Ángel Omar Vivas Perdomo is a Venezuelan Brigadier General. He has made himself known as an outspoken opponent of the politicization of the Venezuelan Armed Forces, by going to the supreme court to challenge the introduction of a war cry originally created by Fidel Castro, as the motto for the military in Venezuela. He was arrested, prosecuted, and on 1 March 2012, sentenced to 4 months and 15 days in jail for having challenged the motto in court. On 7 April 2017, he was arrested again during a SEBIN operation that tricked him into helping a young man that hit his car into the front door of his house, three years after a detention order was published during the 2014 Venezuelan protests.
Background
General Vivas was born in San Cristóbal on 10 October 1956. In 1978 he graduated from the military academy, and in 1988 he graduated as civil engineer. He went on to study "Planning and Transport Organization" in London, United Kingdom. In 1997 the Organization of American States appointed him commander of the multinational mission MARMINCA in Central America, an operation for mine clearing in the former war-ravaged countries. In 2002 he obtained an MBA in UNET, and in 2006 a doctorate in Business Administration in Finance at the Texan American University. In Venezuela he has held positions such as Finance Director of the Army, and Director of Engineering at the Defense Ministry. He has 35 military decorations from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the United States.[1]
Objection to political use of military
On 18 August 2006, General Vivas was appointed National Director of Engineering at the Defense Ministry, but already on 24 January the following year he decided to hand in his resignation from the post due to "grave violations of the Venezuelan Constitution", according to his own declaration.[2] On 15 May 2008, Vivas petitioned the Supreme Court requesting that it eliminate from use in the Venezuela armed forces the motto created by Fidel Castro, “Patria, socialismo o muerte. Venceremos!” ("Fatherland, socialism or death. We will triumph!"). He suggested the military could instead use a phrase uttered by Venezuela's independence hero Francisco Miranda, "Muera la tiranía! Viva la libertad!" ("Death to tyranny! Long live liberty!").[3][4]
When leaving the court he was arrested by the military intelligence and interrogated for nine hours.[5][6] He was later charged with insubordination and charges that were not even specified, plus he was forbidden to speak publicly about the case according to his lawyer, who considered it a clear case of political persecution.[7] In his defense on 28 April 2010, he accused all of his accusers of treason to their oaths of office.[8] On 1 March 2012, General Vivas was sentenced to 4 months and 15 days of prison by the military court in Caracas.[9]
The International Crisis Group made reference to General Vivas's court motion and detention while observing that the introduction of the motto in question is a flagrant violation of the apolitical character of the armed forces.[10] General Vivas received online support from other militaries in Venezuela and Honduras, although for obvious reasons this support is routinely expressed anonymously.[11]
Arrest
Ángel Vivas' residence in Caracas
During the 2014 Venezuela protests, Vivas tweeted that wires should be hung across streets as a defense against pro-government colectivos. The Venezuelan government issued an arrest order against him afterwards.[12][13]
On 7 April 2017, General Vivas was arrested again during a SEBIN operation that tricked him into helping a young man that hit his car into the front door of his house, three years after a detention order was issued during the 2014 protests.[14] According to Vivas's family, he was beaten during his arrest. Among the reported injuries caused was a wound at the level of the temple, causing a partial loss of the left eye and a complete loss of hearing in the right ear, apparently affecting internal organs. Family members also reported that he lost several kilos of weight and expressed fear that he had a broken rib, due to a protuberance in the area. His wife declared that the injuries also included a fracture in his back, publishing a chest tomographic report describing fracture and displacement of the ninth intervertebral disc. The day after the beating, Vivas was presented before the 1st Military Control Court. The judge issued a transfer order to the Military Hospital, but security officials ignored it initially.[15][16][17]
Vivas went for more than a month without receiving medical attention until he was transferred to the Military Hospital in Fort Tiuna on 19 May. He stayed in the hospital for a few hours, where his spine was immobilized with a corset with hook-and-loop fasteners, before being returned to El Helicoide. His wife described the treatment as a mockery. In July, the Public Ministry filed an injunction for Vivas' state of health, stating about his spine fracture.[18]
He was released from El Helicoide on 1 June 2018.[19] By October 2018, following his release, Ángel Vivas had undergone four surgeries for his spinal injury, and by then he was considering having a fifth one performed.[17]
Personal life
General Vivas is married to Estrella de Vivas; they have three daughters.[1]
^(in Spanish) International Crisis Group, "VENEZUELA: ¿REFORMA POLÍTICA O COLAPSO DEL RÉGIMEN?", Informe sobre América Latina N°27, p. 3, "Chávez les dijo a los oficiales que no quisieran suscribir el lema “¡Patria, socialismo o muerte!” que abandonaran la institución, en un acto de violación flagrante de su carácter apolítico constitucional18." [3]
^López, Abel (11 May 2017). "Se deteriora la salud del general Ángel Vivas por torturas en el Sebin" (in Spanish). El Nacional. Retrieved 4 June 2019. Entre las lesiones que sufrió está una herida a la altura de la sien que le afectó el ojo izquierdo, causándole la pérdida parcial de la visión; perdió completamente la audición en el oído derecho y recibió un fuerte golpe en la columna con un fusil, que aparentemente le afectó órganos internos. Los familiares suponen que tiene una costilla rota, debido a que presenta una protuberancia en esa zona. Además, ha perdido varios kilos de peso, está encorvado y utiliza un bastón: "Su estado de salud es extremadamente crítico". Al día siguiente de las torturas lo presentaron ante el juzgado 1° de Control Militar. La juez que lleva el caso emitió una orden de traslado al Hospital Militar; sin embargo, los funcionarios de seguridad hicieron caso omiso de la orden. [Among the injuries he suffered was a wound to the temple that affected his left eye, causing partial loss of vision; he completely lost his hearing in his right ear and received a strong blow to his spine with a rifle, which apparently affected his internal organs. Relatives assume that he has a broken rib, due to a protrusion in that area. In addition, he has lost several kilos, is bent over and uses a cane: "His state of health is extremely critical". The day after the torture he was brought before the 1st Military Control Court. The judge in charge of the case issued an order for his transfer to the Military Hospital; however, the security officers ignored the order.]
