Evolution Dec2010

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ORGANIZACION DE VENEZOLANOS EN EL EXILIO, INC.

(ORGANIZATION OF VENEZUELANS IN EXILE)

2758 W 71st Place, Hialeah, Florida 33016, USAPhone: (305) 718-8377 Cell.: (786) 319-8815, (305) 300-7592

e-mail: [email protected] websites: http://www.orvex.org, http://www.ruedalo.org

________________________________________________________________

EVOLUTION OF PRO-CHAVEZARMED CIVILIAN GROUPS

IN VENEZUELAReleased on December 8, 2010

_________________________________________________________________The author of this report, Elio C. Aponte, acting as President of the Organization ofVenezuelans in Exile (ORVEX) has made every effort to ascertain the accuracy ofthe sources contained herein which are products of his own research, and it issupplied solely for the purpose of supporting an asylum or immigration claim. Thisreport cannot be sold or used in any other way without the written and expressconsent of the author. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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December 8, 2010

This report highlights the evolution of pro-Chavez armed civilian groups in Venezuela

from 2001 until today.

Evolution of Pro-Chavez Civilian Armed Groups in Venezuela

Since the creation of the so called Bolivarian Circles in June 2001, until our days, thepro-Chavez armed civilian groups have been evolving, becoming more sophisticated and

lethal.

The forerunner of the current Bolivarian Popular Militia, including the Francisco deMiranda Front, the so-called Colective Groups and the Death Squads, were the so

called Bolivarian Circles, also known by the Venezuelan opposition as the Terror

Circles They were created in June 2001 (*1), and sworn on December 17th

of that year.

They became the rebirth of the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement 200 (MovimientoBoliviariano Revolucionario 200), also known as MBR-200 for its acronym in Spanish.

The MBR-200 was an underground movement created by Hugo Chavez in the 80s whilehe was still a student at the Military Academy of Venezuela (known as AMV inSpanish), in order to conspire to overthrow the democratic government of those years and

to establish a so-called Bolivarian Revolution inspired in Fidel Castros Revolution.

In the month of June, 2001, Chavez announces in the National Assembly (Venezuelan Congress) the

rebirth of the MBR-200 in order to create the Bolivarian Circles. (*1)


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On May 11, 2007, the Bolivarian Circles publicly declared that they will not join

Chavezs PSUV, United Socialist Party of Venezuela (Partido Socialista Unido de

Venezuela in Spanish) (*2) since they consider themselves to be Bolivarians instead of

Socialists; in other words, they claimed at that time that the ideology of the Bolivarian

revolution has shifted from that of the Tree of the Three Roots, which was based upon

the three 19th century Venezuelan historic figures of Ezequiel Zamora, Simon Bolivar andSimon Rodriguez a.k.a. Simon Robinson, to a Russian and European ideology based upon

the ideas of Trosky, Granchi, Marx and Lenin. Nonetheless, the original Bolivarian

Circles seemed to have experienced a complete transformation, and now they have joined

Chavezs PSUV party, but they are now involved in political and electoral activities (*3)

instead of violent ones as these have been delegated to more sophisticated, better organized

and more lethal organizations, which will be mentioned later.

Even though Bolivarian Circles are no longer involved in violent activities, the term

Violent Circles that came from them continues to be widely used among common

citizens when they refer to current pro-Chavez civilian armed groups. This is so due to the

high psychological impact left by members of the Bolivarian Circles on April 11, 2002,when 21 persons were killed and almost 100 injured during a mega demonstration carried

out by more than 1 million persons that marched towards the Presidential Palace ofMiraflores, requesting Chavezs resignation. Images of members of the Bolivarian Circles

shooting on top of the Llaguno Bridge (*4) were shown that day on TV around the globe.

The so-called Gunmen of the Llaguno Bridge were members of the Bolivarian Circles. April 11, 2002.

(*4)


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General Lucas Rincon demanded the resignation of Hugo Chavez right after midnight forthe events of April 11, 2002, and Chavez did resigned (*5). Surprisingly enough, three

days later, Chavez returned to power.

With funding coming directly from the state-owned oil company PDVSA, new socialorganizations have been created in which young Venezuelan men and women have been

recruited, among them, the so called Energy Tables (Mesas de Energa in Spanish) and

the Territorial Guard (Guardia Territorial in Spanish), who are trained in the use of

weapons in order to fortified what Chavez has called new social structures of popularpower (*6). The violent function of these groups against opposition members is being

disguised by their apparent social function in which they seemed to be involved incommunity projects (*7).

