MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuela's Chavez promises he'll be in office until 2021

Chavez: “life is not mine, my life belongs to you”

Venezuela's Hugo Chavez announced he would not be leaving government until after 2021, in spite of the fact his mandate ends in 2013 and the current constitution does not allow for a new re-election.

"You know that when I speak of 2021 I'm speaking of the bi-centennial of the Carabobo battle (*), June 24 of 2021, and then yes, God and the Virgin willing, following the two centuries celebration I will humbly request permission to retire. Until then, until 2021 we'll be marching together building the revolution and the motherland", said Chavez during a political rally in Carabobo. Chavez added he was only kidding when he says he'll be retiring to the (Venezuelan) savanna. "You know I'm kidding when I say I'm leaving for the savanna. I'm not leaving from here. I can't leave even if I wanted, because I don't belong to myself, my life is not mine, my life belongs to you", he told a cheering crowd. Chavez has been in office, and repeatedly elected, since 1998, but a constitutional reform rejected in a 2006 referendum contemplated indefinite re-election. In related news a former Venezuelan defense minister who has become a prominent critic of President Hugo Chavez was detained by military prosecutors on suspicion of mismanaging government funds during his command. Retired General Raul Baduel was detained by military intelligence agents Friday morning, taken before a military court and released hours later. Baduel told reporters as he left a Caracas military base Sunday night that "one of the measures that have been imposed is that I can't talk about this proceeding." He also was ordered not to leave the country and to appear before prosecutors every 15 days. Military officials have not announced any specific charge against him. But top military prosecutor Gen. Ernesto Jose Cedeno said Baduel is being investigated in connection with 14 million USD that allegedly disappeared from armed forces coffers when he was defense minister. Cedeno said Baduel was detained to answer questions in court about the missing funds, and that it's up to Baduel to "clear up the situation." He said the case is not retaliation for Baduel's opposition to Chavez's government, and the former general will be guaranteed "his full right to defense." Once a close Chavez ally, Baduel quickly became a fierce critic after retiring from the military in July 2007. He helped persuade Venezuelans to vote down a constitutional referendum last year that would have, among other things, allowed the president to run for re-election indefinitely. (*) The Battle of Carabobo, 24 June 1821, was fought between independence fighters, led by Simon Bolivar and the Spanish royalist forces, led by Field Marshal Miguel de la Torre. Bolívar's decisive victory at Carabobo led to the independence of Venezuela.