http://www.rnv.gov.ve/noticias/index.php?act=ST&f=29&t=19640#
on June 5th 2005 and is based on an article originally published in the Venezuelan daily newspaper “Ultimas Noticias” by the editor Eleazar Díaz Rangel.

Readers following events in Venezuela will be aware of the strained relations between the government of President Chavez and the current Neocon administration in Washington, seeking world domination and control of crude oil supplies for reasons of “national security”.

Venezuela, with the largest proven reserves of crude oil in the world, is a prime target for the Neocons since it is much nearer the US and has historically been in a much safer geopolitical position than the oil producing nations of the Middle East, and is thus open to an Iraq style US invasion.

In this context, in a war games room in Madrid Spain, US and NATO commanders carried out a simulated invasion of Venezuela from bases in Panama and Colombia in May 2001 – almost a year before the April 2002 coup d’état. Although Venezuela is not named as such, the maps used in Operation Balboa make it abundantly clear that the targets are in western Venezuela, where there are important oil reserves and refineries.

Readers should also be aware that western Venezuela where Operation Balboa is held in the war games simulation is dominated by Zulia state. This state has had separatist pretensions in the past to become an independent republic due to its vast oil wealth. The present governor, Manuel Rosales, signed the Carmona decree of April 12th 2002 as representative of the state governors. This man is a coup monger and will eventually face trial for “high treason”. Three months ago Rosales had several meetings with US Ambassador William Brownfield and Brownfield stated that the US was prepared to come to a free trade agreement with Zulia and not the country itself if necessary!

Thus, for geopolitical and economic reasons, the US has great interest in western Venezuela and even more so when Colombian oil from Arauca could be pumped through Venezuela and even refined at the Palito refinery, since such a pipeline would not be vulnerable to guerrilla bombings. However, it would be necessary to have an independent Zulia or Operation Balboa put a plan into action to achieve this. 

Finally, Operation Balboa should now be studied with even more diligence after the Resolution at the 60th Anniversary Summit of the United Nations. This includes a clause entitled “Responsibility to protect” which effectively institutionalizes the right to send to troops to countries where there is evidence of genocide, violation of human rights. http://www.un.org/summit2005/presskit/fact_sheet.pdf

Herewith a translation of the article and the introduction from the web site of RNV.

Plan Balboa has its counter-Balboa
In the program “Hello President” broadcast on July 3rd 2005, the Head of State Hugo Chávez referred to “Plan Balboa”, a military simulation exercise from the air. sea and land carried out in the Main Command Base in Spain and in which US and NATO forces invade western Venezuela from Panama and Colombia.

The President denounced that the simulation’s objective was to plan the invasion of Venezuela and had calculated the number of daily bombing runs, what sort of munitions and how many bombs were necessary to attack and destroy selected targets in our country.
Nevertheless, he indicated that there are “anti-Balboa plans” to baulk any attempt at violating Venezuelan sovereignty.

The Secretary of the National Defense Council, General Melvin Lopez Hidalgo stated that the plan was promoted by the US and in the light of this an analysis has been carried out to establish countermeasures against the simulation and its objectives.

“When officers practice with specific targets in a country, with coordinates, bases, roads, intersections and where the destruction of the bridge over Lake Maracaibo was planned, this makes us think and get prepared”, he said. Hidalgo also made it clear that the plan was denounced before the OAS by the Venezuelan ambassador Jorge Valero.

But what is Plan Balboa exactly? We are publishing an article by the journalist Eleazar Díaz Rangel from the newspaper Últimas Noticias on May 9th 2004, in which the details of this plan and its objectives are fully explained.

Venezuela invaded in NATO “war games”
From 3rd to 18th May 2001 the Armed Forces of Spain alter being fed with detailed, abundant and secret military and defense information about Venezuela, Colombia and Panama, carried out a simulation of air, land and sea exercises where US forces and those from “allied countries”, authorized by the UN, planned the famous Operation Balboa and attacked the western part of Venezuela.

This was a case of what is referred to in military jargon as “war games” where scenarios and situations are simulated which allow the participating forces to practice advanced offensive and defensive actions.
In this specific case, “a fictitious situation, the result of the evolution of some imaginary circumstances” was presented even though these appear very close to reality according to the “general norms of simulated exercises” and those of the “specific exercise used in the planning of Operation Balboa”.
It is surprising to learn about the ample information about Venezuela which is supposed to be classified as secret and confidential and was provided by US officers working for NATO and then handled in the simulation by 36 Lieutenant Colonels and other Spanish officials from the Air Force as well as those from other countries.

