July 13th., 2007

Historical Church Document

The rise of authoritarian forms of government or forms of government subject to ideologies which were thought to have been left behind, was one of Benedict XVI’s worries upon examining the Latin-American situation in his inauguration speech at the Episcopalian Conference held in Brazil. He made no express reference to any country in particular but the media, national as well as international, took for granted that the Pope was referring to Venezuela when he made such an affirmation. This is confirmed by the Venezuelan Episcopalian Conference in the Pastoral Exhortation approved by its recent Plenary Assembly, a document which has caused deep impact due to its lucidity in presenting the reality, the pointing out of factors which determine it, and its vigorous call to dialogue and reconciliation as indispensable premises to open roads in order to overcome the country’s crisis. Our country – state the prelates – is living one of the most crucial moments of its history, thus making reference to great social problems such as poverty, housing, health, children on the streets, insufficient public services, which are intended to be solved with populist measures, fed by high petroleum incomes, but inefficient when faced against the structural causes for such problems. Bishops consider that violence, crime, kidnappings, paid killings, extortion, drug trafficking, corruption  and money laundering have reached alarming levels, and call to attention the urgent need for public policies that will put into force legal provisions which formally guarantee the people’s safety and penalize crime. According to them, the announced constitutional reforms and President’s declarations regarding the same lead to believe that the reform is directed towards the establishment of a socialist system based on the theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism, which they wholeheartedly reject. It is their opinion that Venezuela does not require a new Constitution, it requires that the present one be enforced. This one will suffice to build among each other a new social, humanist, transcendent, inclusive and united democracy.

This document defends ideological diversity, declares the pretense of diving the Venezuelan people into two irreconcilable bands as unacceptable, and demands – thus backing the student movement – that all hatred, offenses and degrading comments come to an end. No one, much less the President, has the right to insult and offend people or institutions which differ from his opinions and projects. Without a culture of respect, tolerance and acceptance of others, internal peace is at risk. The solution to our problems goes beyond populism, and the military does not belong occupying a leading role within a civil society. A dialogue is imposed that may seek consensus on which the political and social life of all countries which consider themselves democratic may be founded upon. The Church’s message has had the support of the civil country, regardless of religious or political beliefs. This is natural, considering that the message comes from an institution that holds the greatest respect and because it translates into reality what His Holiness thinks of Venezuela. According to analysts of different tendencies, it has the weight of truth in its diagnosis of the situation and in the pertinence of its call to dialogue and conciliation.

ARMED CONFLICT ON CHAVEZ’S AGENDA?

The Church made reference to the military subject, subject which has been matter of intense debate throughout the past few weeks. In his recent trip to Russia, Chavez announced that he intends to purchase nine submarines, endowed with torpedo throwers, mines and missiles, in order to “defend the revolution”. According to EFE agency, he showed an interest in the latest generation of combat helicopters MI-28N. On the past 5^th, he presided a complicated military parade which was nationally broadcast on radio and television. The General which presided it, with his uniform all aglow with medals, from his Dragon tank, before the Presidential Tribune, exclaimed the now widely adopted phrase “motherland, socialism or death! My Commander in Chief, permission to initiate the parade”. The President echoed his call and authorized it. The battalions of professional troops paraded, chanting this phrase, and later, red flags in hand and dressed in olive green uniforms, thousands of national guards and representatives of the community councils. The units of hunters, parachuters, and special forces followed in kind with the same chant. “This is a pacific revolution, but we have the means to defend it from internal and external enemies,” affirmed the speaker of the act.

