From the uncomfortable position of Commander of Detachment No. 53 in Maiquetía, I spent part of the story that one day we will know about the attempted coup of 1992.
This weekend I had the opportunity to read the document "Letter XVII", the citizens, on the occasion of the death of former President Carlos Andres Perez, Vice Admiral Mario Ivan Carratu Molina. In this letter, my friend, Vice Admiral Carratú, publicly disclose details about what their relatives and those weighted by himself as objective, honest and conscientious, have had the privilege of meeting directly through a close and friendly contact.
In the body of the letter, Carratú do a quick flight over the various circumstances that led him to form an opinion of their own, I consider that very successful on the political intrigue that took place in Venezuela in the 90's and was formed , as I see, a replica of earlier ones, resulting from compliance with sociopolitical generational cycles.
That there was a conspiracy against democracy throughout their entire life in Venezuela, as no doubt. Venezuelan democracy that did not prove as other countries because it was full of elements or "sui generis" that marked his target, I believe. The causes of the loss of our Democracy summarizes in very few words as follows: Envy, the desire for influence and money, the immediate present in the Venezuelan social behavior, the intrigues, the siege imposed on the power and blindness of the rulers.
As my friend says Carratu, the current overall situation being experienced by our country was not caused by military superiors and subordinates, NCOs and troops were involved in the events of 1992. They were only the executors or the tactical elements of a rebellion, the artisans' strategic coup attempts remained anonymous for fear of prosecution by the authorities at the time and try to stay under the protection of it, for fear the trial of history.
On the night of February 3, 1992, being the commander of Detachment No. 53 of the National Guard unit responsible for the safety of Maiquetia International Airport, where after 10 pm would land the presidential plane with President Carlos Andrés Pérez a bordo, a pesar de ser un oficial de rango mediano de la Guardia Nacional, “tenía”que estar enterado de lo que el Alto Mando del ejército sabía desde las 10 de la mañana, información la cual se mantuvo en manos de un círculo muy estrecho de Oficiales General de esa Fuerza y que ni siquiera había sido puesta en conocimiento de mis superiores dentro de la Guardia Nacional, como lo eran el Jefe del Comando Regional Nº 5, el General de Brigada José Vicente Leccia Madrid y el Comandante General de la Guardia Nacional, General de División Fredis Ventura Maya Cardona.
En conversaciones que tuve con mi amigo Carratú, sentí una permanente sensación de incredulidad y digo esto, because I found it amazing how every time I considered what assumptions on my part, found a remarkable coincidence with the events he recounted to me. It was the shock of the truth after years of speculation. Such a perception I've had since year 92 so far, every time I cross my suspicions with other parties involved in any way with the facts.
For the first time I'll write about them, but before doing so, in this paper will go a summary of the events before and after that let me say, as does my friend Carratu, the attempted coups of the year 92 and that it "Caracazo" of 1989, were made conspiracy hatched from the upper echelons of power, under the protection of anonymity, intrigue and corruption. My short story is:
For 1992, I was appointed commander of Detachment No. 53 in the Maiquetia International Airport. There, he fought for control of the formal and informal internal and external to the National Guard and Armed Forces. In a sandwich, the unit I commanded was besieged by:
In the body of the letter, Carratú do a quick flight over the various circumstances that led him to form an opinion of their own, I consider that very successful on the political intrigue that took place in Venezuela in the 90's and was formed , as I see, a replica of earlier ones, resulting from compliance with sociopolitical generational cycles.
That there was a conspiracy against democracy throughout their entire life in Venezuela, as no doubt. Venezuelan democracy that did not prove as other countries because it was full of elements or "sui generis" that marked his target, I believe. The causes of the loss of our Democracy summarizes in very few words as follows: Envy, the desire for influence and money, the immediate present in the Venezuelan social behavior, the intrigues, the siege imposed on the power and blindness of the rulers.
As my friend says Carratu, the current overall situation being experienced by our country was not caused by military superiors and subordinates, NCOs and troops were involved in the events of 1992. They were only the executors or the tactical elements of a rebellion, the artisans' strategic coup attempts remained anonymous for fear of prosecution by the authorities at the time and try to stay under the protection of it, for fear the trial of history.
On the night of February 3, 1992, being the commander of Detachment No. 53 of the National Guard unit responsible for the safety of Maiquetia International Airport, where after 10 pm would land the presidential plane with President Carlos Andrés Pérez a bordo, a pesar de ser un oficial de rango mediano de la Guardia Nacional, “tenía”que estar enterado de lo que el Alto Mando del ejército sabía desde las 10 de la mañana, información la cual se mantuvo en manos de un círculo muy estrecho de Oficiales General de esa Fuerza y que ni siquiera había sido puesta en conocimiento de mis superiores dentro de la Guardia Nacional, como lo eran el Jefe del Comando Regional Nº 5, el General de Brigada José Vicente Leccia Madrid y el Comandante General de la Guardia Nacional, General de División Fredis Ventura Maya Cardona.
