Venezuelan military would "not accept" an elected opposition government

[naaman fletcher]

Merco Press Agency: The hypothesis of an "opposition government is hard to swallow, it would mean selling the country, and that is not going to be accepted, not by the Armed Force and much less by the people," said Major General Henry Rangel Silva, head of the Operational Strategic Command in a interview published Monday in the Caracas daily, Ultimas Noticias.

Rangel Silva claimed that the Venezuelan opposition acts "with the support of third countries," which affects "nationalism" and this is something the military would not accept.

The top military officer accused the political sectors that oppose President Chavez revolution of keeping an "agenda of attacks" against the Bolivarian Armed Force and also against some of its leaders which they are trying to remove because they are an "inconvenient" to their alleged international interests.

"Those attacks are in the opposition's agenda. The Armed Forces historically have been used in Venezuela to overturn and oust governments," said Rangel Silva who added that "the National Bolivarian Armed Force has no half loyalties but complete loyalty with the people, a project of life and development, and with the Commander in Chief (President of the Republic). We are married to that project of country…"

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=98538

disturbing news. Chavez should immediately issue a statement that in the interest of democracy he demands that the military not have a role in politics.

[CJvR]

1. "The People"

So if the people vote "wrong" the military will correct their vote for them, now that is service. Apparently hanging out with company like InFidel and Amadjihadi have corroded Silva's brains. Mr Silva if the people vote the current opposition into office then you will be the opposition and have a majority of the nation against you.

[bemildred]

2. Tsk, I thought the Supreme Court was supposed to handle these little infelicities. nt

[ChangoLoa]

11. Another the-world-is-like-my-country post? :)

[Peace Patriot]

3. Did the RW opposition not try to oust the elected government, by coup d'etat, in 2002?

That is what this general is talking about. He believes that the rightwing opposition hasn't changed.

In that coup attempt, the RW opposition kidnapped the president and threatened his life, and suspended the Constitution, the courts, the National Assembly and all civil rights. They followed this with several other efforts to destabilize the country, wreck its economy and overthrow the government, including the 2003 oil bosses' lockout, promulgation of a false poll (in which the Washington-based Penn & Schoen PR firm was involved) in 2006 with evidence that the false poll was to be used in another overthrow attempt, boycotts of elections (though Venezuela's elections are honest and aboveboard, on their face, and are also internationally certifed by all the main election monitoring groups) and other such tactics.

This is interesting news--that a top general does not think that they have changed. The RW has tried to portray itself as ever so democratic now, but are they? Or have they just been tutored by their USAID and CIA 'trainers' to appear to be playing by the rules? I've wondered this myself, and this is the first indication I've seen in news about Venezuela that the RW opposition's commitment to democracy may be a facade (other than unspecific suspicions about them).

The Venezuelan military had to make a decision, in 2002, whether or not they were going to support constitutional government. Most of them made the right decision, and purged coup plotters from their ranks (those who had joined in the 2002 coup attempt). So they know something about efforts to destabilize their country and overthrow its legitimate government. It is not at all "disturbing" news that they are STILL thinking about it, STILL committed to constitutional government and don't yet trust the rightwing opposition's commitment to legitimate government--as evidenced by this general's statements. It may not be the right political thing to do, to say so (I mean, for a general to say so) but, on the other hand, it's educational for those of us looking on from the outside to know what his opinion is, and he may have good reasons for making his views public--that is, he fears another RW coup attempt. He is also likely aware of the overt and covert U.S. taxpayer money pouring into Venezuela in support of RW groups, to interfere with Venezuelan elections the way that corporations and the super-rich interfere with, and buy, elections in the U.S. One criticism I have of the Chavez government is that they have not stopped this ILLEGAL flow of foreign money into Venezuelan elections. Of course, if they tried to, we would hear outraged screams about how 'money = freedom of speech, blah, blah, blah,' from the RW opposition, the corpo-fascist media and the U.S. government, like we did when the Chavez government denied a license renewal to RCTV, whose owners and executives had actively participated in the 2002 coup attempt!

This is another reason that I'm glad the general said what he said. Normal and legitimate protection of constitutional government is difficult in Venezuela, given the RW opposition's tactics, U.S. government hostility and lies and corpo-fascist control of the media. It needs to be bolstered. And if the military is concerned, then people need to know it, whether it's "politic" or not.

[naaman fletcher]

4. nice try

He didn't say he was on the guard for attempted coups. He said what he said.

[Peace Patriot]

5. Did the RW opposition NOT try to oust the elected government, by coup d'etat, in 2002?

Yes or no?

That was a mere eight years ago, right? --with a number of other additional destabilization/overthrow activities of the RW opposition since that time.

This general's assessment of the RW opposition--as to whether or not they are committed to playing by the rules--is therefore quite important. He thinks they are loyal to another country--and I'm quite sure he means the U.S.A.--and not to Venezuela. THEY are the ones who attempted a U.S.-supported coup d'etat, so THEY are the ones who need to prove that they are loyal to Venezuela and to Venezuela's democracy. He doesn't think they are. That he would say so is not a worrisome sign. It is, instead, a good sign--that the military remains vigilant in support of constitutional government.

How come you ignore the fact that the RW opposition CANCELED the Constitution, the courts, the National Assembly and all civil rights? You are the one making "a nice try" to paint the legitimate, elected government and the loyal military as the bad guys. The RW are the bad guys--the ones who rule by fiat, who trample civil and human rights, who spit on the rule of law, who tried to overthrow the elected government on behalf of Exxon Mobil and other U.S. multinational corporate/war profiteer interests. How come you are suspicious of the legitimate, leftist government and the loyal military, and not of the people who actually ripped up the constitution and tried to force Chavez to resign?