The pro-government paper Vea, announced the presence of the national guard and the community councils together with the professional militia, in the parade, a demonstrative exercise of the popular resistance and national defense war program against foreign invaders and traitors to the country. Chavez, in his Aló, Presidente, assured “we are taking the model of resistance war in which the entire people of this country, together with the soldiers, prepare themselves for the defense of their nation”. In a controversy within the pro-government sector, in which the President has intervened, the question is whether the National Armed Forces will be able to conciliate the political function of guaranteeing the safety and defense of the revolution, keeping its members uninvolved from the united party which is currently being organized. It is a Byzantine controversy, affirms the opposition, since Chavez reformed the respective law to convert the condition of Commander in Chief, which corresponds to him as President, to a military rank. This is not mere gibberish, considering that military ranks end with the Commander in Chief. The same law, passed by him, grants him a superior rank, theoretically General of Four Stars. Towards the horizon of this process, the retired lieutenant colonel Chavez, President and only chief of the United Party, may become an active four star general. Jurists consider this to be an aberration, but only yet another within the file of constitutional fraud attributed to unpredictable Chavez.  

He designated General Gustavo Rangel to be Minister of Defense, who was Chief of the National Guard and Movement Command, which was interpreted to be a sign of further radicalization of the revolution in the military sector, thus institutionalizing the national guard as a component of the National Armed Forces. The new minister, this past February, announced military training maneuvers with 20,000 members of the community councils. In June he swore in 3,300 students of the Universidad Politecnica Militar, as members of the fighting groups within the National Guard, and has recently affirmed, that under his administration, the concept of “people in arms” will come true.

In the opinion of political expert John Magdaleno, a statement is being made that the hypothesis of an armed conflict is on the agenda for government scenarios. Analysts wonder: internal or external conflict? In the world of rumors, notably updated, the question is whether the majority of professional officers accept the new structure of the National Armed Forces and are willing to risk their lives for the socialism fathered by Chavez.

UNITY RISES AS THE SOLUTION

Students continue to surprise the regime. America’s Cup, a soccer event that Chavez tried to use as a show for his political propaganda, finally convinced sportspeople, fans and foreign journalists, that those who have spoken of egotism of the President have fallen short. An old Argentinean journalist commented that neither Perón nor Evita had such a spectacle of reverence as that which he had witnessed in Venezuela. Stadiums were taken by military forces and access to these was severely restricted, in order to avoid possible protesters. However, the youth of this country managed to fool the government. They would enter with red t-shirts that were reversible. Upon reversing them once on the bleachers, the word Freedom would appear upon a white background, as well as the red caps, which then turned around would display the color white which has been taken as their emblem. Strategically spread out, they would chant freedom, thus achieving that the rest of the public served as chorus and called the attention of cameramen. The protests, captured on video cameras, were transmitted by many foreign correspondents, some of which interviewed these youths, who proceeded to explain the motives for their struggle. The leaders of this movement announced a national event against violence and public safety deficiencies within the next few days.  

The “contagious effect” of the pacific protest initiated by the students, extended towards journalists, intellectuals, artists and organizations of the civil society, has determined the reactivation of political forces which, together, faced Chavez in the December elections. Social democrats, Christian democrats and center leftists carry out a work agenda whose objective is the unity of all opposition factors. The dialogue which includes qualified representation of the civil society, intends to define a common strategy and define actions which may deter and overcome Chavez’s means to remain indefinitely in power. In the civil world it is considered that the constitutional reform announced by Chavez intends not only to assure his indefinite stay in the Presidency, but also to open the way to a Marxist-Leninist system, as pointed out by the Church, characterized by the concentration of all the power in his person, with the extermination or severe reduction of political, property, and freedom of education rights, of federalism, university autonomy and other rights essential to civilized coexistence. Cilia Flores, who presides the Presidential Commission designated by Chavez to elaborate the reform project, announced that it had been given to her and that it contemplates continuous reelection every six years. Simultaneously an opinion poll conducted by Hinterlaces became known, from June 15 to June 24, according to which 63% of poll takers were in disagreement with the constitutional reform, and barely 19% stated their conformity. With regards to a preferred government system, 16% opt for a XXI century socialism and 78% opt for democracy.

With regards to a Cuban style socialism, 85% are in disagreement and 8% are in agreement. With respect to the image of the President, 43% do not favor it, 37% do favor or approve of it, and 20% does not answer. The scenario indicates that the civil country, united towards an intelligent strategy and coherent tactics, could face up to Chavez, in appearance almighty, owner of the army and of the election arbitrators, but subject to the risk of diminishing funds in his oil-sustained checkbook.