Young men and women, civilians, are trained in the used of weapons for the so calledEnergy Tables and Territorial Guard. (*6)

There is a more dangerous, lethal and elite type of group created by Hugo Chavez and

Fidel Castro on June 23, 2003, in La Habana, Cuba, called the Francisco de Miranda

Front (*8), and its mission is to build a revolutionary state in Venezuela, which is a

synonymous of a Socialist-Cuban like state. From 2003 until 2007 there were 12 trainingcamps in Cuba, each with a number of close to 1,000 young men and women from


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Venezuela, who spend a weekend in order to receive ideological indoctrination and

advance Chavez revolution (*9). These groups are the forefront of the revolution, and theyare not only involved in every one of the Social Missions created by Chavez, but they are

also known by their brutal and cruel behavior against opposition members inside public

universities, according to credible testimonies of witnesses. On April 29, 2009, Hugo

Chavez declared on chained National TV (cadena in Spanish), that the Francisco deMiranda Front was going to be acquitted by history (*10). Moreover, there have been

credible reports about the Francisco de Miranda Front involvement in the internal affairs

of other Latin American countries such as in Honduras in order to defend PresidentManuel Zelaya, a pro-Chavez ruler, after being deposed for trying to illegally change the

constitution of that Central American nation in 2009 (*11 and *12).

A group of almost 1,000 young Venezuelan men and women, civilians, receive ideological indoctrination

during a weekend at a training camp in La Habana, Cuba. (*9)

Besides the violent groups directly financed by Hugo Chavez, there are other groups that

are not directly organized by the Chavez government but receive its support and protection.

These groups are divided in four categories: 1) Colectivos (collective groups), 2) Urbanguerrilla, 3) Country side guerrilla, and 4) Death squads.

The so called colectivos are armed independent groups, formed by local neighbors,

which are disguised as social groups. There are around 500 hundred of those groups


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through Venezuela, and they persecute and kill opposition members. Political motivated

murders committed by these groups are registered as common crime murders, and so far itremains unknown what percentage of the 160,000 murders during the almost 12 year rule

of Chavez were carried out for political reasons. The collective group with the highestmedia exposure has been the Little Stone Collective group (Colectivo La Piedrita in

Spanish), whose leader, Valentin Santana, has even been interviewed by the BBC ofLondon (*13). These collective groups have received training in camps by FARC

members in Venezuela, as it has been corroborated by the e-mails found in the PCs of late

FARC terrorist Raul Reyes (*14). Therefore, it is presumed that collective groups havealso received paramilitary training in Venezuelan camps along with members of

international terrorist organizations such as ETA (*15) and Islamic groups as Hamas and

Hezbollah (*16). Another well known member of La Piedrita collective group is Mrs.Lina Ron (*17).

Members of the Collective group La Piedrita standing in a street of Caracas. Inthe back, the following can be read: La Piedrita, Honor and Glory. Raul Reyes. FARC-EP. (*18)

There are at least two known urban guerrilla groups that are more lethal since they useheavy army weaponry. One of them is the Nestor Zerpa Cartolini Combat Tactical Unit,which is considered a radical wing of the Venezuelan Tupamaro group (*19), and the other

group is known as Carapaica (*20). Both of them operate in the 23 of January Barrioof Caracas.


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Members of the Nestor Zerpa Cartolini Combat Tactical Unit. (*19)

Members of the CarapaicaUrban Guerrilla Group. (*20)


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The Bolivarian Liberation Front (Frente Bolivariano de Liberacin in Spanish), also

known as FBL, is a known country side guerrilla group that which has been reported tobe operating in the states of Apure, Lara, Trujillo and Portuguesa, in the south western

region of Venezuela (*21). They are responsible for kidnapping and murdering civilians,

and recruiting children.

Members of the Bolivarian Liberation Front (FBL). (*21)

There are other lethal groups known as death squads, formed by armed civilians as well

as by police and/or military agents disguised as civilians, who are financed and protectedby local chavista majors and governors. There have been credible reports about killingsand other violent and brutal acts committed by these death squads against members of

Chavezs opposition.

In summary, there are three types of pro-Chavez armed civilian groups:

1) Those directly created, organized and funded by Hugo Chavez and his government.

2) Those independently created and organized as gangs, called Colectivos, whichare self financed through crime, kidnapping, drug trafficking and killing by hire,

and which enjoy complete support and protection from the VenezuelanGovernment since they defend the political project of Hugo Chavez.

3) Those created and organized by chavista authorities at a local or state level, whichare financed by local authorities as well as through crime, kidnapping, drugtrafficking and killing by hire, and also enjoy the protection of local authorities as

well as the national government.


