Weekly Report - 12 July 2005

President Hugo Chávez has confounded all forecasters by replacing General-in-Chief Jorge Garcí­a Carneiro as defence minister and keeping the man most touted as his successor, General Raúl Baduel, as commander of the army. Most surprisingly, he has entrusted the defence ministry to a navy officer - though perhaps the most significant move has been the appointment of strategist Melvin López as inspector-general of the armed forces.