En conversaciones que tuve con mi amigo Carratú, sentí una permanente sensación de incredulidad y digo esto, because I found it amazing how every time I considered what assumptions on my part, found a remarkable coincidence with the events he recounted to me. It was the shock of the truth after years of speculation. Such a perception I've had since year 92 so far, every time I cross my suspicions with other parties involved in any way with the facts.
For the first time I'll write about them, but before doing so, in this paper will go a summary of the events before and after that let me say, as does my friend Carratu, the attempted coups of the year 92 and that it "Caracazo" of 1989, were made conspiracy hatched from the upper echelons of power, under the protection of anonymity, intrigue and corruption. My short story is:
For 1992, I was appointed commander of Detachment No. 53 in the Maiquetia International Airport. There, he fought for control of the formal and informal internal and external to the National Guard and Armed Forces. In a sandwich, the unit I commanded was besieged by:
- Civil and military forces of all interests in the airport customs: Army Officers, Guard, Navy, Air Force and economic groups politicians. Smugglers with
- power and influence in government, political, economic and military. Narcotics
- connections in the heart of the security forces stationed in the airport security companies, airlines and airport workers.
- Pressure Drug Enforcement National Guard, held by Brigadier General Orlando Hernández Villegas, with unclear interests to establish an impenetrable circle was "ropes" of balancing on the thin line between good and evil.
- An unusual interest in the Marine Corps and the Naval Police, to take over airport security, a fact that was consistent for me after what happened on the night of February 3 before the arrival of the President at the airport, where the protagonist was Admiral Daniels Hernández.
On the night of February 3, at approximately 8:20 PM, I received orders from the Commanding General of the National Guard to wait for a lieutenant colonel in the DIM, surnamed Orellana, who was going to carry confidential information . This commander never showed and instead, later, the head of the SID at the airport sent two of its officials to borrow 6 FAL rifles. Faced with my refusal to do so, let me know by phone (after I confessed that he was not personally to order, because he thought I could be linked to the coup) that the guns needed to provide his men, because he had information of a possible attack against the president.
To finish setting an alarm, the Military, which was installed to receive the President with two hours notice, should have arrived at 8 pm and had not done and not even the official coordinator had submitted to the detachment.
Under these circumstances and taking into account that the same general commander had asked me not away from the commanding position and wait for the commander Orellana, I decided to run the Rapid Response Plan, execution of which have all turned out a hoax, surely would have brought the end of my career in the military.
between 9:30 and 10 pm, (at times gives urgency, generally lost the sense of time) came to my caravan Detachment of the Minister of Defence, the Minister Fernando Ochoa Antich and ordered me to gather staff because they had information of a possible attack against the President at the airport, I could not keep order and explained that he could not, because all the unit was deployed to fulfill the Response Plan. Then commands the lieutenant Vigil Sabino Rodriguez, who warn the Marines about the situation. The officer is wrong and instead of going to the command of the infantry located in Catia La Mar, where he was to be Admiral Walter Becerra Contreras, goes to the Marine Battalion Bolivar No. 1 located at Avenida Soublette Maiquetia. Upon his return, he participates in the General Ochoa compliance of his order, but I said that the Navy and was therefore taken into account in the battalion, had tanks with their engines running, staff had met with camouflaged faces and campaign team. Then I hear, they had tricolor bracelets in one of his arms. Strangely, the soldiers of the Naval Police, "disappeared" of checkpoints, to appear in the morning in the basement of the airport, where he met a Captain, if I remember last name Fernandez, whose appointment as head of security of ICMI (International Institute Maiquetía Airport) had much to see Admiral Daniels, Inspector General of the armed forces, who intervened in my unit with a committee of its dependence, to realize the transition from the role of the internal security of the airport, the National Guard to the Naval Police . There, on file with the unit must find guest books and novelties where everything was written. Someone once told me that those books were useless for nothing, but until needed.
I also found it strange that only until 5 am on February 4, appeared Admiral Walter Contreras Becerra, commander of the Marines, who unsuccessfully tried to find the commander of Detachment 58, Puerto de la Guaira and me. In the following days, we were called and threatened with sanctions, because "we had warned" of what was happening.
As if this were not enough, I was surprised to know that the motorcade of Minister of Defense, when he came to my unit came back from the highway Caracas - La Guaira and had been at the airport a few meters from my unit, but I could notify the staff on duty (when I called the troops to punish them, I was informed that the Minister himself had said that I did not notice because I was leaving immediately to Caracas) having left approximately 8 and 8:30 pm to Caracas
units of the Military arrived just before the presidential plane landed, thanks to the General Leccia Madríd personally implemented enabling operating backflow channel on Highway Caracas - La Guaira, because one of the tunnels had been torched a vehicle and had not therefore step in the north south direction.
