Venezuelan Opposition Leader Diego Arria denies the Venezuelan coup of 2002 during London visit‏

The leader of the Venezuelan opposition, Diego Arria, has claimed that no coup d'etat took place in the country in 2002 during his current visit to London, despite almost every government in the world recognising  a coup had taken place

 Addresing a meeting in the British Parliament, Arria said it was "not a coup.....Chavez resigned". He admitted that "the military forced him to resign" but again restated "legally it was not a coup".

Arria's comments are particularly surprising given that almost every government in the world recognised that a coup had taken place, including the governments of the US and the UK.

Around 130 people attended the event, including Venezuelan residents in the UK. However, despite the event taking place at a committee room of the British parliament, barely a handful of Parliamentarians attended.

The meeting was organised by the right wing Henry Jackson Society.

*Press Unit of the Venezuelan Embassy in London , 12 October, 2010