Venezuela Training ‘Guerrilla Army’ Against U.S.
Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela is training a “guerrilla army” it aims to grow to one million strong by 2013 to fight off possible “imperialist aggression” from the United States, an opposition lawmaker claims. Former presidential candidate Maria Corina Machado told El Universal newspaper that “Plan Sucre,” developed with input from Cuba, seeks to “transform a professional army into a guerrilla army.” She said she had obtained a copy of the plan. Its “strategic objective” is to build a force that could wage a prolonged popular war against “the empire” — the United States, Machado said, citing the document. “This is clearly a proposal with Cuban inspiration and advice.” She also told the newspaper that the plan provides for strengthening the guerrilla force at the expense of the regular army, and the force would grow to 2 million by 2019. Chavez, who took power in 1999, is seeking re-election in October after declaring himself free of the cancer he has battled for a year, AFP reported. He has frequently accused the United States of seeking to destabilize his government. Machado sought to oppose him in the October election, but was defeated in February’s primary. |