STATE OF SIEGE CAPITAL OF VENEZUELA

Evening Star, Issue 25620, 22 October 1945, Page 5

STATE OF SIEGE

CAPITAL OF VENEZUELA

LOYAL FORGES PREPARING TO OUST REBELS

PANAMA, October 20. Loyal Government forces under General David Henriquez are preparing to march to Caracas to ousi the rebels, says the radio at Tachira, 400 miles Avest of Caracas. Over 50 were killed and 100 wounded in the revolt of young army officers that unseated the President, General Medina, apparently leaving the revolutionaries m control of the country. A state of siege exists in Caracas. Radio stations are closed down, transport is paralysed, and newspapers are consored.

The revolt began on Thursday, when officers, apparently dissatisfied over the coming presidential election, lured several high officers and members of the Cabinet to Mirafloree Palace, holding them as hostages. The revolt reached its climax by General Medina’s surrender 24 hours later. Most of the casualties are police and soldiers. A broadcast from Caracas said that a seven-man junta had been formed ip control the nation, pending the-elec-tion of a President to succeed General Mediuu. It added that the revolution had ended. A victory parade is scheduled lor to-morrow morning. Cavalry forces loyal to the President, General. Medina, attacked MiraHores Palace in hard fighting, causing the revolutionary junta to call on planes to blast the attackers with machine guns and bombs. Several truck loads of Medina forces also seized a housing project a quarter of a mile south of the palace, from «’hich they opened fire against Miraflores. The radio in San Cristobal, in Western Venezuela, said that General Medina was reinstated after the cavalry had cleared the revolutionaries from the palace.