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Armed forces still simmer in Venezuela
By DAVID ADAMS and PHIL GUNSONSt. Petersburg Times CARACAS, Venezuela -- A masked man in military uniform interrupted a forum at the Caracas Hilton late last month. Walking up to the speakers' table, he calmly deposited an anonymous communique -- accompanied by a floral tribute and a saber wrapped in red cloth -- before walking out without saying a word. It was no prank. Rather it was yet another disturbing sign of military discontent in the aftermath of a short-lived coup in April against President Hugo Chavez. Officers of the National Guard were in rebellion against their commander, a loyal Chavista, the communique declared. Though he survived the April 11 coup thanks to the support of loyal officers who came to his rescue, Chavez remains deeply unpopular, especially among the armed forces. With military loyalty in question, Venezuela is awash with rumors of another imminent coup. Chavez confirmed the speculation last week when he told a congressional panel investigating April's attempted ouster that security forces were looking into a new conspiracy. To discourage further rebellion, Chavez has ordered sweeping changes in every branch of the armed forces in recent weeks, in what amounts to a wholesale purge of the 100,000-strong military. In the last six weeks the president has sidelined more than a third of all generals and admirals, relieving them of their posts. The new defense minister, Gen. Lucas Rincon, admitted to reporters recently that the changes were made necessary because of "certain discontent," especially in the high ranks of the armed forces. "The reason we have so many changes in the armed forces is because the situation we experienced (April 11) requires that we make them, it's as simple as that," Rincon told reporters. Critics accuse the president of going back on his word. After his dramatic restoration to power in April Chavez vowed there would be no "witch hunt" against the military. "There is definitely a purge in progress and what we have is a very precarious situation," said Alberto Garrido, a political analyst and author of several books about Chavez. Only six senior officers face charges of rebellion for their role in the April 11 coup. But dozens of lower-ranking officers are also said to be under investigation for either supporting the coup or failing to display sufficient loyalty to the president. Three officers announced Friday in Miami that they are seeking asylum in the United States for fear of persecution. A Truth Commission headed by a Chavez loyalist has been set up within the armed forces to investigate individual cases. Many officers have been sent home while their status is being considered. They include the commanders of all five infantry and tank battalions strategically stationed in central Caracas, plus 30 members of the secret police, known as DISIP. But the changes have not quieted the coup talk. The promotion of several loyal officers to top jobs has bolstered the upper ranks for the time being, including a new army chief, Luis Garcia Montoya, as well as new heads of Military Intelligence and the DISIP. But Chavez has removed so many generals and admirals since the coup that he has been obliged to appoint some lower-ranking colonels in their place, causing resentment among senior officers. "Meritocracy is being replaced by unconditional commitment and loyalty to the president," said Vice Adm. Rafael Huizi Clavier, president of the Institutional Military Front, a group of retired senior officers critical of Chavez. "The fundamental values of the armed forces are being lost and the military is becoming a praetorian guard." In one recent change of command at an elite tank unit, civilian opponents and supporters of the president staged rival demonstrations outside the military base in Valencia, 90 miles west of Caracas. Command of the 41st Armored Brigade was passed from Gen. Guillermo Rangel to a Chavez loyalist, Col. Pedro Ruiz. Rangel at first refused to hand over command to a subordinate officer. He finally stepped down, but only after a compromise was reached in which Rangel handed his command to another general (loyal to Chavez), who then passed it on to the colonel. But the break with military tradition has created a dangerous divide in the ranks between officers loyal to the president and those loyal to the institution. Furthermore, the 106 generals and admirals who have been relieved of their posts remain on active duty, at least for the time being. The military has never been at ease with Chavez, a firebrand former paratroop colonel who was cashiered after leading an unsuccessful coup in 1992. Many officers are angry with the president's attempts to politicize the military by appointing officers to top civilian government posts. Some are also concerned about Chavez's alleged sympathies for the guerrillas in neighboring Colombia and his close ties with Fidel Castro, as well as Iran, Iraq and Libya. After surviving the April coup Chavez offered to "rectify" his errors. As a condition of his return he reportedly made a number of concessions to appease his military critics. Among them, he pledged to no longer wear his colonel's military uniform and red paratroop beret, a habit that had irritated senior officers who objected to saluting someone dressed in the uniform of an inferior officer. The military also called on Chavez to disarm the government-organized "Bolivarian Circles," members of which are implicated in incidents of harassment against government opponents. Some in the military suspect the circles are being secretly armed as a civilian militia. Though Chavez has taken some steps to placate his critics, including cutting oil shipments to Cuba, it appears hard-liners in the military will be satisfied only with his removal. Analysts say the greatest threat to Chavez comes from mid-ranking officers. A group calling themselves the Comacates, a Spanish abbreviation for commanders, majors, captains and lieutenant colonels, has recently issued a series of hotly worded statements warning Chavez of violence if he does not abandon his left-wing "Bolivarian revolution." Their latest message was delivered in a video by several hooded officers. "All the necessary ingredients for an internal conflict of truly regrettable consequences are on the table," the message said. "We will pick up our guns with dignity, and we will kill the first and last person who, under the shield of the Chavista Circles dares to attempt against the life and property of the citizens of this noble country." It remains unclear how many officers subscribe to the Comacates' do-or-die language. But their grievances, which include accusations of corruption against top military officers and government ministers, are widely held among Venezuelans. "We are talking about a fractured military institution," said retired Col. Jose Machillanda, a Venezuelan military analyst. "Order, discipline and obedience are breaking down. There's a divorce between command and authority." Some analysts fear such divisions could make the next coup -- if there is one -- far bloodier than April 11, when about 60 people died and 200 were injured. One anti-Chavez conspirator calculated the death toll could run into the thousands if the Comacates go head-to-head with the Bolivarian Circles. -- David Adams is the Times' Latin America correspondent. Phil Gunson is a Times correspondent based in Caracas. David Adams may be contacted at dadams7308@aol.com.
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