[R-G] Venezuela: growing evidence of new coup plot

[Anthony Fenton]

Venezuela: growing evidence of new coup plot

Federico Fuentes
20 September 2008


Four retired and one active Venezuelan military officials have been  
arrested, a further 33 questioned and the US ambassador expelled in  
the wake of the September 10 revelation of a planned coup and  
assassination attempt against President Hugo Chavez.

New evidence of taped conversations made public a week later revealed  
that the conspirators planned to carry out the coup attempt on October  
15, just over a month out from the November 23 elections for governors  
and mayors.

On September 14, United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) candidate  
for Carabobo governor Mario Silva, who first released the taped  
conversations on his TV program The Razorblade, accused the current  
Carabobo governor Carlos Acosta Carlez and Guarico governor Eduardo  
Manuitt — until recently PSUV members — of involvement in the plans to  
overthrow Chavez.

Mounting evidence

Evidence of the coup plot became public when taped phone conversations  
between retired vice-admiral Carlos Alberto Millan Millan, retired  
National Guard general Wilfredo Barroso Herrera and retired Air Force  
general Eduardo Baez Torrealba were broadcast on state television.

The discussion included plans that potentially involved the take over  
of Miraflores presidential palace, including potentially bombing the  
building. The conspirators also talked off the need to “take Chavez  
out”, including blowing up the presidential plane with him onboard.

Millian, Barrosa, major Elimena Labarca Soto and active lieutenant  
colonel Ruperto Chiquinquira Sanchez Casare — the last two from the  
National Guard — are now awaiting trial. It is believed that Baez is  
now out of the country.

Silva also alleged the involvement of former defence minister in  
Chavez’s government, retired general Raul Isaias Baduel, and a  
prominent shipping businessperson.

A special commission to investigate the coup plot set up by the  
National Assembly has uncovered fresh evidence on the involvement of  
others.

Speaking to the commission on September 17, former vice-president  
under Chavez, Jose Vincent Rangel, provided evidence of the  
involvement of other military and civilian figures, as well as figures  
in the Colombian military.

He also accused the US government of involvement.

Rangel alleged that Air Force police commander, lieutenant colonel  
Ruperto Sanchez, had handed out 45 security credentials for the  
Libertador Air Base to civilians and paramilitaries.

He also provided evidence of the involvement in the plot of seven  
other colonels from the Air Force.

He also fingered Colombian defence minister Juan Manuel Santos,  
stating that he has been in constant contact with the Venezuelan  
opposition and retired Venezuelan military officials, although he  
added he did not have proof of his involvement in this latest plot.

The Sergio Arboleda University in Bogota — where leader of the failed  
2002 coup against Chavez, Pedro Carmona, and others linked to the  
opposition have been giving classes and arranging meetings — has acted  
as “sanctuary for conspiring against Venezuela” according to Rangel.

Carmona is wanted on charges of treason in Venezuela.

Rangel noted that Baduel, who since publicly breaking with Chavez last  
year has called on the armed forces to act against him, had met with  
Carmona and Colombian generals at the university, where he recently  
launched his new book.

The two Colombian generals Baduel met with, Manuel Bonet Locarno and  
Juan Salcedo Lara, are currently accused of genocide.

Rangel also raised the presence of paramilitaries in the border states  
of Apure, Zulia, as well as urban cities like Barquisimeto, Maracay,  
Valencia, and parts of Caracas.

US involvement

During his statement, Rangel explained that the key figure behind this  
conspiracy was the US government, which is desperate to get rid of  
Chavez before the November 4 US presidential elections.

General Jesus Gregorio Gonzalez Gonzalez, head of the strategic  
operational command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, argued  
that in cases of coup attempts like the one exposed, there always  
existed the hidden hand of the CIA and the US government.

He pointed to the re-activation of the US navy Fourth Fleet to patrol  
Latin American waters as a clear sign of US imperialism’s aims to  
destroy the Venezuelan revolution led by Chavez.

Overwhelming evidence exists of US involvement in the failed 2002  
coup. Since then, the US campaign against Chavez has sought to paint  
his government as a dictatorial regime involved in terrorism and  
narcotrafficking.

Behind this campaign is their fear of the growing influence of Chavez,  
and the socialist revolution he is leading, in the context of a  
continental rebellion against US imperialism.

While stating that the expulsion of the US ambassador was done in  
solidarity with the same move by Bolivian President Evo Morales  
against the US-backed coup attempt in Bolivia, Chavez had warned weeks  
before of taking such a decision.

Referring to US ambassador Patrick Duddy’s comments about alleged  
increased drug flows from Venezuela, Chavez warned on this August 31  
Alo Presidente TV show that he would not tolerate any further  
interference into Venezuela’s internal affairs.

“Read my lips: if you violate international conventions you will have  
to pack your bags and leave”, Chavez declared.

Two days later, US State Department spokesperson Sean McCormark,  
referring to Chavez’s comments, stated the US would continue to  
“openly talk” about their opinions on what was occurring within  
Venezuela.

Duddy’s expulsion immediately made Venezuela a topic in the US  
presidential election, with Democrat candidate Barack Obama claiming  
the decision had been taken by a leader who “rejects fundamental  
democratic norms” in order to “distract attention from his increasing  
incapacity to comply with the basic needs of his people”.

For Republican candidate John McCain, the announcement was a reminder  
of the “dangerous tendencies” in the region, declaring Venezuela’s  
democratically elected government an “authoritarian regime”.

He accused Venezuela of “helping terrorists” and of attempting to  
“destabilise” its “democratic neighbour Colombia”.

On September 12 the US government upped the ante even further —  
accusing the Ramon Rodriguez Chacin (until recently Venezuela’s  
justice minister) and two other government officials of “arming,  
helping and financing the [Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia,  
FARC], including while they terrorised and kidnapped innocent  
civilians”.

Chacin played a central role in the negotiations with the FARC that  
secured the release of six FARC-held prisoners.

On September 16, for the fourth time in a row, the US put Venezuela on  
the “black list” for non-compliance in its “war on drugs”.


From: International News, Green Left Weekly issue #768 24 September  
2008.