^Rea, Rosalie (2017-07-09). "General Ángel Vivas cumplió tres meses preso y sin recibir atención médica". El Carabobeño (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-02-19. Su esposa Estrella Vitora denunció el pasado 16 de junio que «esbirros» del régimen de Nicolás Maduro le fracturaron la columna y publicó un informe tomográfico de tórax que muestra la condición del general: fractura de cuerpo vertebral D9 completa con discreto desplazamiento y escoliosis dextroconvexa en probable relación antecedentes de enfermedades de base. Vitora indicó que luego del arresto, al general le dieron una golpiza, lo encandenaron y lo obligaron a presentarse ante un tribunal militar con el peso de las cadenas y el intenso dolor de sus lesiones que además de daños en la columna, incluyen pérdida de visión en el ojo izquierdo por un golpe contundente en la cara y pérdida de la audición en el oído derecho. Durante más de un mes le negaron la atención médica. El 19 de mayo finalmente lo trasladaron al Hospital Militar en Fuerte Tiuna, pero solo estuvo unas horas allí y fue enviado de vuelta a la sede del Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional (Sebin) El Helicoide. Vitora contó que un médico traumatólogo le inmovilizó la columna con un corsé de cierres mágicos, en un tratamiento ambulatorio que calificó como una burla. [His wife Estrella Vitora denounced last June 16 that "henchmen" of the regime of Nicolás Maduro fractured his spine and published a tomographic report of thorax showing the general's condition: complete D9 vertebral body fracture with discreet displacement and dextroconvex scoliosis in probable relation to a history of underlying diseases. Vitora indicated that after the arrest, the general was beaten, put in chains and forced to appear before a military court with the weight of the chains and the intense pain of his injuries, which in addition to damage to his spine, include loss of vision in the left eye due to a blunt blow to the face and loss of hearing in the right ear. For more than a month he was denied medical attention. On May 19 he was finally transferred to the Military Hospital in Fuerte Tiuna, but he only stayed there for a few hours and was sent back to the headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) El Helicoide. Vitora said that a traumatologist doctor immobilized his spine with a corset of velcro tape, in an outpatient treatment that she described as a mockery.]
^ ab"General Ángel Vivas podría someterse a una quinta operación de columna vertebral". Tal Cual (in Spanish). 25 October 2018. La familia del general Ángel Vivas, quien fuera excarcelado en junio de 2018, informó a través de Twitter que ya se ha sometido a cuatro cirugías y se encuentra evaluando realizar una quinta para «reparar los daños» que presenta su columna vertebral. [The family of General Ángel Vivas, who was released from prison in June 2018, informed via Twitter that he has already undergone four surgeries and is evaluating a fifth one to "repair the damage" to his spine.]
^"Fiscales del MP presentaron amparo por derecho a la salud del general Ángel Vivas". El Cooperante. 26 July 2017. El Ministerio Público (MP) designó a los fiscales 62º nacional y 81º del Área Metropolitana de Caracas (AMC) para que presentaran amparo por el derecho a la salud del general retirado Ángel Vivas. "Vivas, quien presenta una fractura en la columna, permanece detenido en el Sebín desde el pasado 7 de abril", reza un tuit del MP. [The Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) appointed the 62nd national and 81st prosecutors of the Metropolitan Area of Caracas (AMC) to file an injunction for the right to health of retired general Ángel Vivas. "Vivas, who presents a fracture in his spine, has been detained in the Sebín since April 7", reads a tweet from the MP.]
