On Friday a Venezuelan military tribunal found Raul Baduel, former minister for defence and ally of Chavez who went over to the opposition, guilty of corruption and sentenced him to 7 years and 11 months in jail.
By Federico Fuentes - Green Left Weekly, May 5th 2009
Confronted by the global economic crisis
and a sharp drop in oil prices, the Venezuelan government has launched
an offensive against corruption as part of its austerity drive.
On Thursday, Venezuelan authorities arrested former Venezuelan Defense Minister Raúl Isaías Baduel, who is charged with corruption during his term as minister in 2006 and 2007, and has repeatedly failed to appear in court when summoned.
