Plan Ávila
Encyclopedia
Plan Ávila is a military contingency plan by the Venezuela
n Army
to maintain public order in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas
. It was used in 1989 by the government of Carlos Andrés Pérez
, in response to riots, in an event which became known as the Caracazo
; hundreds were killed by military and armed police. On 27 August 2002, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
found that the 1989 implementation of Plan Ávila had resulted in massive human rights violations, and ordered the Venezuelan government to review its military contingency planning to conform to international human rights standards.
The activation of a revised form of Plan Ávila was ordered by current president Hugo Chávez
at midday on 11 April 2002, in response to public order events leading up to the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt. High-ranking members of the Armed Forces refused to carry out the Plan. When the General responsible was nowhere to be found, another general, Jorge García Carneiro
, the head of the largest military unit in Caracas, offered to step in. However, this was thwarted by soldiers blocking a highway and diverting civilian traffic into the military base at Fuerte Tiuna, preventing its troops from leaving. On contacting the base, the general was also told that a group of generals had plans to arrest the President.
Supporters of Chávez have said that the objective of the revised Plan Ávila is not to repress the population or to prevent public protest but to maintain public order and that the plan had already been applied during the visit of Pope John Paul II to Venezuela without shooting against the population.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n Army
Military of Venezuela
The National Armed Forces of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela are the overall unified military forces of Venezuela. It includes over 129,150 men and women, under Article 328 of the Constitution, in 5 components of Ground, Sea and Air...
to maintain public order in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
. It was used in 1989 by the government of Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...
, in response to riots, in an event which became known as the Caracazo
Caracazo
The Caracazo or sacudón is the name given to the wave of protests, riots and looting and ensuing massacre that occurred on 27 February 1989 in the Venezuelan capital Caracas and surrounding towns. The riots — the worst in Venezuelan history — resulted in a death toll of anywhere between...
; hundreds were killed by military and armed police. On 27 August 2002, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is an autonomous judicial institution based in the city of San José, Costa Rica. Together with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, it makes up the human rights protection system of the Organization of American States , which serves to uphold and...
found that the 1989 implementation of Plan Ávila had resulted in massive human rights violations, and ordered the Venezuelan government to review its military contingency planning to conform to international human rights standards.
The activation of a revised form of Plan Ávila was ordered by current president Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
at midday on 11 April 2002, in response to public order events leading up to the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt. High-ranking members of the Armed Forces refused to carry out the Plan. When the General responsible was nowhere to be found, another general, Jorge García Carneiro
Jorge García Carneiro
Jorge Luis García Carneiro is a Venezuelan politician. He was elected the governor of Vargas in 2008, having previously been head of the Venezuelan Army, Minister of Defense, and Minister for Social Development and Popular Participation...
, the head of the largest military unit in Caracas, offered to step in. However, this was thwarted by soldiers blocking a highway and diverting civilian traffic into the military base at Fuerte Tiuna, preventing its troops from leaving. On contacting the base, the general was also told that a group of generals had plans to arrest the President.
Supporters of Chávez have said that the objective of the revised Plan Ávila is not to repress the population or to prevent public protest but to maintain public order and that the plan had already been applied during the visit of Pope John Paul II to Venezuela without shooting against the population.