The RW opposition put the Venezuelan military in an excruciatingly difficult position, having to choose between the legitimate, elected government, which had been illegitimately ousted, and the ones who temporarily held power in the country. What this general is saying, in my opinion, is that he does not want to be put in that position again. He does not trust the RW opposition.

[naaman fletcher]

6. yes, so what?

I am discussing what the general actually said, you are just making up what you think he really meant.

[CJvR]

13. Actually...

...what he is saying is that if the regime loses it's rigged elections the military will do as Amadjihadi did regardless of the will of the people. Since you are so supportive of his statements I have to assume you are in favor of coups and dictatorships, as long as the "right" side wins?

[Judi Lynn]

14. Why not post a good link to information on Venezuela's "rigged elections."

I would have thought the fact so many international election observers from EVERYWHERE, including former President Jimmy Carter's own group, which have all deemed the elections there since Hugo Chavez was elected as CLEAN would have dealt with any questions the right-wing raised very capably.

George W. Bush didn't even allow international observers HERE.

Please do provide a link for that "rigged election" charge.

[CJvR]

15. You think ...

... a 50% cut of the vote almost delivering a 2/3 majority in the latest election is a shining example of democracy in action?

[naaman fletcher]

16. ???

Jimmy carters group observed the recent elections?

[social_critic]

18. They were rigged elections

World class gerrymandering and redistricting allowed the Chavistas to win a large majority of Congress while securing a minority vote. It's very simple. They were rigged. It's simple, the economy is lousy, crime is high, there were lots of power cuts. So the only way the communists could win more seats was by rigging the districts. This they did with a vengeance. Their victory was so hollow, they didn't even have a celebration. They skulked around in the dark, and hid.

[Judi Lynn]

19. Then provide your credible link to give substance to your claim, and not from El Nuevo. n/t

[CJvR]

21. An essential 50-50 split generated almost 2/3 win.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38848972/ns/world_news-americas
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN2913724520100929

[ChangoLoa]

8. Isn't half of today's opposition made of parties which were on Chavez's side in 2002?

YES, it is....

Time passes. 2002 was 8 years ago and I was 100% for Chavez in those "good old days"

[social_critic]

9. So tell us, are you for military dictatorship, yes or no?

So the question you have to ask yourself is, are for military dictatorship, yes or no? If the Venezuelan people vote the PSUV and Chavez out, will you support a military dictatorship? This is what this general's statement is about. Don't bring up the 2002 coup, that was wrong, they failed, Chavez returned to power. So the question we have to ask is, will progressives around the world cheer for a military coup of communist officers in Venezuela, which is what this guy seems to have been saying will happen? I'd say this is crunch time - many of us will have to take sides, with democracy, or with dictatorship. And i do caution the reader, personality worship of a charismatic leader is what leads nations into disasters. And this is what seems to be happening to many of you, you are blinded by charisma, and forget there's a serious need for all of us to have a minumum standard, which says the will of the people, as expressed by the majority, ought to prevail.

[subsuelo]

7. wow what a misleading headline

why do I have to spend so much time here filtering out all this crap.

Sad.

[social_critic]

10. I don't see much misleading

This is from La Hojilla in Youtube. If you speak Spanish, you will see the guy quoting the general. And what the general said was quite troubling. Check the commentary from 5 to 6 minutes into the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyiL8xN65rY

For those who don't get it, La Hojilla is a government supported TV show, the guy in the video is a communist (notice the Lenin bust flashing behind him). By the way, hr ran for office and was defeated, the people in his area rejected him, and voted for a more reasonable candidate - they don't like his communist radicalism.

[ChangoLoa]

12. Chavez Promotes Venezuela General Criticized for Threat Against Opposition

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez promoted a general criticized for vowing not to cooperate with opposition leaders should they take power after 2012 elections, raising tensions in the run-up toward the vote.

Henry Rangel Silva will take over as General-in-Chief, Chavez said last night on state television. The military won’t tolerate an opposition government because it would try to “sell” the country, the general said in a Nov. 8 interview published in Ultimas Noticias.

“The imperialist oligarchs will never have an Armed Forces subordinated in the shadows to their gross interests,” Chavez said yesterday in announcing the appointment.

The promotion coincides with the opposition’s rising popularity amid soaring inflation, rising crime and a shrinking economy. Chavez lost his two-thirds majority in the National Assembly in September and will seek a third six-year term in 2012 that would allow him to rule until 2019.


Read more:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-12/chavez-promotes-venezuela-general-criticized-for-threat-against-opposition.html

[social_critic]

17. Venrzuela=Honduras?

It may end in a military coup, i suppose. I do wonder, will Ecuador and Brazil cut off relations with Venezuela when the pro communist military coup takes place?

[ChangoLoa]

20. You mean an auto-coup?

I think this general is just showing they're scared of the next elections.

[social_critic]

22. I think it may be headed towards conflict with the OAS

The decay is evident, there may be an OAS move to cut off relations with Venezuela, the same way the OAS did to Honduras after the military coup against President Zelaya. This Venezuelan general sure sounds radical, but he may get in trouble if he does lead such a coup - the other nations will cut off relations and Venezuela will become the flash point for a division of Unasur, of such gravity I don't think Unasur will survive. I suspect this is what's going to happen, the way things are moving.