<\/p>\n
At a crossroads not far from a gas station overgrown with weeds, young men and women in faded green fatigues stop vehicles returning from a rally for opponents of Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro, ask passengers for their identifications, and inspect their cars, trucks and motorcycles.<\/p>\n
Such checkpoints have proliferated across the country\u2019s vast tropical plains, forested highlands and beachfronts in the run-up to Sunday\u2019s presidential election, aiming to intimidate and occasionally detain government critics. They often involve a request for a ride, bananas or \u201ccollaboration\u201d \u2014 Venezuela\u2019s euphemism for a small bribe.<\/p>\n
But the power play frequently falls flat. When their superiors slip away from the scorching sun, the grunts betray their displeasure with Maduro and openness to a new commander in chief.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid the lady arrive? Were there a lot people?\u201d one giddy soldier asks about opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to watch, but there is no Wi-Fi here,\u201d whispers another.<\/p>\n
Since taking power in 2013, Maduro hasn\u2019t hesitated to deploy troops to crush protests while rewarding senior officers with lucrative government jobs and control of key industries. But days away from a hotly disputed vote that threatens Maduro\u2019s hold on power, the self-proclaimed socialist is working harder than ever to shore up the loyalty of the armed forces \u2014 the traditional arbiter of political disputes in Venezuela \u2014 and keep top commanders in line.<\/p>\n
In recent days, the president has appeared on state TV attending a graduation ceremony for 25,000 police officers, praising them as the first line of defense against what he called attempts by rightwing hardliners to provoke a tragedy. He also promoted dozens of officers and bestowed a new title on his longtime defense minister, Vladimir Padrino L\u00f3pez: \u201dGeneral of the Sovereign People.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe destiny of Venezuela depends on our victory,\u201d Maduro said at a rally this month. \u201cIf we want to avoid a bloodbath, or a fratricidal civil war triggered by the fascists, then we must guarantee the biggest electoral victory ever.\u201d<\/p>\n
The top brass has stood fast with Maduro, delving deep into political mudslinging instead of sticking to its traditional role safeguarding the vote.<\/p>\n
Gen. Domingo Hern\u00e1ndez L\u00e1rez, the head of the joint chiefs of staff, posted a photo on social media purportedly showing Machado speaking in front of a white board scribbled with notes calling for the \u201celimination\u201d of the armed forces. Machado, who was banned from running and is backing stand-in candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, has called the accusation \u201cfake news.\u201d A media watchdog group said the image was manipulated.<\/p>\n
Maduro\u2019s opponents have long struggled to win over doubters in the military.<\/p>\n
The armed forces have been an integral part of Maduro\u2019s grip on power ever since his mentor and predecessor, former tank commander Hugo Ch\u00e1vez, led an uprising against an unpopular austerity government in 1992. When Chavez was elected president in 1998, he purged officers indoctrinated in the U.S. to fight communism, placed fellow coup plotters in top positions and poured the country\u2019s oil wealth into fighter jets and expensive military hardware.<\/p>\n
Maduro, without Ch\u00e1vez\u2019s military pedigree, has nonetheless empowered his own crop of uniformed allies, many of whom, like the president, face allegations of corruption and human rights abuses.<\/p>\n
The National Guard has also quietly imported anti-riot gear and refurbished armored vehicles that could be used to quell protests, according to retired Gen. Rodolfo Camacho, a Maduro opponent who writes a report on military affairs.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the government hasn\u2019t hesitated to punish soldiers who step out of line. Members of the armed forces make up about half of the 301 Maduro opponents currently imprisoned and classified as political prisoners by Caracas-based legal assistance cooperative Foro Penal.<\/p>\n
The Defense Ministry did not respond to an emailed request for comment.<\/p>\n
While nobody is predicting a barracks revolt, discontent among the rank and file is widespread, said William Brownfield, a former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela and senior fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington.<\/p>\n