WORLD BRIEFING / VENEZUELA
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A former defense minister who is openly critical of President Hugo Chavez has been arrested.
Chavez critics have accused him of using the justice system to pursue critics of his government, which faces a budget crunch this year as the nation’s oil income shrinks.
Venezuela’s chief military prosecutor said Raul Baduel, who led an operation to rescue Chavez from a bungled coup attempt in 2002, was arrested to prevent him from fleeing to avoid being tried on charges of illicit enrichment.
“Enough elements of proof have appeared . . . and an arrest order was requested,” the prosecutor, Ernesto Cedeno, said in an interview with state television.
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