Critic of Chavez faces charges (Gen. Raul Baduel)

[Satyagrahi]

Critic of Chavez faces charges
A retired general and onetime supporter of Venezuela's leader is accused of corruption.

From Reuters
October 4, 2008

CARACAS, VENEZUELA -- Venezuela on Friday charged an ex-defense minister and ardent critic of President Hugo Chavez with corruption, a move that could sideline one of the socialist leader's most important opponents.

Retired Gen. Raul Baduel rescued Chavez from a 2002 coup, but broke with him in 2007 and joined opposition parties in accusing the popular leftist leader of concentrating power and using state institutions to crack down on dissidents.

Venezuelan military prosecutor Gen. Ernesto Cedeño said Baduel was charged with stealing about $14 million.
-snip-

The charges could deal a blow to the opposition as it heads into regional elections of governors and mayors next month.

More:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-venezuela4-2008oct04,0,275010.story

Corruption charges against a leader of the opposition with important elections just a few days away? Could the charges be politically motivated? This doesn't look good at all. The timing is very suspicious.

[EFerrari]

1. Let's read around before we take the bait.

Baduel was all over the press in the run up to the referendum in coordinated attacks on Chavez. Lately, his name was floated in connection with the last coup plot. He is dirty.

I don't know anything about the timing yet. This could get very interesting.

[EFerrari]

2. This is an ongoing investigation, not something new.

A former Venezuelan defence minister, who is now a prominent critic of Hugo Chavez, the president, was briefly detained amid allegations of corruption.

General Raul Baduel was being investigated over around $14m which went missing from army funds while he was defence minister, military prosecutors said.

(snip)

Omar Mora Tosta, Baduel's lawyer, said that the accusations were a "false and defamatory campaign".

"Very few details were presented by to accuse General Baduel," he said.

General Ernesto Cedeno, Venezuela's military prosecutor, said Baduel had not been arrested but had been called in to testify after repeatedly refusing to do so.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/10/20081044613134573.html

[EFerrari]

3. Here's a NYTs article from a known propagandist.

Notice how he calls Baduel's detention an arrest after that was already clarified in the press:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/world/americas/05venez.html

[Satyagrahi]

5. You'll have to admit that even from a PR standpoint this doesn't look good:

"... military intelligence agents arrested Mr. Baduel and shoved him into an unmarked vehicle in front of two of his children and his wife, who was screaming at the agents, a scene captured on video and replayed repeatedly throughout this country on private television networks."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/world/americas/05venez.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[EFerrari]

6. Of course it doesn't. That's why it's being spammed all over.

That's the whole point.

[Bacchus39]

9. yes, since it looks bad, he was "detained" and not "arrested"

so the Ven government says (on edit: actually what you said). kind of like Saddam's foreign "guests"

[struggle4progress]

4. Former Venezuelan defense minister detained (Xinhua)

CARACAS, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Former Venezuelan Defense Minister Raul Isaias Baduel was detained Friday in the city of Maracay for questioning in a corruption case ... A military official said Baduel was being investigated for corruption and has refused to appear before a court. It was not a bench warrant, but a routine procedure carried out by military authorities, the official added. Baduel was general commander of the Venezuelan army from January 2004 to July 2006 and defense minister from 2006 to July 2007. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/04/content_10146874.htm

[EFerrari]

7. Check out the framing in this article from a Costa Rican outlet:

Venezuela Investigates Military Corruption
CARACAS -Venezuelan courts are making progress in clearing up a case of corruption and embezzlement worth $14.50 million, involving ex Defense Minister, retired Gen. Raul Baduel.

Baduel was banned from leaving the country and making any remark abut the case. He has also been required to appear before court every 15 days.

He was taken from Maracay, 186 miles southwest from the capital, to the court handling the case in Caracas, after refusing to appear before court to testify.

Military Attorney, Gen. Ernesto Cedeno, said the former minister has been charged with alleged robbery of National Armed Forces funds and properties during his term of over four years at the helm of the military institution.

http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2008/october/05/reg03.htm

[Bacchus39]

8. could be, but lets remember he was with Chavez before he was against him

politically motivated, certainly. but he did work with the Chavez administration for a long time, so if they actually bothered to look for corruption, I am sure they would find it anywhere and everywhere.