Civil-Military Relations in Venezuela after 11 April: Beyond Repair?
Abstract
On the evening of 11 April 2002, the third day of a general strike against the government, the Venezuelan armed forces rebelled against their president, Hugo Chavez Frias. Reacting to the bloody clashes between pro- and anti- government demonstrators near the presidential palace, the commander of the Army, General Efraim Vasquez Velasco, announced in a nationally televised address that he would no longer obey presidential orders. Other senior generals and admirals soon followed him onto the airwaves, expressing their solidarity with the Army commander and their opposition to the president. Within hours, the senior military officer in the Venezuelan armed forces, General Lucas Rincon Romero, announced President Chavez's resignation. Remarkably, the transitional government formed by a leading figure of the opposition, businessman Pedro Carmona, and backed by many senior military leaders, lasted less than forty-eight hours. By 14 April 2002, President Hugo Chavez had returned to power, and his civilian and military opponents scrambled to pick up the pieces of their failed political adventure. At first glance, what may seem most surprising about the recent turn of events in Venezuela is the rapid reversal of the coup, particularly given the continuous political turmoil that has characterized the Chavez administration. The key significance of the military rebellion against the democratically elected government, however, is that it signals the collapse of government control over the armed forces in Venezuela after nearly four decades of civilian rule. Any future democratic government in Venezuela, whether led by President Chavez or a successor, will have to contend with the reemergence of the military as a political actor.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 03, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA527182
Entities
People
- Harold A. Trinkunas
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School