These and other military officials who took part in these “war games” were organized into two groups. Those corresponding to the Air Force were directed by the Commanders Juan Ramón del Río Nieto and Julián Roldán Martínez from the General Air Command in the Moncloa in Madrid. It can de inferred from the confidential documents to which we had access that similar exercises took place with land and naval units.

The Allied Combined Forces (the three components of various countries) were under a General Command (Ocmajf) with Commands in each component. Ajflc for land forces, Ajfmc for the naval forces and Ajfac for the air force, all of which spent several days evaluating strategy, holding a conference on final decisions,  operational concepts and critical judgments. Special Operations Forces also took part under the order of the General Command of Operation Balboa which could have been in NATO Headquarters in Pozuelos de Alarcón on the outskirts of Madrid.

The US was identified as the Blue Country; Colombia as the White Country; Panama as Cyan and Venezuela as the Brown Country. All the countries were described with some disinformation designed to flatter the Blue and White countries and to denigrate the Brown country. For example, it is maintained that the Brown country, having nationalized its oil is in need of “foreign personnel to keep up production and the operations of its installations.”

As we are all aware, this is completely false.

Intervention
In an attempt to justify intervention before the various participants, an area in conflict had to be created.

Nothing better than to show a complicated situation in Venezuela, the Brown country.
The next step was to simulate a scenario where a radical Peoples Party “takes action against the interests of the legitimately constituted government” and against properties and interests of the Blue country (US). A revolutionary force the VFL (notice how they use letters similar to the FBL: Bolivarian Liberation Forces, a small group operating on the Colombian border) is operative in the west of the Brown country with support from the guerrillas of the White country, from popular sectors and part of the Armed Forces and they practically control the west, classified as the Black Zone in the Brown country.

“With the escalation of the crisis and with it being impossible to control, the Brown Government requests international military aid”

Having studied the situation and facing a serious situation which prejudices western interests, the UN Security Council in its meeting no. 2358 on January 12th 2001, urges the VFL to abandon its belligerent attitude and come to a peace agreement  with the government of the Brown country.
Nevertheless, both the Free Peoples Party and the VFL ignore the request of the Security Council. Actions are stepped up against the fishing fleet of the Blue country and due to the overt nationalist and anti western character of this movement, the VFL threaten the lives of foreign residents from the Blue country in the Black Zone.

Faced with this situation, the UN Security Council, in its meeting 2742 on March 21st 2001 and in Resolution 1580, authorizes the formation of a Combined Allied Force to go in and recover the foreign residents.

At the same time, the Security Council authorizes the necessary air strikes against the potential air power of the VFL.

The role of Colombia
The White country (Colombia) declares itself neutral in the conflict but is fearful that it could extend into its territory. Guerrilla groups based there are carrying out actions in support of the VFL, and so the White country offers the Combined Allied Forces the use of its territory and its air bases – Cartagena, Soledad and Simon Bolivar if necessary, so that operations could be undertaken.
The Cyan country offers the Joint Allied Forces deployment in the Howard Air Base right next to the theater of operations, but out of range of the air power of the VFL.

The UN speaks
In the case of armed intervention supposedly requested by a government it is obligatory to keep up appearances. That’s the role of the UN even though it is not certain that the Security Council would assume this position.

They could appeal to the OAS and ask for the application of the Interamerican Charter, but in the case of decisions concerning NATO as is the case in this simulation, they opted for the UN.
The Security Council issued a resolution dated March 21st when after thoroughly “considering the situation” exhorts the VFL to abandon the occupied territories and to surrender to the legally constituted government of the Brown country. It authorizes the Blue country and its allies to carry out military actions based on Chapter VII of the UN Charter and in the case that before April 27th 2001, the VFL has not left the bases and barracks occupied and disarmed, force will be used to restore the situation and operations are authorized to recover the citizens of the Blue country in the Brown country. As a consequence, air strikes are authorized against the air force of the VFL and the Combined Allied Forces are set up mainly from the Blue country and its allies.

Operation Balboa
As it turns out, on April 30th the VFL are still occupying the territories and have ignored the UN.
The military situation of the VFL is excellent since they have a great number of aircraft and are completely in control of air bases and civil airports in the Black Zone, including the capital city (Maracaibo).

