Chavez’s Reign of Legal Terror Widens

Ray Walser /

Hugo Chavez

On July 12, agents of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service raided the Caracas home of Venezuela opposition figure Alejandro Peña Esclusa.  According Pena’s wife, Indira de Peña, the intelligence operatives blatantly planted evidence including explosives about the apartment and hauled her husband off to jail on treason and terror charges.

The justification for Pena’s arrest is an alleged connection to a shadowy Salvadoran with a criminal past.  The Venezuelan’s say Francisco Chavez Abarca attempted to enter Venezuela on a false passport with the intent of violently disrupting the September 26 legislative elections. The Venezuelans claim Abarca is a long-time associate of anti-Castro Cuban exile Luis Posada Carriles, who stands accused of acts of terror against the Castro regime.  After incriminating Peña and other Venezuelan opposition figures, the Venezuelan government conveniently shipped Abarca off to Havana for further interrogation by Cuban intelligence and a future date with a Cuban show trial. (more…)