Once the alarm became general, began arriving in Caracas, DIM, DISIP, PTJ and other personalities. Presidential plane landed and when I witnessed the President assured him that was not happening at all, that there were only rumors. Leccia Madrid General ordered me to spend the night in my unit, because something strange was happening and had to be alert. At about 12 I called and told me he was going a coup.
What happened that night and part of next day, should be thoroughly investigated and it was designated a critical National Guard Colonel, Rigoberto Hernandez Armas, whom I interviewed and who asked me it was preparing an extensive report of what he had heard and seen that night in Maiquetía. The Colonel told me that there were many general officers involved and that there would come a great scandal. He was later relieved of research and my testimony was never sought by those in charge of the investigation. The link of the Navy with the coup plotters was only noticed on November 27 when there was the second attempt. Maiquetía episodes were never investigated. Very long was that night and left many loose ends to be tied. Soon, they and many others will come to light.
To finish setting an alarm, the Military, which was installed to receive the President with two hours notice, should have arrived at 8 pm and had not done and not even the official coordinator had submitted to the detachment.
Under these circumstances and taking into account that the same general commander had asked me not away from the commanding position and wait for the commander Orellana, I decided to run the Rapid Response Plan, execution of which have all turned out a hoax, surely would have brought the end of my career in the military.
between 9:30 and 10 pm, (at times gives urgency, generally lost the sense of time) came to my caravan Detachment of the Minister of Defence, the Minister Fernando Ochoa Antich and ordered me to gather staff because they had information of a possible attack against the President at the airport, I could not keep order and explained that he could not, because all the unit was deployed to fulfill the Response Plan. Then commands the lieutenant Vigil Sabino Rodriguez, who warn the Marines about the situation. The officer is wrong and instead of going to the command of the infantry located in Catia La Mar, where he was to be Admiral Walter Becerra Contreras, goes to the Marine Battalion Bolivar No. 1 located at Avenida Soublette Maiquetia. Upon his return, he participates in the General Ochoa compliance of his order, but I said that the Navy and was therefore taken into account in the battalion, had tanks with their engines running, staff had met with camouflaged faces and campaign team. Then I hear, they had tricolor bracelets in one of his arms. Strangely, the soldiers of the Naval Police, "disappeared" of checkpoints, to appear in the morning in the basement of the airport, where he met a Captain, if I remember last name Fernandez, whose appointment as head of security of ICMI (International Institute Maiquetía Airport) had much to see Admiral Daniels, Inspector General of the armed forces, who intervened in my unit with a committee of its dependence, to realize the transition from the role of the internal security of the airport, the National Guard to the Naval Police . There, on file with the unit must find guest books and novelties where everything was written. Someone once told me that those books were useless for nothing, but until needed.
I also found it strange that only until 5 am on February 4, appeared Admiral Walter Contreras Becerra, commander of the Marines, who unsuccessfully tried to find the commander of Detachment 58, Puerto de la Guaira and me. In the following days, we were called and threatened with sanctions, because "we had warned" of what was happening.
As if this were not enough, I was surprised to know that the motorcade of Minister of Defense, when he came to my unit came back from the highway Caracas - La Guaira and had been at the airport a few meters from my unit, but I could notify the staff on duty (when I called the troops to punish them, I was informed that the Minister himself had said that I did not notice because I was leaving immediately to Caracas) having left approximately 8 and 8:30 pm to Caracas
units of the Military arrived just before the presidential plane landed, thanks to the General Leccia Madríd personally implemented enabling operating backflow channel on Highway Caracas - La Guaira, because one of the tunnels had been torched a vehicle and had not therefore step in the north south direction.
Once the alarm became general, began arriving in Caracas, DIM, DISIP, PTJ and other personalities. Presidential plane landed and when I witnessed the President assured him that was not happening at all, that there were only rumors. Leccia Madrid General ordered me to spend the night in my unit, because something strange was happening and had to be alert. At about 12 I called and told me he was going a coup.
What happened that night and part of next day, should be thoroughly investigated and it was designated a critical National Guard Colonel, Rigoberto Hernandez Armas, whom I interviewed and who asked me it was preparing an extensive report of what he had heard and seen that night in Maiquetía. The Colonel told me that there were many general officers involved and that there would come a great scandal. He was later relieved of research and my testimony was never sought by those in charge of the investigation. The link of the Navy with the coup plotters was only noticed on November 27 when there was the second attempt. Maiquetía episodes were never investigated. Very long was that night and left many loose ends to be tied. Soon, they and many others will come to light.
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