The arrest of Venezuelan drug trafficker Walid Makled in Colombia has unveiled the dark underbelly of drug trafficking, corruption, and organized crime surrounding President Hugo Chávez. As I mentioned in 2006, it is simply impossible to send tons of cocaine to international markets without the complicity of the highest levels. And Walid Makled’s involvement has exposed this complicity. The Santos government in Colombia already knows everything there is to know about the extent of involvement in drug trafficking by Chávez’s closest ministers and aides. Makled serves as a prime piece of evidence. The U.S. government is equally aware.
In this saga, I believe there’s still a point to make. One of those implicated by Makled in his accusations of official participation in large-scale drug trafficking in Venezuela is Henry Rangel Silva. The U.S. Treasury designated Rangel Silva and two other Venezuelan officials in 2008 for “materially assisting the drug trafficking activities of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a narcoterrorist organization.” Despite this, Hugo Chávez appointed Rangel Silva as the indefinite head of the Venezuelan Army in July of this year. Just a few days ago, Rangel Silva stated that the Venezuelan army would not accept an indefinite opposition government, remarks that even Chávez’s main facilitator in the OAS found “unacceptable.” Yesterday, Chávez promoted Rangel Silva to General in Chief.
What Chávez is doing is essentially taking sides in this war of drug lords and trying to ensure continuity in power. Makled had the full support of his regime, being able to send tons of cocaine from Venezuela—supposedly with Rangel Silva’s help—and generously funded Chávez’s ‘revolution.’ Now that he is imprisoned and revealing information, the leader wants to silence him, which is why he has elevated Rangel Silva, who has also been ordered to engage in Venezuela’s internal politics. Chávez is also desperately trying to have Makled extradited to Venezuela.
I wouldn’t pay much attention to Rangel Silva’s political statements; after all, it is just another instance where high-ranking officials in Chávez’s regime have threatened the opposition—who can forget the Venezuelan Oil Minister saying in 2004 that if the opposition won, oil production would stop? What interests me is what Colombia and the U.S. will do with the amassed intelligence and the information provided by Makled. Chávez feels his world is shrinking—he hinted at this recently from Cuba. Moreover, I would say that Chávez fears becoming the next Noriega. Like his predecessor, radicalization seems to be his only option. Because only while in power can Hugo Chávez and his criminal circle remain free. The longer they stay in power, the more radical they will have to become to hold onto it. Radicalization will lead to more crimes, disturbing alliances, and more evidence against them. Interesting times are ahead for Venezuela…