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<h1 class="title"><u><i><small><small><font color="#cc0000">2 Articles
Follow</font></small></small></i></u></h1>
<h1 class="title">Three Venezuelan Air Force Generals Arrested for
Alleged Coup Plotting</h1>
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<p class="byline"> By <span class="author">Correo del Orinoco /
Venezuelanalysis.com</span> </p>
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<p>25<sup>th</sup> March 2014 - Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro
announced today that three generals of the Venezuelan Air Force have
been arrested, after they were denounced by lower-ranking officials for
their involvement in alleged coup plans.</p>
<p>“Last night we captured three Air Force generals that we had been
investigating thanks to the powerful moral force of our National
Bolivarian Armed Forces: three generals that aimed to rise the Air
Force against the legitimately constituted government,” he said during
a live broadcast on state TV.</p>
<p>Maduro argued that those arrested “have direct links with the
opposition, and said that this week was decisive”. According to the
president, the alleged coup plot involves creating “psychological”
chaos through attacking electricity and other services, and then
striking against the government. The three generals are now under
custody and will face an investigation.</p>
<p>The announcement was made on the same day that foreign ministers of
the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) arrive in the country to
support dialogue efforts between the government and opposition.</p>
<p>Venezuela has been subject to a wave of opposition protests, riots
and roadblocks since early February. The violence has left 35 dead,
including National Guard officers, opposition activists and government
supporters. Several hard-line opposition leaders openly call for the
government’s resignation.</p>
<p>In his speech Maduro asked the country and UNASUR to support the
Truth Commission established by the National Assembly last week to
investigate the recent acts of violence. Opposition parliamentarians
have not yet decided if they will participate in the commission, which
would have five pro-government and four opposition legislators as
members.</p>
<p>It remains to be seen whether the presence of UNASUR ministers will
encourage the opposition to join peace talks, which have been underway
between the government and business, religious, and a few moderate
opposition politicians since last month. So far the majority of the
opposition leadership has refused to dialogue, stating that political
concessions, or “conditions”, must be satisfied first.</p>
<p>“We hope that in its 48 hour visit the UNASUR commission can reach
conclusions that help Venezuela strengthen the climate of peace and
defend democracy even more, and likewise to collaborate with the people
so that they can consolidate all mechanisms of social and political
dialogue,” Maduro stated.</p>
<p><em>Text based on an original article by Correo del Orinoco,
translated and edited by Venezuelanalysis.com. Additional information
added by VA.com.<br>
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<h1 class="title">Maria Corina Machado Dismissed as Deputy of
Venezuela’s National Assembly</h1>
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<p class="byline"> By <span class="author">Zoë Clara Dutka</span> </p>
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<p>Santa Elena de Uairén, 25<sup>th</sup> March 2014
(Venezuelanalysis.com) - On Monday Diosdado Cabello, president of the
Venezuelan National Assembly, announced that right-wing opposition
leader Maria Corina Machado would no longer serve as an assembly deputy.</p>
<p>He cited articles 149 and 191 of the Venezuelan constitution, which
indicate that public officials may not accept employment, special
honors, or reimbursement from foreign governments without the
authorization of parliament. <br>
<br>
On Friday, during a meeting of the Organization of American States
(OAS) in Washington, Machado was offered Panama’s seat to testify on
ongoing unrest in Venezuela.<br>
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Cabello insists that by accepting the seat and making declarations as a
representative of the Panamanian government, Machado forfeited her
right as assembly member.<br>
<br>
He pointed to a document signed by the Panamanian ambassador
designating Machado as an alternate representative of the republic,
saying that the document is still valid and Machado has legally held
the title since March 20th.<br>
<br>
Earlier this month Venezuela severed diplomatic ties and froze economic
relations with Panama, after Panama repeatedly urged the OAS to
intervene in Venezuela “on the behalf of democracy”. <br>
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Machado is well-known as an outspoken leader of the far-right. In 2002,
she signed the manifesto of a short-lived coup that temporarily ousted
then president Hugo Chavez. When the coup was overthrown and Chavez
returned to power, Machado claimed she had signed the decree by
accident during a visit to the presidential palace on the day of the
coup, thinking it was a sign-in sheet for guests.<br>
<br>
In response to Cabello's accusation, Machado tweeted that it was a
misunderstanding, and that Panama had “accidentally appointed her to
the position.” <br>
<br>
Insisting she still had a legal right as house member, Machado said
yesterday, “I know well my duties and my rights. To all Venezuelans I
say I will continue fighting and working as a member of the National
Assembly. To Mr. Cabello I say he should read the constitution. The
chief of the assembly has no right to dismiss a member. A
parliamentarian may only be dismissed by death, departure, a definitive
criminal sentence or referendum, and that is not the case here.”<br>
<br>
Incidentally, Machado has been under investigation since early last
week for her role in recent violent protests.<br>
<br>
Though pro-government legislators presented alleged evidence against
her, Machado could not be charged. As a standing member of the National
Assembly, she enjoyed legal immunity. <br>
<br>
Yesterday the Minister of Penitentiary Services, Iris Varela, remarked
that by accepting Panama’s offer, Machado lost the parliamentary
immunity reserved for house members and may now be tried for the
charges pending against her. Varela cited “crimes against the homeland”
and “crimes against humanity” among those charges.<br>
<br>
This is not the first time Machado has been under investigation. Before
running as an assembly member, she was founding president of the
right-wing political organization, Súmate. Súmate was on trial in 2005
and 2006 for using funds from the U.S. Congress’s National Endowment
for Democracy (NED) to allegedly promote civil unrest, and for
receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from unknown donors without
declaring the foreign deposits to the Commission of Currency
Administration (CADIVI), respectively. <br>
<br>
She has long been criticized by the Venezuelan government as being a
tool for the U.S. agenda in Venezuela, most notably after meeting with
George W. Bush in the Oval Office in 2005. <br>
<br>
After yesterday's events Machado tweeted from Peru that she planned to
fly directly back to Venezuela to defend her parliamentary status. “We
will fight until we win, she said. "The brutal regime of Nicolas Maduro
believed that with this repression they would frighten us… they don’t
know me.”</p>
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