Caracas Chronicles

Katy says: … violence?

Ret.Gen. Raúl Baduel gave a press conference this afternoon and read a strange statement. Although at first glance there is not much in the statement one can argue with – aside from all the BS about the oath at the Güere tree – upon a closer inspection, something mildly creepy reared its head.

He says the reform will guarantee “violence”, and that the only way to prevent violence is to either withdraw the reform or call for a Constituent Assembly. He says that this is the only way to ensure some form of consensus or democracy in Venezuela.

Sugarcoating the possibility of consensus in the country at this stage of the game certainly raises an eyebrow, but there was one particular paragraph that freaked me out. He says:

“As soldiers we’ve been professionally prepared to administer the State’s legal and legitimate violence, and therefore, we are experts in the topic of violence and what it entails. Our duty, specially during times like these, is to avoid the unleashing of violent processes and come forward as generators of calm and guides so the country can embark on a true path of development and as promoters and maintainers of peace, remembering the peaceful nature of the Venezuelan people which is expressed in Article 13 of the Constitution.”

So – if the Reform causes violence, and it is the duty of the Armed Forces to prevent violence and restore peace, what is he getting at? Is it just me, or is Baduel ever-so-subtly calling his comrades to take up arms against the Reform?