Saturday, President Hugo Chavez named General Henry Rangel Silva Venezuela’s new minister of defense. Rangel Silva has been on the United State’s “kingpin” list since 2008, accusing him of having “materially assisted the narcotics trafficking activities of the FARC.” The FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, is a narcotics trafficking organization that also seeks the overthrow of Columbia’s democratically elected government.
Two articles in the inaugural issue of The Arizonan referenced the concern U.S. officials have about the growing influence of drug cartels in South American military and government offices. Chavez’s appointment of a known drug kingpin to his nation’s top military post is sure to exacerbate those concerns, especially considering several other members of the Chavez regime have also been linked to the FARC and it’s nearly 50 year reign of terror against the Columbian people.