EDITORIAL ALERTA VENEZUELA.com
In an undisguised exercise to please his boss, Maj. Gen. Henry Rangel Silva, Operational Strategic Commander of the National Armed Forces of Venezuela, said "The Venezuelan National Armed Force has no limited but a full loyalty for a people, a life project and a commander in chief ... We got married with this country project ... It is difficult for the opposition to come to power ... It would equate to selling the country and nobody is going to accept it, neither the Armed Force nor the people."
This somber statement is a flagrant violation of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. In any democratic country, with autonomous powers and respect for the rule of law, such a statement would have been rejected and his author investigated. This is a serious and unacceptable announcement, not only as it is coming from a high military officer, second in command within the National Armed Force (FAN), but also because it violates Article 328 of the Constitution, which expressly states: "The FAN is an institution essentially professional, with no political militancy ... In carrying out its functions, it is at the exclusive service of the nation and never of a the person or political partisanship. Its fundamental pillars are discipline, obedience and subordination."
What this General intends, perhaps in combination with his Commander in chief who has been troubled since he lost the elections on September 26 and who already said something similar just a week before, is to openly threat voters in the face of an adverse electoral scenario for the government during the coming December 2012 elections. To say that the National Armed Forces will rebuff the outcome of the presidential elections if the opposition wins is a monumental blunder, an incitement to a coup d’etat and, even worse, a violation of the principle that establishes the mandatory subordination of military power to civilian power.
By the way, even though the Venezuelan government does not like it to be quoted, the Inter-American Democratic Charter states in its Article 4 that “…The constitutional subordination of all state institutions to the legally constituted civilian authority and respect for the rule of law on the part of all institutions and sectors of society are equally essential to democracy."
The OAS Secretary General described the statement made by General Rangel Silva as unacceptable, which prompted an insulting and defamatory reaction from President Chavez against Insulza. In a defiant move against the opposition, he gave a public boost to Rangel and promoted him to the rank of General in Chief, a manifestation of pure and simple cynism.
From this editorial space we want to warn world public opinion of the dangers facing democracy in Venezuela. International organizations like the OAS, as well as other hemispheric institutions such as Mercosur and the Latin American Parliament should pay special attention and follow up on these serious developments.
This somber statement is a flagrant violation of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. In any democratic country, with autonomous powers and respect for the rule of law, such a statement would have been rejected and his author investigated. This is a serious and unacceptable announcement, not only as it is coming from a high military officer, second in command within the National Armed Force (FAN), but also because it violates Article 328 of the Constitution, which expressly states: "The FAN is an institution essentially professional, with no political militancy ... In carrying out its functions, it is at the exclusive service of the nation and never of a the person or political partisanship. Its fundamental pillars are discipline, obedience and subordination."
What this General intends, perhaps in combination with his Commander in chief who has been troubled since he lost the elections on September 26 and who already said something similar just a week before, is to openly threat voters in the face of an adverse electoral scenario for the government during the coming December 2012 elections. To say that the National Armed Forces will rebuff the outcome of the presidential elections if the opposition wins is a monumental blunder, an incitement to a coup d’etat and, even worse, a violation of the principle that establishes the mandatory subordination of military power to civilian power.
By the way, even though the Venezuelan government does not like it to be quoted, the Inter-American Democratic Charter states in its Article 4 that “…The constitutional subordination of all state institutions to the legally constituted civilian authority and respect for the rule of law on the part of all institutions and sectors of society are equally essential to democracy."
The OAS Secretary General described the statement made by General Rangel Silva as unacceptable, which prompted an insulting and defamatory reaction from President Chavez against Insulza. In a defiant move against the opposition, he gave a public boost to Rangel and promoted him to the rank of General in Chief, a manifestation of pure and simple cynism.
From this editorial space we want to warn world public opinion of the dangers facing democracy in Venezuela. International organizations like the OAS, as well as other hemispheric institutions such as Mercosur and the Latin American Parliament should pay special attention and follow up on these serious developments.
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