Chavez Says Accusations Against Defense Minister Are False
January 17, 2012, 6:52 PM ESTBy Daniel Cancel
Jan. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said that accusations that incoming defense minister Henry Rangel Silva has collaborated with rebel groups in Colombia are false and are attacks from “enemies” of his socialist revolution.
Rangel Silva, who was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2008 for allegedly assisting narcotics trafficking in neighboring Colombia, was sworn in as the new defense minister today by Chavez in a nationally televised event in Caracas.
“The attacks against Rangel Silva have intensified in recent days, accusing him of I don’t know how many things using lies,” Chavez said on state television. “They don’t have a single bit of evidence, it’s all false. If the Venezuelan bourgeoisie attacks our military chief, it’s because we have a tremendous military chief.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Cancel in Caracas at dcancel@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Joshua Goodman at jgoodman19@bloomberg.net -0- Jan/17/2012 23:30 GMT
