Blood and bullets: the role of the military in the Maduro regime

  • Sep, Sun, 2024
  • ICTS


VENEZUELA-POLITICS-MILITARY-MADUROVENEZUELA-POLITICS-MILITARY-MADURO

This handout photo released by the Venezuelan presidency shows Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro running with members of the military during a military parade commemorating the 203rd anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo in Carabobo state, Venezuela, June 24, 2024. Photo: Presidency of Venezuela / AFP

Following the wave of repression and crimes that were perpetrated in Venezuela after the elections of July 28, 2024the majority of the nearly 160,000 active Venezuelan soldiers did not and have not shown any signs of discontent or of standing up to the regime of Nicolás Maduro. This is the result of a skillful maneuver that Chavismo had been preparing for years.

The president of the Organization of Politically Persecuted Venezuelans in Exile and an officer abroad of the Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB), José Antonio Colina, explained that almost the entire current military structure is corrupt. Amid all the accusations of electoral fraud that surrounded the presidential elections, irregular groups repressed civil society at all costs. The persecution of bandits against dissidents of the regime was the strategy to try to silence the voices of those who demonstrated in the streets, demanding that the voting records be shown.

One of the most significant questions in this crisis of violence is who provides all the weapons used by the repressive groups that intimidate the population.

What is the role of the military?

In August the attorney general of the regime Tarek William Saab In August, the president admitted that 27 people had lost their lives in the protests. According to various sources, the weapons used by criminals loyal to Nicolás Maduro to spread terror could only be distributed by the Venezuelan Armed Forces and the Bolivarian National Police.

The lawyer and human rights defender, Tamara Sujuwas one of the voices that denounced on social media the situation of infiltration of weapons for intimidating purposes.

Although it was initially believed that the military forces would side with democracy, sources consulted for this report (who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals) support José Antonio Colina’s version of alleged corruption in the Armed Forces in much of its structure.

military

Jose Antonio Colina

“The Armed Forces are divided into criminal clans. Each general or commander of important units has under his command a number of officers who are involved in his criminal network. We are talking about lieutenant colonels, captains and sergeants; that applies to all the important units that are currently in charge of repression in Venezuela. So, for example, thinking that a captain is going to rebel because he thinks what they are doing is wrong and is going to go against a general who is a criminal, is not going to happen,” Colina said.

He also explained that “dissatisfied soldiers are sent to inhospitable areas or sent home, without a position, so that their actions are completely null and void.”

Scheme of alleged corruption and illicit activities in Venezuela

1. Illegal Mining in Bolívar State

  • Control: National Guard and Army.
  • Commanders involved: Generals of the Comprehensive Defense Operational Defense Zone (ZODI).
  • Activities: Exploitation and control of illegal mining.

2. Drug trafficking

  • Poster of the Suns:
    • Composition: generals distributed in different states.
    • Key Areas:
      • Tachira and Apure: tTraffic in the border area.
      • Sucre: commander of the Integral Zone in charge of drug trafficking.

    • Alleged Relevant Members:

      • Diosdado Cabello: Minister of Internal Affairs, Justice and Peace and Vice President of the PSUV
        pointed out as one of the central figures of the poster.
      • Nicolas Maduro: Venezuelan president accused of facilitating cartel operations.
      • Hugo Carvajal: former head of military intelligence, alleged coordinator of drug trafficking.
      • Nestor Reverol: former Minister of the Interior, accused of complicity in drug trafficking.
      • Godfather Lopez: Minister of Defense, alleged facilitator of smuggling and other illicit activities.
  • Structure: involvement of officers of different ranks, not just generals.

3. Corruption in Food Distribution

  • Responsible: Godfather Lopez, appointed by Maduro.
  • Scheme:
    • Brigadier Generals: commanders of the distribution of different items.
    • Military Branches Involved: Army, National Guard, Air Force, Navy.
  • Consequence: Widespread acts of corruption in food administration.

4. Fuel Smuggling

  • Key areas :
    • Insular Maritime Areas:
      • Daisy: Coastal Surveillance Command.
      • Güiria: Atlantic Maritime Command.
  • Executors: Members of the National Guard and other officers in strategic areas.

5. Military Penetration in Public Administration

  • Areas of Influence:
    • Mayors’ offices: captains, in positions serving as purchasing managers.
    • Governorates: brigadier generals as security chiefs.
  • Result: Corruption structure that assigns key roles to military personnel at different levels of government.

