October 17th., 2005

Drug Trafficking Uncovered

Summary:

• The magazine Semana, of Bogota, published an article according to which there is evidence of complicity of Venezuelan generals in large-scale drug trafficking operations.

• Chavez removed the president of the CONACUID from office, after she presented evidence of links between military officers and Colombian drug cartels and guerrilla forces.

• UN Office will make an assessment on illicit crops.

• Spanish authorities seized 3.5 tons of cocaine from Venezuelan ship.

• Satellite images reveal the existence of important coca crops.

• Venezuela is located on an axis where the greater amount of cocaine circulating worldwide is trafficked, distributed and produced.

• The Spanish press commented that Castro’s absence in the Iberoamerican Summit intended to leave free space for Chavez, who attained important achievements for the axis Caracas- Havana.

• Chavez covers with legal formality his tight control over the armed forces and assumes directly the command of all the forces.

• Four new forces added to traditional ones of National Armed Forces.

• The new military doctrine leads to strengthen the military machine with acquisitions from countries different than USA.

• He announced his intention to develop nuclear programs, as reported the newspaper Clarín of Buenos Aires and confirmed by Bielsa, the Argentinean foreign minister.

• Fear of Chavez seriously planning to have nuclear weapons.

• He has vocation of leader, money and time. He needs technology.

• Agreements with North Korea.

In his annual report on drug traffic worldwide, Bush evaluated Venezuela negatively affirming its failure to comply with counternarcotics agreements. The government retorted that this disqualification seeks to justify future aggressions. “Decertification” was preceded by suspension of the DEA’s activities in Venezuelan territory, ordered by Chavez. The magazine Semana, of Bogota, published an article disclosing part of the document that led to the “decertification”, according to which there is evidence, obtained jointly by the DEA and British authorities, of complicity of the National Guard in large-scale drug trafficking operations. Semana states that general Frank Morgado, who was in charge of the counternarcotics command, and general Alexis Maneiro, former intelligence director, were using their posts to protect the drug shipments departing from Venezuela. Due to this article, the fact of the revocation in last August of American visas from military officers of the counternarcotics command commissioned in Miami, returned to public debate.

 The Venezuelan government protested, alleging that these officers had a flawless service record. However, one of the officers was under observation due to complaints against him as the intellectual author of the assassination, unpunished so far, of the journalist Mauro Marcano, who was investigating the drug trafficking in the east region of the country.

Another trigger was Mildred Camero, Director of Conacuid (National Commission Against the Illicit Use of Drugs), who declared that during her administration she had reported to Chavez that military officers of the antidrug command had links with drug cartels and guerrilla forces of Colombia; that part of the evidence was provided by international intelligence services; and that detained persons for participating in drug networks in Trinidad, Panama and Dominican Republic were incriminating Venezuelan military officers. According to Camero, in view of the seriousness of the situation, she requested the government to order an investigation. In response, she was dismissed from office. In the official press, Camero was accused of treason and it was further alleged that the DEA’s activities were violating the national sovereignty.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime announced that next year it will make a first assessment on illicit crops in the country, which is a remarkable fact, since so far Venezuela was considered as a transit bridge for finished drugs and recycling of profits, and not an important grower.

The estimates point out that tens of thousands tons pass through Venezuela every year.  Seizures in foreign ports and out to sea are news quite remarkable due to their magnitude. As example of this, last Monday 10, the Spanish authorities seized 3.5 tons of cocaine from a Venezuelan ship intercepted in the proximities of the Canary Islands. On Sunday 16, the Venezuelan press informed that the UN Monitoring System presented to Venezuela satellite images revealing the existence of 278 hectares of coca crops within the national territory. According to the UN experts, Venezuela is located on an axis where the greater amount of cocaine circulating worldwide is trafficked, distributed and produced. The government affirmed that the appearance of these crops is a consequence of Plan Colombia.    

