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Colombian Paramilitaries tried to kill Chavez

"Al Jazeera has obtained exclusive footage of a Colombian contract killer detailing an alleged $25 million plot to kill Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president.

Geovanny Velasquez Zambrano says the money was offered by Manuel Rosales, one of Chavez's main political rivals, during a secret meeting in 1999.

A Colombian paramilitary group took up the offer, according to Zambrano.

Chavez has long said there is a plot by Colombia to kill him, and relations between the two countries are tense.

Francisco Dominguez, head of the Centre of Brazil and Latin American Studies at UK's Middlesex University, told Al Jazeera that so far, it has been impossible for Chavez's opponents to bring him down by political means.

"He's very popular. He's lost one of 16 elections only. So if anyone is desperate to get rid of him, the one neat mechanism to get rid of him would be assassination," Dominquez said.

"Chavez is pretty justified in thinking this guy's claims [Zambrano] were credible. It is credible that Rosales could have offered $25 million."

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/09/2009926105146717728...

More details about the same story in Spanish are found here:

http://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/ultimas-noticias/story/550754.ht...

“La Fiscalía General de Colombia tiene el testimonio de un ex militar colombiano condenado por paramilitarismo según el cual el entonces gobernador del estado venezolano de Zulia, Manuel Rosales, participó en un complot con escuadrones de la muerte para asesinar al presidente Hugo Chávez.

En extensa entrevista con El Nuevo Herald, el ex soldado Geovanny Velásquez Zambrano, condenado a 40 años de prisión por haber cometido masacres con paramilitares en la región colombiana de Catatumbo, fronteriza con Venezuela, sostuvo que las reuniones ocurrieron el jueves 23 y el viernes 24 de diciembre de 1999.

Velásquez hizo un recuento de estas reuniones el 22 de mayo ante un reportero de El Nuevo Herald en un despacho judicial de Bogotá tras rendir declaraciones en el mismo sentido a la Fiscalía General. También aseguró que asistió a dos reuniones en las que Rosales, ex gobernador del estado Zulia y ex candidato presidencial de la oposición, ofreció pagar $25 millones para poner la operación en marcha.

El Nuevo Herald logró acceso a otro ex militar colombiano que también ha declarado ante la fiscalía sobre el plan contra Chávez.

Se trata del mayor del ejército colombiano Mauricio Llorente Chávez, condenado por haber permitido que paramilitares cometieran en 1999 tres masacres en Catatumbo. Llorente reveló a El Nuevo Herald que el comandante de las fuerzas ilegales preparadas para matar a Chávez fue un soldado profesional que estuvo bajo su mando, identificado como José Misael Valero Santa, alias Lucas, quien aún hoy permanece en ese país al mando de una tropa de 1,000 paramilitares.
Todavía, como resultado de aquellos acuerdos, "en este momento hay 2,000 paramilitares en Venezuela en lo que es La Fría, Colón [en el estado Táchira], El Vigía [estado Mérida], Barinas [capital del estado Barinas], Barquisimeto [capital del estado Lara], Trujillo y Valera [estado Trujillo]. ¿Con qué fin? Con el fin de darle de baja a Chávez, con el fin de desestabilizar a Chávez'', sostuvo.”

By Dolfi on Sep 29, 2009, 03:13 in Friendly Talkzone.

makopp5 (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 29, 2009, 03:28:

Rosales must be a very rich man, when he can afford to pay so many paramilitary for nearly 10 years, I think he now had payed more than 100 Millon. And interesting that this terrorist in talking after such a long time. How much they payed him to say this?

And the best I hope they get soon theis goal that there can be peace in S.A.

0 funny, 2 helpful.

El Expatriado says on Sep 29, 2009, 04:26:

And of course Al Jazeera is the Beacon of Truth.

Manny was corrupt as the rest of them, but I doubt he'd waste his money on that. Too smart and too popular in Zulia.

0 funny, 1 helpful.

tasco66 says on Sep 29, 2009, 04:26:

Al Jazeera knows all about plots to kill Chavez...jajajaja

The trouble with free elections is, you never know who is going to win (Leonid Brezhnev)

0 funny, 1 helpful.

viajero123 (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 29, 2009, 06:34:

Then why were the "paramilitaries" arrested in Caracas a few years ago freed and cleared by the Venezuelian justices?
To make up that foreign forces in Colombia and the US want to kill you is a very good way to maitain your popularity and uniting your people around one cause.

0 funny, 3 helpful.

tasco66 says on Sep 29, 2009, 06:40:

Apparently Obama has a secret plan to invade Venezuela too..jajaja

The trouble with free elections is, you never know who is going to win (Leonid Brezhnev)

1 funny, 0 helpful.

billyb says on Sep 29, 2009, 06:43:

All I have to say is too fokin bad the plot wasn't successful. BTW, dolfi, don't you get your news from Pravda anymore?

"All I want to know is where I'm going to die, so I never go there" Unkown (at least to me) wise man.

1 funny, 2 helpful.

magiver says on Sep 29, 2009, 07:59:

man...
Can't this guy be a leader to his country without inventing enemies and plots to kill him every other week?
I know that to be a "real" "revolutionary" (one with street cred and stuff) you must have people trying to kill you, but there is a point when you over play that card and it looks sad and stupid.
The explanation is simple. Once people realize no one is trying to kill him the revolution is over. There's no one to fight against... No oppressing force to rise attack...

My English is bad because its not my native language. Whats your excuse?

0 funny, 0 helpful.