Economics
Venezuelan Soldiers Desert in Droves With Presidential Election Ahead
- Shorthanded army is charged with overseeing May 20 election
- Retirees have been recalled as officers flee the country
Members of Venezuela's civilian militia perform during a demonstration at a "Day Of National Dignity" rally with Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's president, not pictured, in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 13.
Photographer: Bloomberg/Bloomberg
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Military officers are joining the exodus of Venezuelans to Colombia and Brazil, fleeing barracks and forcing President Nicolas Maduro’s government to call upon retirees and militia to fill the void.
High desertion rates at bases in Caracas and the countryside are complicating security plans for the presidential election in 13 days, which by law require military custody of electoral materials and machinery at voting centers.