SNAPSHOT OF VENEZUELAN MILITARY OFFICIALS IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CARACAS 002682

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM VE
SUBJECT: SNAPSHOT OF VENEZUELAN MILITARY OFFICIALS IN
CIVILIAN POSTS

REF: A. CARACAS 1635

B. 2005 CARACAS 2941

C. 2005 CARACAS 219

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Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT R. DOWNES FOR 1.4 (D)

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Summary
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1. (C) President Chavez continues to stack Venezuelan civil
society with military loyalists, and a uniformed presence
extends from ministries to national banks to local
government. Chavez' BRV is at a profound level a
militaristic regime, characterized by a strict hierarchy.
The pervasive presence of military officers demonstrates this
point. Apart from rewarding the armed service faithful with
lucrative government positions, Chavez has also ensured
himself a tighter rein over the civilian government through
his placement of military officers. Post has identified over
200 key positions, from ministers on down, as being filled by
active or retired military personnel. We will continue to
follow this military-to-civilian movement and what it means
for Chavez's Venezuela. End Summary.

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Extent of Military Influence
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2. (SBU) Post has previously reported on the inroads the
military has made into civil society (reftel). In September
2005, the Organic Law of the National Armed Forces provided
Chavez with broader powers over the military, and it greatly
increased the armed forces' involvement in many
non-traditional sectors. The expanded scope ranges from
military provision of infrastructure for Chavez's popular
"Missions" to participation in economic development and
regional integration. Further padding the executive and
legislative branches, appointed and elected military
officials in turn fill their staffing needs by employing
additional soldiers.


3. (SBU) The heavy migration of military officers to the
government has not gone without scrutiny. The military
itself is concerned about the drain of leadership (refs),and
it surprises no one that the value of these placements has
more to do with their access to state funds than in their
actual job descriptions. Awkward placement of underqualified
but high-ranking officers is also notable: Director of the
secret police (DISIP) and active military Colonel Henry

SIPDIS
Rangel Silva was previously the director of the National
Housing Council (Conavi); Vice Minister for Foreign Relations
(and General) Alcides Rondon had occupied the post of Vice
Minister for Citizen Safety, and before that, Vice Minister
of Information and Communications; and ex-Minister of Defense
and retired General Jorge Garcia Carneiro is now the current
Minister of Social Development and Popular Participation.
These pairings show that the key issue is not the officer's
qualifications, but rather their commitment to Chavez and the
"Bolivarian Revolution."


4. (SBU) Perhaps indicating a bit of sensitivity about the
militarization of the BRV, increasingly, new appointees are
announced without advertisement of their military
backgrounds. The government gazettes opt to label new
appointees as "Citizen X" rather than "General X" in an
effort to downplay the new job recipients' origin. This, in
addition to frequent cabinet shuffles and the scarcity of
information provided to Post by the BRV, makes a precise
count difficult to achieve. The public distinction between
active and retired officials is equally obscure. However,
Emboffs have identified 230 active and retired military
officials serving in positions from the directorial to the
ministerial level in the Venezuelan government.


5. (U) At last count, active duty or former military officers
head 24% of BRV ministries (6 of 25),and 30% of vice
ministry slots (6 of 20):

-- Minister of Infrastructure - Col. Ramon Carrizalez
-- Minister of Interior and Justice - Lt. Jesse Chacon
-- Minister of Nutrition - Gen. Rafael Oropeza

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-- Minister of Tourism - Gen. Wilmar Castro Soteldo
-- Minister of Agriculture and Land - Elias Jaua Milano
-- Minister of Social Development and Popular Participation
- Gen. Jorge Luis Garcia Carneiro
-- Vice Minister of Infrastructure - Gen. Alvaro Carrasco Roa
-- Vice Minister of Nutrition - Gen. Rafael Coronado Patino
-- Vice Minister of Finance - Capt. Edgar Hernandez Behrens
-- Vice Minister of Regulation and Control - Gen. Alejandro
Montes Estrada
-- Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs - Gen. Alcides Rondon
Rivero
-- Vice Minister of Citizen Security (MIJ) - Gen. Jesus
Villegas Solarte


6. (U) The governors of 39% of Venezuela's states (9 of 23)
are current or former military officers:

-- Carabobo - Gen. Luis Felipe Acosta Carlez
-- Apure - Capt. Jesus Alberto Aguilarte Gamez
-- Tachira - Capt. Ronald Jose Blanco La Cruz
-- Miranda - Lt. Diosdado Cabello Rondon
-- Merida - Capt. Florencio Antonio Porras Echezurria
-- Bolivar - Gen. Francisco Jose Rangel Gomez
-- Lara - Lt. Col. Luis Reyes Reyes
-- Vargas - Maj. Antonio Rodriguez San Juan
-- Cojedes - Lt. Col. Johnny Yanez


7. (U) The military's influence on civilian police and
security is considerable:

-- DISIP (secret police) - Col. Henry Rangel Silva
-- Tachira State Police - Lt. Col. Heber Aguilar Sanchez
-- Tachira State - Office of Security and Public Order -
Col. Gabriel Colmenares Oviedo
-- Anzoategui State Police - Maj. Robert Aranguren Mata
-- Guarico State Police - Col. Artemio Boada
-- Barinas State Police - Lt. Col. Giuseppe Cacioppo Oliveri
-- Metropolitan (Caracas) Police - Brig. Gen. Jesus Figueroa
Rodriguez
-- National Security and Defense Council - Gen. Melvin Lopez
Hidalgo
-- Min. of the Interior and Justice (MIJ): Northeast and
Island Police Academy - Col. Luis Marcano Meza
-- MIJ: Central and Llanos Region Police Academy - Jose
Carlos Aure Lizausaba
-- MIJ: Inmate Custody and Rehabilitation - Lt. Col. Erling
Rojas
-- MIJ: Citizen Security - Gen. Jesus Villegas Solarte


8. (U) Chavez has also dispatched active and retired
military officials globally as ambassadors or consuls general:

-- To the UN - Lt. Col. Francisco Arias Cardenas
-- To the Dominican Republic - Gen. Francisco Belisario
Landis
-- To Arauca, Colombia - Col. Raul Bolivar Blanco (CG)
-- To Chile - Col. Victor Delgado Morsalve
-- To Brazil - Gen. Julio Garcia Montoya
-- To Sao Paulo, Brazil - Gen. Jorge Duran Centeno (CG)
-- To Israel - Gen. Angel Machado Almeida
-- To China - Capt. Rocio Maneiro Gonzalez
-- To Malaysia - Gen. Noel Martinez Ochoa
-- To Spain - Brig. Gen. Arevalo Mendez Romero
-- To Frankfurt, Germany - Cesar Mendez Gonzalez (CG)
-- To Ecuador - Maj. Oscar Navas Tortolero
-- To Switzerland - V. Adm. Jorge Sierraalta Zavarce


9. (SBU) The remainder of the transplanted military officials
identified by post hold directorial positions in areas as
disparate as banking, disaster relief, television, drug
policy, commerce, environment and even the Caracas metro
system.

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Comment
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10. (C) The high numbers and broad reach of military
officials in the BRV demonstrate that Chavez's regime is, at
a profound level, a military regime. Due to BRV bureaucracy
and a trend to disguise military officers' backgrounds, it
may become more difficult for post to keep precise track of

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the constant influx of Chavez appointees, newly elected
officials and other military incumbents. However, a broad
view shows that the armed forces have found a comfortable
position within the BRV and will continue to render influence
to the extent Chavez determines.

WHITAKER