There is no quick way out of the situation in Venezuela

There is no quick solution in sight to the Venezuelan crisis. The regime has not shown the records supporting the supposed victory of Nicolás Maduro, but opposition representatives have shown evidence in favour of candidate Edmundo González. Despite widespread discontent, statements from the international community and internal protests by Venezuelans, the military remains on the side of the regime.

“They (the FANB) are fighting for their economic survival and to maintain their criminal activities, rather than fulfilling their role as the police of the Constitution,” Colina added.

All eyes are on Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, an official who remains a coercive element of Maduro’s repressive apparatus and who is accused of drug trafficking by the United States justice system.

Intimidation as a deterrent weapon

Following the violent intimidation of Maduro’s hordes, the intensity of the protests decreased significantly as the days passed. Repression was used as an instrument to curb the will of millions of citizens who voted for change.

Even the former mayor and Chavista leader Juan Barreto pointed out during an interview with journalist Jorge Ramos that there is a process of “criminalization of peaceful protest.”

In the La Unión neighborhood of Petare, in Greater Caracas, journalist Jhon Cisneros experienced first-hand the drama of the repression suffered by the civilian population at the hands of members of the colectivos, a Chavista paramilitary organization.

John Cisneros

“The day after the elections, many people from Petare went to Altamira and Chacao on foot to join the protest that took place there. On the way back in the evening, National Guard troops showed up at some points in Petare and I was able to see them firing shots into the air to intimidate people,” he said.

Then, at around 10:30 pm, attempts at looting and violent situations began in commercial establishments, just when the buses arrived. If the members of the buses saw you wearing a white shirt, they would beat you up. I have the case of a friend whose brother was kidnapped, simply because they felt like it, and now he is in prison in El Rosal (apprehension division of the Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations Corps) and it turns out that they are accusing him of terrorism,” explained Cisneros.

“I have received warnings not to continue reporting. There is a Operation Tun Tun “There are mass arrests and human rights violations underway, but this operation is being orchestrated by the same leaders of the regime, in complicity with the same police forces and groups, to create anxiety and fear,” he said.

“After July 28, they even used message chains that are spread in groups and in which messages warn the population not to open doors, to turn off the lights, and not to leave their homes; it is a state of anxiety that you cannot even sleep through. I am moving forward, I am betting on freedom and change in Venezuela, in a non-violent way, in a peaceful way and with recognition among Venezuelans, but the situation here in Petare is strong and very tense,” added Cisneros.

Wave of tensions and repression in Venezuela, the role of the military

1. Controversial elections:

  • Date: July 28, 2024.
  • Results: Nicolás Maduro’s government declares victory amid accusations of fraud and manipulation.

2. Wave of protests:

  • Start: Since July 29, massive protests have been reported across the country in rejection of the election results.
  • Scale: mobilizations in the main cities of Venezuela.

3. Violence and repression:

  • Victims:
    • At least 27 people have died in clashes between protesters and security forces. The deaths occurred in Zulia, Táchira, Yaracuy, Lara, Aragua, Carabobo, Distrito Capital, Miranda and Bolívar. Several of these deaths were caused by firearms.
    • More than 2,000 people were arrested, most of them considered critics of the government.
    • Among the dead are two agents of the Bolivarian National Guard.
  • Charges:
    • Hours after the elections, hundreds of people were wounded and injured, as were those persecuted and arrested, who are being accused of terrorism, according to the NGO Foro Penal. Those arrested are also accused of crimes such as “inciting hatred.”
    • The UN International Mission has denounced acts of violence against protesters and excessive use of force by the regime.

Corruption in Venezuela, the military

The testimony of an active general, who demanded confidentiality, shows the complex situation of corruption that operates in Venezuela: “The truth is that I am not a Chavista and I have never been one, and much less am I corrupt. But you have to understand that officers earn very little money from their salary, less than 50 dollars, and with the scams (fraudulent ways of obtaining money) that they come up with, they can make real fortunes. There are colleagues who make from 300,000 dollars to millions of dollars, those who can find their way out. You have to understand that if Maduro falls, the tap is closed and that does not suit the majority, unfortunately that is the reality and each one is in their own pocket.”

He said that most of the military have no political motivations, nor sympathy for the Maduro regime, “but they are not interested in ceasing to profit from the current structure that operates throughout the country.” He also reiterated that “it is true that the one who is arming the colectivos and paramilitary groups with military weapons is the government itself, to further protect its permanence.”

By Grant Torres | @Granttorres

Independent journalism needs the support of its readers to continue and ensure that uncomfortable news that they don’t want you to read remains within your reach. Today, with your support, we will continue working hard for censorship-free journalism!

Support El Nacional





Source link