Why should the Generals care about nationalizing or denationalizing industries? The defense budget was not affected by the programs Mr. Chavez hoped to enact. The answer to this complex question is itself quite complex. Basically the Generals cared because they dislike Mr. Chavez. They did not vote for him, and they regarded his proposed program as a threat to national stability. In a sense they were right, but that is because their actions caused the instability.
The most difficult lesson for a military that has invoked dictatorial rule to learn is that in a democracy the military may not always get its way. In a dictatorship the military can govern and develop policies based on an "it's all about me" attitude. In a democracy the military must recognize that the system is not all about the whims of the Generals. Apparently Venezuela's military has not fully learned that lesson.
Days before Mr. Chavez would implement his program to nationalize the oil industry, the military instigated a coup. A business leader was installed as the new President. Venezuelans rioted in the streets to support Mr. Chavez. Two days later the elected vice-President replaced the military's chosen ruler. The next day Mr. Chavez was restored to power. But all was not well with Venezuelan democracy.
Mr. Chavez softened many of his hard-line socialist policies to accomodate the military as a way to avoid another coup. But public support for Mr. Chavez quickly vanished. During the next few months several general strikes were declared. Venezuela's industries gradually came to a halt. By late November the general strikes were continuous. Rioters again claimed the streets. And through it all Mr. Chavez falsely reassured the world that all would end fine.
It is quite amazing that the military has done nothing to intervene in this situation. Claims of police brutality and soldiers assaulting protesters are rampant. But the public relations benefits of another coup would be limited. The Generals probably calculate that if they keep themselves in the background while Mr. Chavez rules over nothing but chaos, it will be easier for them to install their candidates at the next general election. That strategy leads to the question: Can Venezuela afford to wait that long for order to be restored?
