Ramón Rodríguez Chacín

Ramón Rodríguez Chacín is a Venezuelan former navy captain and politician, currently serving as Justice and Interior minister for a second time in the government of Hugo Chávez. On September 12, 2008 the US government accused Rodriguez-Chacin of providing support to drugtraffickers in Venezuela and maintaining close ties with the FARC.

Early years

Rodríguez Chacín specialized in counter-insurgency and counter-intelligence tactics while serving in the military of Venezuela.

Cejap

Rodríguez Chacín was one of the founders of the "Comando Específico José Antonio Páez (Cejap)", an elite group of police and military forces intended to fight FARC and ELN guerrillas. This group was involved in the Massacre of El Amparo (Masacre de El Amparo) where 14 innocent fisherman were killed under the assumption that they were actually members of the guerrilla. It was shown later that such claims were entirely false.

1992 Coup d'état attempts

On November 27, 1992, Rodríguez Chacín was involved in the movement that led the attempted coup d'etat led by Hugo Chávez and the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200. Rodríguez Chacín was jailed and served two years on charges of treason and rebellion.

Hugo Chávez government

With the election of Hugo Chávez as president of Venezuela in 1999, Rodríguez Chacín worked as his intelligence chief.

Minister of the Interior

Operation Emmanuel

In 2007 Rodríguez Chacín played a key role in organizing Operation Emmanuel, designed to fly into Colombia and receive three Colombian hostages held by the FARC in the jungles as part of a plan to push the Colombian government for a humanitarian exchange of hostages for prisoners.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the videotaped coverage of the hostage release showed minister Chacín telling FARC rebels "We are with you... Be strong. We are following your cause." [cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jan/20/world/fg-farc20|title=Chavez keeps up campaign to get rebels off terrorist list|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=2008-01-20|accessdate=2008-06-09]

Release of Polanco, Gechem, Beltran and Perez

In January 2008 another liberation of four Colombian hostages by the FARC was managed by Rodríguez Chacín.

Resignation

Chacín, the Minister of Interior and Justice, stepped down on September 8, 2008: "For strictly personal grounds, I have decided to leave my job. President Hugo Chávez, our Commander-in-Chief has decided that the new interim Minister will be my colleague and comrade, Tarek El Aissami" (who is now deputy minister of citizen security). [ [http://www.pr-inside.com/venezuela-s-justice-minister-steps-down-r794149.htm www.pr-inside.com/venezuela, Venezuela's justice minister steps down] ] [ [http://english.eluniversal.com/2008/09/08/en_pol_esp_rodriguez-chacin-lea_08A1972685.shtml english.eluniversal, Rodríguez Chacín leaves the Ministry of the Interior and Justice] ]

References