezuela
BODY:
Venezuela's new air force commander and three other generals have been killed in a helicopter crash, officials said Saturday, adding to the blows suffered by a military already split by a failed coup last weekend.
Even as President Hugo Chavez tries to reassert the control over a nation that he briefly lost last weekend, the country's largest labor federation on Saturday announced plans for a massive march on May Day. The same union sponsored a march that led to the April 11 coup.
Gen. Luis Alfonso Acevedo was among 10 airmen who were killed Friday when their helicopter crashed in forests, likely due to bad weather, the military said.
Acevedo, who took over as air force commander in post-coup shake-ups, was in one of three French-built Super Puma helicopters carrying top officers back from the installation of a new navy commander at Mamo, 20 miles north of Caracas.
A helicopter carrying the highest-ranking military officer, Gen. Lucas Rincon, darted through a gap in the mountains beneath clouds and landed safely, said Air Force Gen. Gustavo Romero Castillo, who was aboard Rincon's helicopter.
But "there was a sudden change in weather conditions" as the clouds moved in and the chopper carrying Acevedo's party crashed about dusk, Romero said.
There were no immediate signs of mechanical problems or foul play, but Gen. Gilberto Vallenilla said that the air force would investigate.
Also killed were Brig. Gens. Pedro Torres Fino, the air force operations commander, Rafael Quintana Bello, personnel chief, and Julio Cesar Ochoa, who worked for the general staff, and six lower-ranking personnel, including two who were piloting the craft.
Defense Minister Jose Rangel said it was "too early" to say who would replace Acevedo, who was named Air Force chief on April 17, replacing Gen. Regulo Alselmi, who seemingly played little or no part in the April 11-12 coup or the restoration of Chavez on April 14 after loyalist protests in which 33 people died.
At least five other top-ranking officers are under house arrest while courts consider possible charges against them. Officials have said that at least 80 were held at least briefly after the coup. The coup figurehead, businessman Pedro Carmona, also is under house arrest.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan Workers Confederation president Carlos Ortega emerged from a week of hiding on Saturday, calling on Chavez to disarm his civilian supporters and to include critics within his cabinet.