The army gave Venezuela its first democratic government; the army took it away. The military leaders in the "cold coup" last week were the same officers who had ousted Dictator-President Isaías Medina Angarita in 1945, opening the way for last year's popular election of President Rómulo Gallegos.
As long ago as last August, Caracas' everlasting bolas (rumors) had whispered that the army was dissatisfied with the way things were going in the government offices at green-walled Miraflores Palace. Novelist-President Gallegos and the ruling Acción Democrádtica party wanted to reduce the army to...
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