Venezuela
probes military officers for allegedly spying for US
By Tibisay Soto
AFP
CARACAS
Petroleumworld.com 01 27 06
Venezuela's government is investigating members of the armed forces
for allegedly onpassing state secrets to the US military, officials
said Thursday.
The probe comes as state-run media reports claimed the US embassy
in Caracas was also involved in the affair.
"Some low-level officials were sending information to the
Pentagon," Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel told the Ultimas
Noticias daily. El Universal newspaper quoted Rangel as saying
the suspects transmitted "state secrets".
The vice president said the suspects included both active and
retired members of the Venezuelan navy.
Media reports said some of the officials involved had sought to
evade the authorities, and that others were told to remain in
their barracks pending completion of the probe.
The state-run regional Telesur television network claimed US naval
attache John Correa had bribed the suspects, and armed forces
Inspector General Melvin Lopez Hidalgo also tied US diplomatic
staff to the probe.
"We have found elements that link in some manner officials
of the US embassy who made contacts to seek information from members
of the armed forces," he told Union radio.
The US embassy declined to comment on the allegations.
"It is the policy of our government in Washington not to
comment on such issues, a spokesman said.
Local media said 25 people were under investigation and that a
relative of one of them was arrested, while military authorities
on Sunday apparently searched the residences of several of the
suspects.
Alonso Medina, a lawyer for one of the naval officers named as
a suspect, said his client Plaza Lopez denied ever handing information
to Correa, but said he knew the US official well as the two studied
together in the United States.
Medina pointed out his client had offered his resignation last
year because he had received threats after denouncing acts of
corruption within the navy.
Lopez's father-in-law, Nohuel Moro, was recently arrested on his
way to deliver to a third person a CD sent by the officer, Medina
said, denying that the disc contatained any confidential state
information.
While the United States is the largest importer of Venezuelan
oil, of which it buys 1.5 million barrels a day, relations between
Washington and the government of leftist President Hugo Chavez
are tense.
Chavez has accused Washington of supporting the military-backed
2002 coup in which he was briefly ousted for 47 hours, and claims
the United States is still scheming against him with the Venezuelan
opposition.
Earlier this month, Washington prevented Spain from selling to
Venezeula planes made under US license, citing concern over regional
stability in South America.
AFP
01/26/06
Copyright
© 2006 AFP. All rights reserved
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