The Venezuela Reader

  2006: The Bush Administration Blocked Venezuela’s Purchase of Military Cargo Planes from Spain Venezuela had acquired eight military cargo planes in 1985. Due to high maintenance costs, only one remained in service in 2005.In November2005, Spanish and Venezuelan Defense Ministers signed an agreement for the sale of ten unarmed Spanish Military transport planes to Venezuela [1]. The $600 million deal was seen as important to Spain’s economy. Because the planes contained some U.S parts, the U.S. could veto the sale of the aircraft under the 1976 Arms Export Control Act. That 1976 Law subjected US-made technologies designated as “military” to export control. This meant that customers required approval from the US State Department any time they wanted to transfer those technologies to another country either as a direct sale or as a component in a larger item. The Bush Administration denied Spain’s request in January 2006, saying that the sale would strengthen the government of H...

  2002-2020: Ivan Simonovis, Police Captain, Imprisoned for 15 years, Guest of President Trump Ivan Simonovis began his career as a policeman in 1981. In 2000, Simonovis was appointed Secretary of Security for the Caracas mayor’s office. The mayor was Alfredo Pena, a staunch critic of President Hugo Chavez. On April 11, 2002, over 100,000 anti-Chavez protesters began an authorized march in Caracas. The marchers changed direction and began an unauthorized march toward the Presidential Palace, Miraflores to demand Chavez resign. Their route would have taken them under the Llaguno Bridge Overpass where hundreds of Chavez supporters had gathered. A shootout took place between the Chavez supporters on the Bridge and police sharpshooters on the street below. The police claimed that the Chavez supporters had been shooting at the anti-Chavez marchers and that the police shooters were protecting the protesters. Video footage showed that the street below was empty with no protestors pres...