Ch谩vez appointment - a slap to Colombia?
| Caracas, Venezuela
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has tried to build better relations with聽his counterpart in Venezuela, Hugo Ch谩vez, who聽once accused the Colombian president of trying to have him assassinated.
But as Mr. Ch谩vez enters election year with stepped up rhetoric aimed at聽Washington and the opposition at home, Mr. Santos may be caught in the聽crossfire. One of the primary sources of antagonism between the two聽nations was Ch谩vez鈥檚 alleged links to the Revolutionary Armed Forces聽of Colombia (FARC).
The links are personified by Venezuelan Gen. Henry Rangel Silva,聽who was accused by the United States in 2008 of aiding drug聽trafficking and pushing for cooperation between the Venezuelan聽government and FARC.
Ch谩vez swore in General Rangel Silva this week as Venezuela鈥檚 new defense minister.
The ceremony came just days after two major Colombian news outlets聽published correspondence which they claim proves that Rangel Silva was聽for a long time the principle contact between the Venezuelan聽government and FARC and also shows links between the general and聽FARC鈥檚 newly appointed leader Rodrigo Londono, also known as聽Timochenko.
Authorities in both Washington and 叠辞驳辞迟谩 will have grimaced at the聽appointment. Ch谩vez, however, defended his decision in typically聽theatrical language.
鈥淚f our defense minister is attacked by imperialism and its lackeys聽and if our defense minister is attacked by the Venezuelan bourgeoisie,聽it is because we have a tremendous defence minister,鈥� said Ch谩vez as聽he spoke to the thousands of troops gathered at Fort Tiuna in Caracas.聽鈥淸They] have no proof,鈥� Ch谩vez added. 鈥淚t is all untrue.鈥�
It is not just US and Colombian diplomats who will be worried. With聽elections due in less than 10 months, and primaries within a month,聽there are concerns that Ch谩vez is asserting his control on the army in聽preparation.
Rangel Silva even declared last year that the Venezuelan military was聽鈥渁bsolutely loyal鈥� to Ch谩vez.
If elections don鈥檛 go Ch谩vez鈥檚 way in October, there are worries that聽the military will fail to support the alternative successor; this聽would inevitably destabilize the OPEC-member country.
Ch谩vez did say in a 10-hour state of the nation speech on Friday that聽he would honor election results and show off the 鈥減olitical maturity鈥澛爐he country had acquired during his now 13-year Bolivarian revolution.
