Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez denounced his former military chief as a traitor on Monday after the longtime ally condemned constitutional reforms that would let the leftist leader run for re-election indefinitely.
In a sharp break with Chavez, former defense minister Raul Baduel said if the public approves the reforms in a Dec. 2 referendum, "in practice a coup d'etat would be consummated, violating the constitutional text in a shameless way."
Hours later, Chavez responded firmly in a telephone call broadcast on state TV, calling Baduel "one more traitor."
"It's the end of Baduel, the moral end," Chavez said.
He said he felt hurt to lose a close friend who was like a brother -- "I'm even godfather of his little daughter."
"The loose screws are going to keep coming out and I think it's good," Chavez said.
The high-profile defection filled Venezuelan TV talk shows with debate -- not only about the retired general's motivations but also whether his objections are echoed within the ranks of the military.
Baduel, who was replaced in July, was a close confidant of Chavez who helped him return to power after a short-lived 2002 coup. But he strongly opposed the constitutional change, saying "it seizes away power from the people."
Chavez, a former paratroop commander who was re-elected last year, says the changes would expand democracy by empowering neighborhood-based assemblies and would also advance the country's transition to socialism.
The proposed amendments would also create new types of property managed by cooperatives and end the Central Bank's autonomy.
In a televised news conference, Baduel said the 69 reforms approved by the National Assembly last week are "introducing changes in a fraudulent way ... carrying along the people like sheep to the slaughterhouse."
A battery of officials responded on state TV, including two other former defense ministers and later Chavez himself, who said he was surprised by Baduel's aggressive tone and accused him of acting on behalf of Venezuela's right wing and "taking part in the very game of [US] imperialism."
"We'll be very alert because it's part of a plan, part of a plan that without a doubt aims to fill the streets of Venezuela with violence," Chavez said.
He said the military high command met to evaluate the situation, saying Baduel's comments were like "gasoline."
"I'm completely sure there is no current within the Armed Force that has the necessary strength to carry out a successful coup d'etat or to lead the country to a civil war -- we have to avoid that," Chavez said.
Baduel urged the public -- as well as soldiers -- to closely analyze the reforms, warning of a threat to democracy and saying it remains unclear what sort of socialism Chavez wants.
Baduel said although he can no longer speak for the armed forces, "it can be perceived in the heart of our institution that there is not complete acceptance" of Chavez's stances, including his order that all troops must salute using the slogan "Fatherland, socialism -- or death."
Baduel is not known to have a political following. But he is one of the closest members of Chavez's inner circle to break ranks in recent years.
"He's an important voice even though he's retired," said Alberto Garrido, a Venezuelan political analyst.
What remains unclear, he said, is how much of a support base Baduel might have within the military.
"It could be a simple concern [expressed by one man], or it could be the tip of an iceberg in uniform," Garrido said. "For now, we don't know."
CONFRONTATION: The water cannon attack was the second this month on the Philippine supply boat ‘Unaizah May 4,’ after an incident on March 5 The China Coast Guard yesterday morning blocked a Philippine supply vessel and damaged it with water cannons near a reef off the Southeast Asian country, the Philippines said. The Philippine military released video of what it said was a nearly hour-long attack off the Second Thomas Shoal (Renai Shoal, 仁愛暗沙) in the contested South China Sea, where Chinese ships have unleashed water cannons and collided with Philippine vessels in similar standoffs in the past few months. The China Coast Guard and other vessels “once again harassed, blocked, deployed water cannons, and executed dangerous maneuvers” against a routine rotation and resupply mission to
GLOBAL COMBAT AIR PROGRAM: The potential purchasers would be limited to the 15 nations with which Tokyo has signed defense partnership and equipment transfer deals Japan’s Cabinet yesterday approved a plan to sell future next-generation fighter jets that it is developing with the UK and Italy to other nations, in the latest move away from the country’s post-World War II pacifist principles. The contentious decision to allow international arms sales is expected to help secure Japan’s role in the joint fighter jet project, and is part of a move to build up the Japanese arms industry and bolster its role in global security. The Cabinet also endorsed a revision to Japan’s arms equipment and technology transfer guidelines to allow coproduced lethal weapons to be sold to nations
‘POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE’: Leo Varadkar said he was ‘no longer the best person’ to lead the nation and was stepping down for political, as well as personal, reasons Leo Varadkar on Wednesday announced that he was stepping down as Ireland’s prime minister and leader of the Fine Gael party in the governing coalition, citing “personal and political” reasons. Pundits called the surprise move, just 10 weeks before Ireland holds European Parliament and local elections, a “political earthquake.” A general election has to be held within a year. Irish Deputy Prime Minister Micheal Martin, leader of Fianna Fail, the main coalition partner, said Varadkar’s announcement was “unexpected,” but added that he expected the government to run its full term. An emotional Varadkar, who is in his second stint as prime minister and at
Thousands of devotees, some in a state of trance, gathered at a Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Bangkok renowned for sacred tattoos known as Sak Yant, paying their respects to a revered monk who mastered the practice and seeking purification. The gathering at Wat Bang Phra Buddhist temple is part of a Thai Wai Khru ritual in which devotees pay homage to Luang Phor Pern, the temple’s formal abbot, who died in 2002. He had a reputation for refining and popularizing the temple’s Sak Yant tattoo style. The idea that tattoos confer magical powers has existed in many parts of Asia