Drugs travel without difficulties by waterways or by air. The operation of American radars that detect illicit flights was prohibited in Venezuela. When Chavez became president, the Swedish consortium L.M. Ericcson had won an international bidding to provide radars. Such bidding was annulled to acquire radars supposedly from Ukraine, subsequently Brazil and finally China. The authorities have not been able to deny that suspicious flights are very frequent, and Colombia usually reports the use of Venezuelan airplanes in drug trafficking operations. Caracas and Washington declare that it’s convenient to dialogue on cooperation. Caracas states that its priority is the defense of its sovereignty, which is compatible with the DEA’s return. Washington says that “decertification”, susceptible to rectification, intends to convince Chavez administration about the need to face the production and trafficking of narcotics.

Nuclear Programs?

Carlos Lage, in one of his routine visits to Caracas, stated that Cuba has two presidents: Fidel and Chavez. The Spanish press commented that Castro’s absence in the Iberoamerican Summit intended to leave free space for the Venezuelan president.

The associated diplomacy of Caracas and Havana were successful in causing the word “blockade” to be used to condemn the American embargo on the island, and the extradition request of Posada Carriles, which has become a matter of honor for the Cuban president, was broadly supported.

 This Summit represented the best achievements for Chavez. Before traveling to Italy, he declared that neither he nor Castro is a tyrant. What exists in Cuba is a revolution that guarantees employment, education and health. He denied he is copying the Cuban system, and stated that his ideology is the Christian socialism. 

Is Chavez getting ready to face a USA attitude that might go beyond microphone diplomacy? Venezuelan people and those who maintain any interest in the country from outside ask themselves this and other questions. The first observation is that Chavez covers with legal formality his tight control over the military force. According to the Constitution, the National Armed Forces comprise the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the National Guard. Chavez has just passed a Law that gives autonomy to three new forces: National Reserve, Territorial Guard and Presidential Honor Guard.

The duties of the Minister of Defense and the commanders of the four traditional forces are now irrelevant, and assumed directly by the President, who also assumes the direct command of the Reserve and Territorial Guard. The Honor Guard will not report to the Ministry of Defense anymore, but to the President, and he may include within the organization, apart from the professional military personnel, those who he qualifies as citizen security bodies. 

The new military doctrine leads to strengthen the military machine with acquisitions from countries different than USA, since its principal axis is the scenario of an attack, a situation always denied as a possibility by Washington. At the Summit, the purchase of Spanish air and sea equipment was confirmed, and technologic transfer agreements were signed. Super Tucanos and one EMB-145 air flotilla are being negotiated with Brazil. With Russia, 100,000 assault rifles and technologic support to manufacture additional amounts. Initial agreements on MIG-29, are now oriented to combat models SU-27 or SU-35. Armored vehicles are negotiated in Europe, an F-16 recondition agreement is negotiated in Belgium, and the air fleet modernization with Python IV air/air missiles is negotiated in Israel.

In May, Chavez announced his intention to develop nuclear programs, along with countries like Brazil, Argentina and Iran as possible cooperators. In Buenos Aires, the last 9, Clarin reported that Venezuela was interested in acquiring a nuclear reactor. Argentina’s Foreign Minister, Bielsa, confirmed the news. An official source clarified that if Venezuela proposes any kind of association with Iran, Argentina would refrain from participating. A similar declaration was made by Itamaraty. According to the experts of the Argentinean Commission of Atomic Energy, the reactor requested by Venezuela has multiple applications, and may be used as a research laboratory or training center for operators of great nuclear facilities.

Last Tuesday 11, the Department of State expressed concern. Chavez answered that the southern countries have the same rights as great powers to nuclear development, and reiterated his support to Iran’s project, and the execution of agreements to exploit strategic mineral in the south of that country, where there are uranium reserves estimated in 50,000 tons. Venezuela justifies its interest in the reactor to use it for petroleum prospecting. PDA agency reports that there is a concern about Chavez seriously planning to have nuclear weapons.

Venezuela Today has proved his vocation of leader. According to a newspaper in Washington, he has money and time. He needs technology. The Vice-president of North Korea’s Parliament visited Venezuela three weeks ago. New diplomatic missions will be accredited, and it was agreed a mutual energy cooperation. According to the note of the Venezuelan Vice-president, it’s necessary to strengthen friendship ties between both countries to face the enemy’s conspiracy.

What will definitely be a reason to worry is that the reactor, the uranium and Chavez’s money will be shared with Castro, one of whose sons, a nuclear physicist trained in former Soviet Union, is the director of Cuban nuclear programs.