La more nationalist direction, and probably almost half the army would support him if he were to start expropriating foreign concerns, as has already been done by the military in Peru. If this seems likely the Americans may well promote a coup by pro-American officers with a view to re-establishing the favourable climate for foreign investment which prevailed before the events of May.
The new nationalist military in Latin America certainly need to be watched. Much of their anti-Americanism is derived professional contempt for the American failure to win the war in Vietnam. The fact that their major ally has just lost a war has had a profound effect on the way Latin American soldiers look at the world. It may not lead to revolutionary change, but reform is in the air, even though it comes from a direction that was least expected. the Guerillas, legalised the CP, released political prisoners and allowed many exiles to return home. In this way he hoped to weaken the determination of the comrades who stuck to a revolutionary position, and increase influence of Cane "softline" Venezuelan Communist Party.
The Guerillas led by Douglas Bravo refused absolutely to have anything to do with the "dialogue" proposed by Caldera. They said that the armed struggle was a class struggle, and there could be no discussion with a class whose existence depended on the oppression of the Venezuelan people. The M.I.R. guerillas in the East, who are led by Carlos Betancourt (known as Geronimo!), put forward eight conditions and said there could be no acceptance of the Pacification Programme unless they Well compiled with. Venezuelan movement. He offered pardons to practical assistance to the comrades in the mountains.
In recent months the have concentrated on University Reform, their major demand being "Parity Rule" - government of the Universities by an equal number of staff, students and employees. The aim has been to Popular Universities combatting Universities to the poor.
The for a Popular University unmasked the supposedly peaceful intentions of the government. As the movement gained ground, the repression increased. Universities were raided and occupied by armed police.
demonstrators WelC fired on (and killed) in the streets. More sinister still, COPEI civilians were armed by the government, and
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courses that are more to do with U.S. reality than Venezuelan reality, and by opening the