The VFL has threatened to destroy oil resources in the Brown country in the case that there are attacks against installations. Aggressive actions are expected and sabotage operations by the guerrillas against bases being used for deployments in the White country.
It is now time to begin to execute Operation Balboa named as such since it is near the Howard air base from where US aircraft from the Blue country will take off. (Translator’s note: Balboa is a town on the south coast of Panama and is so called since the conquistador of the same name “discovered” the Pacific Ocean supposedly at that point in 1513). All Commands are reminded that it is prohibited to bomb urban areas in the Brown territory occupied by enemy forces; land combat in populated areas in the Brown country and actions against the population itself are not regarded as strategic targets.
The Commands are also advised that they should also respect “the means of production in the zone controlled by the VFL” – that is the oil fields in Zulia state.

Military actions “to guarantee the development of the operation should be aimed at achieving and maintaining air superiority”.

D Day: May 17th 2001 at H tour 00:00
The final situation required is to rescue and bring to safety using the necessary operations, the residents in the west of the Brown countryand maintain the integrity of the territory of the White country.

Militarily the objectives are to destroy enemy air potential, support land forces, occupy part of the north west territory of the Brown country in order to recover the capital (Maracaibo), a naval blockade of the main ports in the occupied zone and  secure land communications to keep up the logistical flows and military control in the area.

The four phases
The operation will be carried out in the following four phases: Initial phases, deploy military effectives and adopt the measures necessary in accordance with the Action Plan decided by each Subordinated Command. Install alert controls, coordinate military actions and reconnaissance to ascertain the battle formation of the enemy forces.

• Phase 1: carry out air operations necessary to achieve and maintain air superiority in the theater of operations; guarantee control of the territory of the White country and maintain satellite reconnaissance operations.
• Phase 2: Maintain air superiority in the zone of operations and thus guarantee offensive, defensive and any other operations necessary; attack the enemy lines and control land communications and interrupt those of the enemy, evacuate the residents, cut off the logistical support of the enemy to maintain the upper hand and so be able to make progress in the occupied territory.
• Phase 3: Reestablish and maintain the integrity of the Brown country with its legal government.

Each Subordinated Command will carry out the following actions:

Effect an Airborne Disembarkation Operation (ADO) in the corresponding area – in this case the La Chinita international airport in Maracaibo; carry out air strikes attacking bases, radar installations, SAM and AAA batteries to maintain air superiority in the zone of operations; plan operations of Offensive Air Support for land forces.

Correlation of forces

The combined forces commanded by the Blue country (could be Southcom?) will have access to the following air power:

Air Bases: For the planning of air operations the Howard air base will be available (HOW 08º58’ N 079º39’ W), where their own aircraft will be deployed.

For the execution phase of operations, the following bases will be used in the White country (Colombia): Soledad (SOL 10º55’ N 074º47’ N), advanced deployment base; Simon Bolivar (SIM 11º10’ N 074º12’ W), advanced deployment base. There is also the base at Cartagena and since it has been the target of some attacks by the VFL, there is no way of deploying aircraft there.

There is a total of 96 aircraft distributed as follows: Air Grouping Alfa: one squadron with 8 F-15E, a squadron of 16 F-16; one squadron with 8 F-4G and one of 16 F-15C. Air Grouping “Bravo” – one squadron with 16 F15c: a squadron with 16 F-16; one squadron with 8 RF-4C.

Air Grouping “Charlie”:one squadron with 8 A10, one squadron with 6MH60; one squadron with 4 AC-130: Air Grouping “Delta” – 2 squadrons with 10 C130 each, 2 squadrons with 6 KC-135 each: Air Grouping “Echo”: one squadron with 3 E-3; one squadron with 3 Ec-130.

In total, 40 F-15, 32 F-16 and another 56 of various types, all operational and with their respective weapons. There are few, if any, air forces in Latin America with this power.

The report contains a list of target priorities and the condition of the same. There are 90 targets which should be bombed by aircraft from the Howard air base: in Barquisimeto, the main hangars, the SA3, runways, airplane hangars, radar installations – each one identified by its position in latitude and longitude; in La Chinita airport in Maracaibo, troops, tanks, runways and hangars are to be bombed.

In Guanare bombing is to take place on AAA batteries, camouflaged aircraft in Acarigua, roads and freeways as well as the Rafael Urdaneta bridge over Lake Maracaibo, troops in the refinery Potrerito, aircraft, runways anti aircraft batteries in La Fria etc, and a further 23 targets all with their respective coordinates and on the list, but classified as “not yet confirmed”.

The simulation identified the following bases and forces as “hostile”, that is to say, in Venezuela.

