Venezuelan Military as a POLITICAL ACTOR

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Venezuelan Military as a POLITICAL ACTOR
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Independence Post Independence

• Simon Bolivar as liberator of Northern South
  America
• Criollo elite
• Boves the brutal and primitive royalist commander
  
• Military forces of 19th century
• Armies of regional caudillos
• Liberals begin to establish a professional army
  (1870-1899)

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Andean Militarism (1899-1958)

• From small towns of Tachira
• Little professional training
• Married into Caracas upper class
• Generational divide leads to revolution of
  October 1945
• Military at the heart of General Perez Jimenezs
  New National Ideal

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Military Consolidation of Punto Fijo Democracy

• President Betancourt reorganizes the armed forces
  
• Abolition of the joint staff
• Institutionalized competition for resources
• Military role as defender of the 1961 constitution

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Military Support for Punto Fijo

• Increased budgets
• Sophisticated military equipment
• Social services
• Professional training in the North Atlantic
• Positions in public administration for retired
  officers

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Strong Ties with the United States Military

• Cooperation to neutralize leftist guerrillas in
  1960s
• Military groups residing in country
• Joint maneuvers
• 1980s purchase of F 16 aircraft

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The Unsuccessful Coups of 1992

• February 4, 1992 (4F)
• Junior officer Bolivarians come close to
  capturing President Perez
• Lt. Col Hugo Chavez gains notoriety
• Government purges Army Officer Corps
• November 27, 1992
• Navy and Air Force
• More violence
• Military leaders frighten the populace

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Military in Post-Coup Era

• Son in law of President Caldera (General Pérez
  Rojas) involved in corruption
• Tripartite division of military
• Strongly supportive of Punto Fijo
• Professional, non-political
• Clandestine supporters of Hugo Chavez

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Military as a Factor in the Transition to the
Fifth Republic

• Military insures the integrity of the 1998
  electoral process
• 1961 Constitution commits military to uphold
  democracy
• Extent of Chavez support in officer corps unclear
  
• Caldera urges the military to respect the
  electoral outcome
• AD refuses to support military efforts to block
  Chavezs assumption of power

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External Actors, Venezuelas Military Chavezs
Assumption of Power

• Much of Venezuelas officer corps trained by the
  United States military
• United States government upholds sanctity of
  elections
• Latin American neighbors uphold the sanctity of
  elections

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Armed Forces emerge as backers of the Fifth
Republic

• Purges of senior, anti-Chávez military
• Promotion of sympathetic junior officers
• Staffing of senior positions in the police and
  intelligence forces with confidants of President
  Chávez

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Armed Forces and the Paro of December 2001-
February 2002

• Armed Forces disarm police forces controlled by
  politicians opposed to President Chávez
• In general maintain order during anti-Chávez
  marches
• Evidence mounts of violence being used against
  dissident military personnel.

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Heightened Tensions February March 2002
- Chavez fired the head of the state-owned oil
company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), and
appointed a new board of directors.

• Ousted PDVSA executives ally with the Catholic
  Church, media, and anti-Chavez military officers
• Anti-government also included the business elite
  and middle class.

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Golpe April 11 , 2002

• March on the Presidential Palace (Miraflores)
• protests politicization of PDVSA and National
  Assembly
• grant of additional powers to the executive
• Violence at end of march leads to death of at
  least 20
• Chavez detained and incarcerated on a Caribbean
  island

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Golpe and Counter-Golpe April 12 13, 2002

• Security forces raid the residences of government
  supporters
• Chávez supporters arrested
• Military and civilian supporters quarrel over the
  shape of the new government

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More Golpe April 12, 2002

• Military installs the president of FEDECAMARAS as
  the president of the Republic
• Constitution suspended
• Institutions closed
• United States government supportive of new
  government

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Golpe and Counter-Golpe April 12 13, 2002

• Security forces raid the residences of government
  supporters
• Chávez supporters arrested
• Military and civilian supporters quarrel over the
  shape of the new government

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Counter-Golpe April 12 13, 2002

• Chávez loyalists take to the streets
• Carmona supporters retreat to military
  headquarters of Fuerte Tiuna
• Army returns President Chávez to Miraflores

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AFTERMATH OF THE GOLPE

• Officers of questionable loyalty removed from
  positions of command
• loyalists promoted
• Intelligence services purged

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MORE AFTERMATH OF THE GOLPE

• President Chávez cuts most remaining ties with
  the United States military
• Asymetric warfare to resist possible seizure of
  Venezuelan oil fields by President George W. Bush
• 2005 increased control by Bolivarian elite over
  promotions
• Strengthening of reserve forces ties with
  Communal Councils

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Encouragement of Afro-Caribbean religion within
the Armed Forces SANTERIA
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Unexpected Defection of General Raúl Isaías
Baduel (November 2007)

• Helped to reinstall Chávezs in office during a
  brief coup in 2002
• Minister of Defense
• Described the proposed changes to 1999
  Constitution in effect a coup détat

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Venezuelan Military A Bolivarian Armed force
(2012)

• Militias
• Personally responsible to El Comandante
• Recruitment from Community Councils
• Training
• Insurgency
• Maintenance of order

• Regulars
• Commanded by Bolivarian loyalists
• 5 billion in Arms purchases from Russia
• Some Iranian influence