Former Chavista Senior Military Figure Will Tell Guaido How to "Dismantle the Cuban Intelligence Apparatus" in Venezuela

Former General Hugo Carvajal, Chávez’s trusted man, insists that the Cuban intelligence apparatus in Venezuela must be dismantled. (DR)

14ymedio biggerEFE, via 14ymedio, Caracas, 28 February 2019 —  Former Venezuelan General Hugo Carvajal, former chief of military counterintelligence, said Wednesday that the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) and Cuban intelligence agents control the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) and lead criminal activities.

The GNB “in addition to violating human rights through repression, is the real handmaiden of drug trafficking in Venezuela,” said Carvajal on Twitter, where he also expressed his support for head-of-Parliament Juan Guaidó’s assumption of the role of interim president, given what he believes to be Nicolás Maduro’s usurpation of the office.

The soldier, who until a few weeks ago was close to the highest leaders of the so-called Bolivarian Revolution, said that about 90% of the FANB “wants to comply with their constitutional duties, but the control is much stronger than you imagine.”

“The primary objective of the legitimate government is to take control of the FANB, for which it will be necessary to dismantle the Cuban intelligence apparatus and the control mechanisms that maintain the governmental structure of our country,” he commented in Twitter.

Carvajal believes that as long as these issues are not addressed, nobody could penetrate Venezuela and “neutralize elements without first waging a war.”

He also said that the majority of the members of the other three components of the FANB (Army, Navy and Air Force) are “healthy” and “would be willing to clean” the Venezuelan territory of the Colombian guerrillas, drug trafficking and other irregular groups.

“Considerations on the strategy to achieve this, together with more confidential information, I will send to the [interim] President of the Republic,” he added.

Carvajal is making these statements just when Parliament is asking the members of the FANB “to side with the Constitution” and stop supporting Maduro, despite the “fear” and “persecution” to which they may be subjected.

The Chavista leader Diosdado Cabello responded by saying that Carvajal “negotiated” his support for Guaidó with the United States because that country also recognizes the opposition leader Guaidó as president, and had also asked that the general be turned over for drug trafficking.

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