Venezuelan vice president resigned


Carrizález resigned today, Monday, 25 January 2010, based "purely personal" and exit "is not caused by any discrepancy in government decisions" (...) "any other version is false and tendentious" , the official said in a statement. EFE / Harold Escalona Photo By CASTO OCANDO
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The vice president and defense minister of Venezuela, Ramon Carrizales, one of the oldest allies of President Hugo Chávez announced his resignation Monday citing personal reasons, although Venezuelan analysts said that might be due to disagreement with the imposition of the Cuban military senior officers.

"There have been numerous rumors this week of heavy bickering over the imposition of controls Cubans in making decisions in the Operational Strategic Command,''said Rocio San Miguel, who chairs Watch, a nongovernmental organization that monitors Venezuelan military sector.

Carrizález's wife, Yubirí Ortega was replaced days ago as Environment Minister.

Carrizález, retired colonel of 57 years, announced Monday in a statement that his departure is not due to "any discrepancies in government decisions,''and that any other version is false and biased.'' He added that he and Ortega were awaiting "new appointments.''

San Miguel's view is shared by others, as political analyst Manuel Malaver, who argues that the resignation was due to his disagreement with the assimilation of Cuban officials with their own ranks in the Venezuelan army.

Rumors Carrizález output started mid last week, when Ortega was abruptly replaced by Claudia Salerno, Director of International Cooperation, Ministry of Environment, said sources familiar with the matter.

Carrizález output has been seen as a sign that Chavez's government polish his environment towards a radicalization of the Bolivarian revolution, with more active participation of Cubans in the military sector, said analysts and sources familiar with the consultative process by El Nuevo Herald.

Carrizález is considered close to Diosdado Cabello, a Chávez's strong men, who shared responsibility for the defunct Ministry of Infrastructure. There he became involved in government in 2000. He was named vice president and defense minister in 2008.

According to political analyst Manuel Felipe Sierra, Carrizález's resignation "can not be seen as an act of dissent,''and could be the result of excessive accumulation of responsibilities. Recently, she was responsible for the massive power rationing in the country .

"Carrizález is the nearest man, absolutely unconditional Chavez, but a character who has no political weight of importance,''said Smith, a political columnist for the newspaper El Nacional, Caracas.

San Miguel stressed that the departure of Carrizález and Ortega would indicate that Chavez is preparing to radicalize the process and test loyalties.

"Chavez has a table designed for the radicalization of the most loyal around him,''said San Miguel." Carrizález output is related to this strategy, and we will attend to many tests of loyalty.''

He said that Chavez ordered the promotion to major general, the highest military rank in the army of Venezuela, Hugo Carvajal, head of the Military Intelligence Directorate (DIM), and Henry Rangel Silva, former director of the Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention (DISIP).Both were appointed in 2008 as "kingpins''and cooperators of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the smuggling of drugs by the Treasury Department United States.

"We face a radicalization of the Bolivarian revolutionary process,''San Miguel stated.

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