[NYTr] Venez: Chavez Appoints Gustavo Rangel Defense Minister
 
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007 22:53:55 -0500 (CDT)


Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
Bloomberg - July 7, 2007
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aTBnGSdkOUng

Venezuela's Chavez Appoints Gustavo Rangel as Defense Minister

By Steven Bodzin

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez named Gustavo Rangel, the general in
charge of the country's reserve forces, as his ninth defense minister
since taking office in 1999.

The appointment increases the prominence of Venezuela's reserves, a
citizen militia intended to take part in development projects and civil
defense. Reserve battalions were activated May 1 as the country took
over foreign oil projects in the Faja del Orinoco region, according to
the newsletter of Petroleos de Venezuela SA, the country's state-run
oil company.

Chavez announced his choice of Rangel last night at a military
graduation ceremony where the president led new officers in a pledge to
``homeland, socialism or death.'' Rangel will replace Raul Isaias
Baduel in the next few days, according to a statement on the reserve
forces' Web site.

Rangel's appointment comes days after Chavez visited Russia and
discussed the purchase of eight diesel submarines, which he said were
necessary to defend the country's oil wealth against the U.S., the
biggest buyer of Venezuelan petroleum. 
       
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