Raúl Baduel

Raúl Isaías Baduel ( born July 6, 1955) is a Venezuelan politician, former general and former defense minister under President Hugo Chavez. He was in the " Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement 200 " (MBR -200) since 1982, one of Chávez's companions. In 2007 he left the government in connection with a pending referendum. Chávez later claimed he would have dismissed him. Baduel was an important leader of the opposition to Chávez.

In 2008 he was accused by a military court for alleged embezzlement in connection with an arms deal and arrested in 2009, which Baduel designated as politically motivated. In its Annual Report 2010, the global human rights organization Human Rights Watch cited the case as an example of the persecution of political opponents of the president.

In May 2010 Baduel was sentenced to a prison term of seven years and eleven months. At the same time he may endorse a public office for life ever again. He protests his innocence as before.