Air bases: In the Black Zone in the Brown country there is information about the operation of aircraft by the VFL in the following places: Air Base No.1 (Barquisimeto) 10º03’ N 069º22’ W, Air base 2 (Maraciabo) 10º35’ N 071º44’ W, Air base 3 (La Fria) 08º14’ N 072º16’ W. there are a further 9 civil airports marked as possible targets due to the real or presumed existence of military objectives.

All these bases are located in the west of the country and the nearest one to Caracas is in Valencia (10º11N 068’ 00W).

The aircraft capable of combat are identified as 6 of type 3, 12 of type 1, six of type 2 up to a total of 102. Each one of these aircraft is in the report with its respective profile.

What was the outcome?
Since the documents available contained plans for air strikes, with frequent references to land and naval operations, there can be nothing more logical to assume that Operation Balboa was a success. Targets were taken out, the security of the White country was confirmed and the consolidation of the central government after the annihilation of the VLF forces was achieved.

On May 18th, the day set for the end of military operations, tanks of the allied forces in several cities were observed on the computer screens, as well as the blockade of Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello and the Naval Base at Paraguana, from where the radical groups had been ejected. In the air it was easy to see the domination of the hundreds of air sorties that left the Howard air base and the three bases in Colombia. One French official observed how F-16’s hunted and shot down a small plane and he asked a North American official:

“But it’s a civil aircraft: Why was it shot down?”

The North American answered calmly:

“And you didn’t know that the leader was in the plane?”

Some questions
I suppose that on finishing reading, you may have some questions. For example, why was Venezuela chosen as the main target for these “war games”? What connection did Operation Balboa have with the coup d’état in April 2002? What relationship did this “simulation” have with the presence and activity of US officials during those days? Why wasn’t Cuba involved? How extensive would NATO intervention be? What was the role of Spain’s armed forces? What country proposed this war game? Was it the US, Spain or another NATO country? And supposing that the intelligence services of the Venezuelan Armed Forces discovered this “war game”, what have been the reactions of the Military High Command and the highest levels of the government? Have explanations been asked for? How did so much classified information about Venezuela’s military get leaked to the outside world?

From Operation Balboa to April 2002
Eleven months later there was a coup in Venezuela and for 47 hours a dictatorship was installed. On this occasion evidence emerged implicating the US government. In this context I wrote on my page in the Sunday edition of “Ultimas Noticias” on May 3rd 2003 entitled “April in Washington” how US naval captain David Cazares at a reception in the Melia Hotel on April 8th 2002, approached a Venezuelan general whom he had confused with one of the conspirators (both were called Gonzalez Gonzalez – translator’s note) and asked him why there had been a lack of contact since they now had a submarine and two war ships in Venezuelan waters. On April 12th 2002, US Colonel Donald F. MacCarty made an irregular request for the authorization for over flights for Galaxy C-17’s and Hercules C130’s.

At that time, instead of the four F-16’s which the US has permanently in Curacao, after they left the air base in Panama, there were 16 of these powerful fighter-bombers during the days of the coup. On March 28th Colonel Michael Rhea of the US Military Mission in Venezuela offered a training course out of the blue on the use of night vision equipment to be held before April 10th. The offer was taken up and US officials arrived in advance. In “Ultimas Noticias” we reported how a North American vessel penetrated our territorial waters near Falcon state on April 12th 2002, and a helicopter took off and flew in circles near the island of La Orchila where President Chavez was imprisoned.

We also published photos of US Colonel J. Rodgers driving an SUV who was stopped at an internal check point in the main Caracas military garrison of Fort Tiuna where he spent the days 11th, 12th and 13th April almost always on the fifth floor in the building where the Army Command is situated and which was the center of operations of the coup mongers and conspirators.

From “war games” military experts derive what are called “ongoing situations”, since such simulations are almost never divorced from reality. It’s quite the contrary – they mirror reality and on occasion bring it forward to the present.

There may not be any immediate threat of an invasion by the US due to the fact that the US military is regarded as overstretched http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4649066.stm . However, this does not mean that Operation Balboa will not be used in the future.

Operation Balboa has been “discredited” by the Venezuelan opposition and fascist media saying that Venezuela is not even named in Operation Balboa, for example and even going so far as to say that Operation Balboa does not exist and that it is a fantasy of President Chavez.

The maps and names prove otherwise and readers should be aware what is being planned for Venezuela. Currently the Neocons have their shock troops bogged down in Afghanistan and Iraq. Venezuela has oil and this whole “war game” smells of it.

Andy Goodall
VSC Coordinator
andy.goodall@venezuelasolidarity.org.uk