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NOTE:

The so called Bolivarian Popular Militia has not been included in this report since it can

be considered a de facto Fifth Component of Venezuelas Armed Forces, which is notmentioned anywhere in the Venezuelan Constitution, even though there is a Law that

legalizes it. The Bolivarian Popular Militia is formed by civilians who have received

limited military training oriented to fight internal and external enemies in a guerrilla typeasymmetric war, they receive direct orders from Hugo Chavez and are believed to be ready

to fight the Venezuelan Army in the event of a coup attempt against Chavez since the

majority of the members of the Venezuelan Armed Forces does not agree with Chavezrevolution.


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Sources:

(*1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghci4xwqm8o

(*2)http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=2030436002

(*3)

http://web.psuv.org.ve/?q=node/7820

(*4)

http://jackvolter.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/puente_llaguno.jpg

(*5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ14XCNMY7k

(*6)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1ZPExZR4A

(*7)http://www.minci.gob.ve/pagina/1/178364/mesas_de_energia.prnt

(*8)http://www.frentefranciscodemiranda.org.ve/infos/junio-30-2007/4to.-aniversario-ffm-

frente-francisco-de-miranda.htm

(*9)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDaFi-F9QcU

(*10)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3-YvTfjnDk

(*11)

http://www.eluniversal.com/2009/07/17/pol_ava_oscar-perez-

denuncio_17A2511763.shtml
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghci4xwqm8ohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghci4xwqm8ohttp://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=2030436002http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=2030436002http://web.psuv.org.ve/?q=node/7820http://web.psuv.org.ve/?q=node/7820http://jackvolter.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/puente_llaguno.jpghttp://jackvolter.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/puente_llaguno.jpghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ14XCNMY7khttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ14XCNMY7khttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1ZPExZR4Ahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1ZPExZR4Ahttp://www.minci.gob.ve/pagina/1/178364/mesas_de_energia.prnthttp://www.minci.gob.ve/pagina/1/178364/mesas_de_energia.prnthttp://www.frentefranciscodemiranda.org.ve/infos/junio-30-2007/4to.-aniversario-ffm-frente-francisco-de-miranda.htmhttp://www.frentefranciscodemiranda.org.ve/infos/junio-30-2007/4to.-aniversario-ffm-frente-francisco-de-miranda.htmhttp://www.frentefranciscodemiranda.org.ve/infos/junio-30-2007/4to.-aniversario-ffm-frente-francisco-de-miranda.htmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDaFi-F9QcUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDaFi-F9QcUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3-YvTfjnDkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3-YvTfjnDkhttp://www.eluniversal.com/2009/07/17/pol_ava_oscar-perez-denuncio_17A2511763.shtmlhttp://www.eluniversal.com/2009/07/17/pol_ava_oscar-perez-denuncio_17A2511763.shtmlhttp://www.eluniversal.com/2009/07/17/pol_ava_oscar-perez-denuncio_17A2511763.shtmlhttp://www.eluniversal.com/2009/07/17/pol_ava_oscar-perez-denuncio_17A2511763.shtmlhttp://www.eluniversal.com/2009/07/17/pol_ava_oscar-perez-denuncio_17A2511763.shtmlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3-YvTfjnDkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDaFi-F9QcUhttp://www.frentefranciscodemiranda.org.ve/infos/junio-30-2007/4to.-aniversario-ffm-frente-francisco-de-miranda.htmhttp://www.frentefranciscodemiranda.org.ve/infos/junio-30-2007/4to.-aniversario-ffm-frente-francisco-de-miranda.htmhttp://www.minci.gob.ve/pagina/1/178364/mesas_de_energia.prnthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1ZPExZR4Ahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ14XCNMY7khttp://jackvolter.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/puente_llaguno.jpghttp://web.psuv.org.ve/?q=node/7820http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=2030436002http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghci4xwqm8o


