MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Maduro warns that extended corruption “could devour” the motherland and the revolution

The Venezuelan president at the head of the Carabobo battle celebrations

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro warned on Monday that corruption will “gobble the motherland” unless there is a tough frontal fight, and underlined that no Socialist or ‘revolutionary’ can be corrupt.

“There are other powerful enemies, one of them is corruption. I’ve said it and I beg people…because corruption is going to gobble, to devour the motherland if we don’t spear a strong combat against the corrupt, against corruption methods, be it where it be”, said Maduro during a civic-military parade in Caracas.

During the event there was a homage to the ‘eternal commander’ Hugo Chavez with an impressive military parade on Army’s Day.

Shouting “Chavez lives, the struggle continues”, the main battalions of the army marched along the Heroes’ Esplanade with huge posters of the leader who died on March 5.

Maduro in his speech to groups of civilians and the military recalled the memory of Chavez attending the celebration of the 192 anniversary of the Carabobo battle which sealed Venezuela’s independence from Spain.

Thanks to Chavez we have a “true motherland” said Maduro who added that while Bolivar defeated the Spanish empire with his sword, Chavez defeated the US empire with “the ideas and ballots of the people”.

This was the first military parade on the Carabobo anniversary since Maduro succeeded Chavez in office after the 14 April election; an election that continues to be questioned by the opposition.

The strong speech against corruption follows the arrest last week of a senior tax official, as part of a national campaign to stamp out an extended practice under the Bolivarian revolution.

Maduro said the local director of the SENIAT tax authority in the coastal city of La Guaira had been caught by state intelligence agents with more than 4 million Bolivar in cash (about 635,000 dollars).

“He was walking around freely, personally taking bribes ... I call on everyone, the revolutionaries, the honest people, to support me in the fight against corruption.”

So far, Maduro's new drive against graft has snared several senior officials from state companies, organizations and government ministries. None have been heavyweight leaders of the “Chavismo” movement forged by his late mentor.

That has prompted opposition leaders such as Henrique Capriles, who lost April's election to Maduro, to accuse his administration of only going after smaller, less politically connected targets.