Legislators Denounce Separatism and Paramilitarism in Venezuelan Border State

Caracas, July 21^st 2009, (Venezuelanalysis.com) - In a press conference on Saturday, the vice president of the legislative council in Táchira state, Jonathan García, denounced a campaign by Táchira Governor César Pérez Vivas (an opponent of President Hugo Chávez), together with other rightwing sectors, to promote a separatist movement in the Venezuelan state, which borders Colombia.

On April 17^th, Pérez Vivas decreed the formation of an "International Cooperation Commission" with the supposed ability to sign cooperation agreements with other countries, and take foreign policy positions.

However, this oversteps the jurisdiction of the state government and is unconstitutional, García explained. Further, he argued, it is an indication of the aim of the regional administration "to behave as a nation, rather than part of one."

Nellyver Lugo, a spokesperson for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) said that the governor was "trying to legitimize fascist separatist actions" through the decrees but they had been blocked by the Comptroller General's Office, ABN reported on July 14^th.

Earlier on March 30^th at the initiative of the governor, a Regional Human Security Council was created with the participation of representatives from business organizations and private security firms. García said the aim was to create a parallel police force.

At a national level, García said the campaign is being promoted by the Liberal Democratic Movement (MDL), headed by Marco Polessel who has visited the border state to promote proposed autonomy statutes and a plebiscite to separate the Venezuelan state.

According to its website the MDL is also promoting autonomy statutes in at least six other Venezuelan states including Sucre, Monagas, Bolívar, Anzoátegui, Aragua, and Falcón.

The MDL lists as its international collaborators Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia, the extreme-right National Alliance party in Italy, the Republican Party in the United States, the International Republican Institute (IRI), the right-wing ARENA party in El Salvador, the pro-Pinochet Independent Democratic Union (UDI) in Chile, the Popular Party in Spain and the conservative Friedich Naumann Foundation.

García asserted that the tactic being promoted in Táchira is similar to that employed by right-wing opposition sectors in the wealthy eastern states of Bolivia opposed to the Evo Morales government.

In addition García alleged that under the Pérez Vivas administration there has been abuse and persecution of workers, irregular management of the state budget and wasteful allocations of resources to the police and corrupt officials, some of whom he charged were linked to kidnappings in the region.

Vilma Vivas, regional coordinator of the National Union of Workers (UNT) in Táchira, said on Friday that the governor was applying "persecution and terrorism" against workers and withholding funds from communal councils without explanation, Aporrea reported.

According to the union activist, the actions of the governor are part of an opposition strategy that includes the use of assassinations of union leaders and paramilitarism, in order to carry out a coup d'etat.

The comments follow previous denunciations in the National Assembly by Táchira State Legislator Iris Valera, who accused Pérez Vivas of receiving money from Colombian paramilitary groups to destabilize the Venezuelan government.

Valera charged that Pérez Vivas "travels frequently to Colombia to meet with irregular groups, receives funding and facilitates the entry of these criminals to Venezuelan territory," ABN reported on July 15^th.

A report in Quórum, a publication of the Venezuelan National Assembly, cited Valera as saying that the governor of Táchira is promoting the formation of armed groups together with the Venezuelan Ranchers Federation (FEDENAGA).

In the opinion of Valera there is an attempt in Táchira to reproduce the "Colombian model" of paramilitarism.

In an interview with El Universal on March 23^rd 2003, prior to assuming the national presidency of FEDENAGA, Genaro Méndez, then the regional president of the Táchira Ranchers Federation, admitted that ranchers were forming "self-defense" groups ostensibly in response to crime and insecurity in the region and the infiltration of Colombian guerrilla groups over the border.

Questioned as to whether he supported the use of paramilitaries to deal with insecurity he said, "If the state doesn't do it, someone has to defend those who work."

"I'm not saying that we are going to contract Colombian paramilitaries, but there are people here that are surrounding themselves with private bodyguards, that are creating groups to defend themselves," he continued.

Méndez said that as the president of the federation he received protection from the National Guard, "but that possibility is flatly denied to other ranchers in the region, but who will defend themselves with what they have, if necessary."

More recently, Méndez told Venevisión on June 30^th that there had not been a sufficient response by the government to the issue of crime, "they have said that we are the cause of crime, what it is, is a form of self defense," he said.

Since the Chávez government passed a series of land reform measures in 2001, private mercenaries contracted by large landowners have murdered more than 200 peasant leaders.

On Friday thousands of people marched through San Cristóbal, the capital of Táchira, to protest increased paramilitary activity in the region as well as the separatist campaign promoted by the governor.

Published on Jul 21st 2009 at 10.38am