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(*12)

http://www.elheraldo.hn/Pas/Ediciones/2009/07/18/Noticias/Plan-Caracas-para-crear-

masacre-es-real

(*13)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6okDNRNidQ

(*14)http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/18382/campamento-de-formacion-de-

guerrilleros-cubanos-opera-en-venezuela/

(*15)http://www.antena3.com/videos/noticias/Programa-especial-El-Palestino.html

(*16)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5JY6OHOLFY

(*17)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCrWYZMD6lU

(*18)

http://www.soberania.org/Images/terrorstas_la_piedrita_23_de_enero_1.jpg

(*19)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QojTc84PYu0

(*20)

http://play.cuatro.com/directo/portada/reporteros-cuatro-rec/ver/los-guardianes-de-

chavez#directo/portada/reporteros-cuatro-rec/ver/los-guardianes-de-chavez

(*21)

http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/3277/la-guerrilla-del-fbl-en-apure/
http://www.elheraldo.hn/Pa%C3%ADs/Ediciones/2009/07/18/Noticias/Plan-Caracas-para-crear-masacre-es-realhttp://www.elheraldo.hn/Pa%C3%ADs/Ediciones/2009/07/18/Noticias/Plan-Caracas-para-crear-masacre-es-realhttp://www.elheraldo.hn/Pa%C3%ADs/Ediciones/2009/07/18/Noticias/Plan-Caracas-para-crear-masacre-es-realhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6okDNRNidQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6okDNRNidQhttp://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/18382/campamento-de-formacion-de-guerrilleros-cubanos-opera-en-venezuela/http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/18382/campamento-de-formacion-de-guerrilleros-cubanos-opera-en-venezuela/http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/18382/campamento-de-formacion-de-guerrilleros-cubanos-opera-en-venezuela/http://www.antena3.com/videos/noticias/Programa-especial-El-Palestino.htmlhttp://www.antena3.com/videos/noticias/Programa-especial-El-Palestino.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5JY6OHOLFYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5JY6OHOLFYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCrWYZMD6lUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCrWYZMD6lUhttp://www.soberania.org/Images/terrorstas_la_piedrita_23_de_enero_1.jpghttp://www.soberania.org/Images/terrorstas_la_piedrita_23_de_enero_1.jpghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QojTc84PYu0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QojTc84PYu0http://play.cuatro.com/directo/portada/reporteros-cuatro-rec/ver/los-guardianes-de-chavez#directo/portada/reporteros-cuatro-rec/ver/los-guardianes-de-chavezhttp://play.cuatro.com/directo/portada/reporteros-cuatro-rec/ver/los-guardianes-de-chavez#directo/portada/reporteros-cuatro-rec/ver/los-guardianes-de-chavezhttp://play.cuatro.com/directo/portada/reporteros-cuatro-rec/ver/los-guardianes-de-chavez#directo/portada/reporteros-cuatro-rec/ver/los-guardianes-de-chavezhttp://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/3277/la-guerrilla-del-fbl-en-apure/http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/3277/la-guerrilla-del-fbl-en-apure/http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/3277/la-guerrilla-del-fbl-en-apure/http://play.cuatro.com/directo/portada/reporteros-cuatro-rec/ver/los-guardianes-de-chavez#directo/portada/reporteros-cuatro-rec/ver/los-guardianes-de-chavezhttp://play.cuatro.com/directo/portada/reporteros-cuatro-rec/ver/los-guardianes-de-chavez#directo/portada/reporteros-cuatro-rec/ver/los-guardianes-de-chavezhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QojTc84PYu0http://www.soberania.org/Images/terrorstas_la_piedrita_23_de_enero_1.jpghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCrWYZMD6lUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5JY6OHOLFYhttp://www.antena3.com/videos/noticias/Programa-especial-El-Palestino.htmlhttp://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/18382/campamento-de-formacion-de-guerrilleros-cubanos-opera-en-venezuela/http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/18382/campamento-de-formacion-de-guerrilleros-cubanos-opera-en-venezuela/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6okDNRNidQhttp://www.elheraldo.hn/Pa%C3%ADs/Ediciones/2009/07/18/Noticias/Plan-Caracas-para-crear-masacre-es-realhttp://www.elheraldo.hn/Pa%C3%ADs/Ediciones/2009/07/18/Noticias/Plan-Caracas-para-crear-masacre-es-real


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ORGANIZACION DE VENEZOLANOS EN EL EXILIO, INC.(ORGANIZATION OF VENEZUELANS IN EXILE)

2758 W 71st

Place, Hialeah, Florida 33016, USAPhone: (305) 718-8377 Cell.: (786) 319-8815, (305) 300-7592

e-mail: [email protected] websites: http://www.orvex.org, http://www.ruedalo.org

EVOLUTION OF PRO-CHAVEZARMED CIVILIAN GROUPS

IN VENEZUELA

The author of this report, Elio C. Aponte, acting as President of the Organization ofVenezuelans in Exile (ORVEX) has made every effort to ascertain the accuracy of thesources contained herein which are products of his own research, and it is supplied

solely for the purpose of supporting an asylum or immigration claim.This report cannot be sold or used in any other way without

the written and express consent of the author.

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Evolution Dec2010