Chavez did the traditional July 5th military promotions. He took the opportunity to name a new defense minister, this time for the newly made Admiral Maniglia.
Huh?
In his orgy of power, now that Chavez has the exclusivity of military promotions as per the 1999 constitution, he is resurrecting titles that are only given after major feats of war. Titles not given since the days of Gomez.
Admiral Nelson had to lose an arm and eye to become the Trafalgar Admiral. Maniglia, well.....
At least for his consolation, and ours, he can hardly be any worse that the two "three suns" generals of the Army that preceeded him, the last one striclty for his servility to the regime and its beloved leader.
I suppose that new uniforms will have to be made, with lots of chains, plates and ribbons. The bolibananization of Venezuela keeps apace.
Historical note added later:
Maniglia will be the first Admiral in 189 years.
The last Admiral was Luis Brion, born in Curaçao, joined the Venezuelan independence war in 1813, going as far as buying his own ship to battle the Spaniards (probably with British financing). Naturalized Venezuelan in 1814, bolivar makes him Admiral in 1816 after the naval victory of Los Frailes. Then he illustrated himself with a long series of small battles and raids which allowed eventually Bolivar to land back in Veneuela and secure the Angostura region (with the river battle on the Orinoco at Cabrian), from where the final and definitive spur for independence would start (and the Gran Colombia founded). After 1819 from Magarita Island he directs and leads the take over of the Colombian Caribbean coast (mouth of the Magdalena, Santa Marta and Baranquilla). Eventually he dies of tuberculosis back in Curaçao in 1821. In 1888 his remains are transfered to the Caracas Pantheon where he rests not too far from Bolivar.
President Lusinchi in the late 80ies thought about naming an Admiral again, but the candidate he had in mind knew better than accept the honor, according to a short note in El Nacional. Things seem to have changed in 15 years as such scruples are now things of the past.
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