2004/2005: Venezuela Closed US Army Offices and ended the US Military Cooperation Agreement

Between 1958 and 1999, the US and Venezuela had one of the most robust bilateral defense relationships of any two countries in the Americas. [1] During this time, Venezuela’s perceived security and defense challenges aligned with US interests, making cooperation successful. The size of the US military mission in Caracas was the largest in Latin America [1]. Beginning in the 1950s, the US Army had a liaison office at Fort Tiuna armed forces headquarters in Caracas. Active US military personnel staffed the Army office.

Prior to the 1998 election of Hugo Chavez as President, Venezuela had never seriously entertained the idea of reducing military cooperation with the US. However, under him, the Venezuelan government sought a reduction of its dependence on the USA for national defense [1]. On May 13, 2004 US military staff were asked to leave offices at Fort Tiuna and other military installations. US Officers relocated to the US Embassy [2].

For 35 years, the US and Venezuela had a Military Cooperation Agreement. US officers conducted training programs in Venezuela. On April 22, 2005, Chavez ordered the cancelation of military cooperation agreements with the US and the immediate repatriation of US military advisors. The US Embassy confirmed that five Army, Air Force and Navy officers had received orders to end their missions in Venezuela [4]. Chavez said that the American instructors had been trying to foment unrest in the barracks against him by spreading a negative image of his government to the soldiers they were training [3][4].

 

1.     Polga-Hecimovich, J. and F.S Perera, Tracing Bilateral security cooperation: the asymmetric deterioration of US-Venezuelan defense relations, International Politics, August 20, 2024.

2.     New York Times, Venezuela Is Evicting U.S. Attaches from Bases May 13, 2004.

3.     LADB, Venezuela Cancels Military Agreement with US, NotiSur, May 13, 2005.

4.     New York Times, Venezuela Ends Military Ties and Evicts Some U.S. Officers, April 25, 2005

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