​Retired General Calls on Venezuelans to Form Local Resistance Units: “Get Ready to Use your Firearms”

Caracas, February 9th 2015 (Venezuelanalysis.com) Retired Venezuelan military General, Angel Vivas, has released a string of videos on Youtube calling on Venezuelans to form “local resistance units” against the government and to prepare themselves for a war “to the death”

The videos have been tweeted by both General Vivas and the anti-government group, “Operation Liberty Venezuela,” and are accompanied by the hashtag #RAV (Resistencia Anti-Castro Comunista Venezuela or Anti-Castro Communist Resistance Venezuela, in English), reportedly founded on December 15th 2014. One of the videos has over 137,000 views.

“Today we are going to show you how to defend yourself, your family, your house and your community,” states Vivas from in front of a large portrait of Venezuelan liberation hero, Simon Bolivar

The retired General made headlines last year when he called on violent anti-government protestors to hang barbed wire from lampposts in order to decapitate supporters of the government during the armed street blockades known as the barricades, which erupted in February 2014. At least two people died this way and another 42 citizens were killed during the unrest

Although he initially resisted detention, entering into an armed standoff with authorities, Vivas was eventually placed under house arrest for four months. Since his release, he has made a string of anti-government videos with ever more explicit messages.

“We have no other recourse but to go out and defend ourselves, and, in this sense, I recommend that all Venezuelan citizens across the length and breadth of the Republic start preparing themselves in whatever way they can to defend their lives, their families, their houses and communities,” he states from another video, released on January 30th

“Venezuelans, for those of you who have access to a firearm, it’s a good idea to prepare yourself to use it.”

A stony faced Vivas goes on to directly threaten the government with violent action, stating that “the pacific stage” of resistance had come to an end.

“Citizens, the lapse of 15 days that patriotic Venezuelans, incorporated into the RAV, had given to Castro-Communism for it to peacefully leave the country expired last night… This period allowed us to organise the first phase… Now we are going to act,” he states to the camera

“Accordingly, we await the social sector, the support of all citizens, to protest massively in the streets at the correct moment”.

The most recent video, entitled “You are the Leader,” is also accompanied by a series of links to step by step training handbooks on the anti-government website “Solo-Clic”. The link has also been plugged several times by Operation Liberty Venezuela.

Readers who click on the links will find explanations of how to to form successful “resistance units” against the government and also “helpful” documentaries such as “How to Start a Revolution” by Gene Sharp with Spanish subtitles

The handbooks themselves are split into three different presentations, including “How to Organise your Resistance Group,” “Tasks and Activities of Local Resistance Groups” and “How to Stay Safe whilst in Resistance”. They also suggest that militants familiarise themselves with Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War”.

According to the documents, the resistance groups shouldbe made up of local units which will eventually expand to a national structure. They should have militants who focus on spying and intelligence, “popular” journalists, medical personnel to “take care of the injured”, as well as “combat and defence members” to focus on “urban combat and barricades”.

Their activities should include identifying and training recruits, including military sympathisers, as well as conducting “psychological operations “aimed at “weakening the regime” and “having an impact on citizen consciousness”

An example of a “psychological operation” given in the handbook is for militants to distribute plastic cups of water daubed with anti-government messages to people queuing up outside of stores; an increasingly common sight in Venezuela since Christmas, as private businesses have stepped up an economic war against the government, characterised by the hoarding of essential goods. Just last month the government accused the opposition of planning to take advantage of the long queues in order to promote unrest.

The final link provided offers guidance to militants to “stay safe” whilst in resistance. The advice includes having access to an untapped telephone wire to receive instructions, a safe house, foreign currency and “points of contact” in the legal profession and abroad. Militants are also told to avoid “affairs with women of questionable reputations” and other compromising situations.

The videos are released just weeks before a planned march on February 12th, organised by rightwing “youth” movements. The march looks set to have the most presence in the Venezuela-Colombia border town of San Cristobal, a hotbed of  Colombian paramilitary action and violence during the 2014 barricades.