Raúl Baduel Raúl Isaías Baduel ( born 6 July 1955 ) is a Venezuelan politician , retired general , and former Defense Minister under President Hugo Chávez . He was a member of Chavez ' MBR - 200 , joining in December 1982 . Military . In 1993 Baduel attended the School of Americas , an officer training school for Latin America n military officers run by the United States Army . He was instrumental in restoring Chávez to power after the 2002 Venezuelan coup d ' état attempt , and was described by the BBC as " one of a small group of officers ' co - governing ' Venezuela with Mr Chavez " . He was commander - in - chief of the Venezuelan Army from 2004 until July 2007 . Opposition leader . In 2007 Baduel left his position as Defense Minister . Chávez later said that he had removed Baduel from office because he had been unable to explain a string of irregularities . He had called his friend into his office and asked him to explain various issues , and he had been unable to do so , and a few days later , he had sacked him . After retiring as Defense Minister , he emerged in 2007 as an opposition leader , when he publicly broke with Chavez and announced his opposition to the constitutional changes proposed in the 2007 constitutional referendum ( narrowly defeated ) that would have strengthened the powers of the presidency and removed the restriction on public officials being re - elected . Baduel " emerged as a prominent voice of dissent " concerned that Chavez was taking Venezuela down a " road to ruin " and becoming authoritarian . He became the highest - ranking military person opposed to Chavez ' s constitutional changes that would " concentrate power in the executive " . In July 2007 , he said , " A socialist regime is not incompatible with a democratic system of checks and balances and division of powers . We must separate ourselves from Marxist orthodoxy . " Corruption charge . In October 2008 , a " military prosecutor said he was responsible for about $ 14 million that disappeared during his tenure as defense minister " in a transaction involving the purchase of military equipment . According to " The New York Times " , " Chávez has moved against a wide range of domestic critics , and his efforts in recent weeks to strengthen his grip on the armed forces have led to high - profile arrests and a wave of reassignments " . On 2 April 2009 , Baduel was arrested ; Baduel said that his arrest was politically motivated , and according to " The Guardian " , he says " his crime was to realise – and declare – that the president was a tyrant " . The 2009 Human Rights Watch report mentions Baduel as an example of political persecution . Former U . S . President Jimmy Carter expressed concern about the case , and Steve Ellner , a Venezuelan historian and analyst , noted that " courts overwhelmingly targeted opposition figures . ' Chávez ' s case would be much stronger if he went after corruption within his own government . ' Arresting Baduel neutralised an opponent who could stir trouble in the army . ' Obviously throwing Baduel in jail had a political motivation . ' " In April 2010 , Amnesty International accused " the Venezuelan government of deliberately targeting opposition leaders and sympathizers " . In May 2010 , Baduel was convicted by a military court of corruption and sentenced to seven years and eleven months in prison ; Baduel says he is innocent . The military court declared that US $ 3 . 9 million was misappropriated , according to interviews with members of various military units ; Baduel ' s daughter said no proof existed and the main evidence was provided by soldiers who claimed to see another officer carrying some black bags . From Ramo Verde prison , Baduel sent a Twitter message to family members , saying , " God is with us and divine justice is always active " .