General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence
{{Short description|Counterintelligence agency of Venezuela}}
{{Expand Spanish|Dirección General de Contrainteligencia Militar|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox government agency
| name = Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence
| native_name = Dirección General de Contrainteligencia Militar
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| seal = File:Dirección_General_de_Contrainteligencia_Militar.png
| seal_width = 150
| seal_caption = Seal of DGCIM
| logo = File:Flag of DGCIM.gif
| logo_width = 140
| logo_caption = Flag of DGCIM
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| formed = {{Start date|1957|08|30}}
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| headquarters = Boleíta, Sucre, Miranda
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| parent_agency = Ministry of People's Power for Defense
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| website = {{URL|http://www.dgim.mil.ve}}
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The General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence{{Cite news |date=11 July 2019 |title=U.S. blacklists Venezuela military agency after death of navy captain |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/world/us-blacklists-venezuela-military-agency-after-death-of-navy-captain-idUSKCN1U623O/ |access-date=7 April 2025 |work=Reuters}} ({{langx|es|Dirección General de Contrainteligencia Militar, DGCIM}}) is the military counterintelligence agency of Venezuela, whose function is to prevent intelligence or espionage internally and externally by military and civilians.
The unit is led by Iván Hernández Dala.
History
The agency originates from the Armed Forces Intelligence Services (SIFA), which was signed into service on 30 August 1957.
In 1974, the agency changed its name to the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DIM). On 16 May 1977, the military organization changed its name to the Directorate General of Military Intelligence Sector (DGSIM) and then later changed the name of Directorate General of Military Intelligence (DGIM). Under these names, their operations functioned as military intelligence for the Venezuelan military.
On 21 July 2011, the organization changed its name to the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM), whose function is no longer military intelligence but counterintelligence.{{cite web |title=Historia |url=http://www.dgim.mil.ve/organizacion.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325072138/http://dgim.mil.ve/organizacion.php |archive-date=25 March 2016 |access-date=25 February 2016 |website=DGCIM |language=es}}
Surgeon {{ill|José Alberto Marulanda|es}} was arrested on 20 May 2018 by DGCIM officers, the day on which presidential elections were held in Venezuela. During his detention, Marulando was tortured by officials and beaten to the point of becoming deaf in his right ear and losing sensation in his hands.{{cite news |last=Galaviz |first=Daisy |date=25 May 2018 |title=PERFIL {{!}}Médico José Alberto Marulanda es cirujano de manos egresado de la UCV |url=https://elpitazo.com/politica/perfil-medico-jose-alberto-marulanda-cirujano-manos-egresado-la-ucv/ |access-date=5 February 2019 |periodical=El Pitazo |language=es}}{{cite news |date=9 January 2019 |title=HRW y Foro Penal advierten de que Venezuela torturó a decenas de militares y sus familiares |url=https://www.burgosconecta.es/internacional/america-latina/foro-penal-advierte-torturas-venezuela-20190109095850-ntrc.html |access-date=5 February 2019 |periodical=BURGOSconecta |language=es}} By November 2018, six months after his arrest, his hearing had been postponed six times.{{cite news |last=Pineda Sleinan |first=Julett |date=25 November 2018 |title=A seis meses de la detención del Dr. Marulanda, seis veces han diferido su audiencia |url=http://efectococuyo.com/principales/a-seis-meses-de-la-detencion-del-dr-marulanda-seis-veces-han-diferido-su-audiencia/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015352/http://efectococuyo.com/principales/a-seis-meses-de-la-detencion-del-dr-marulanda-seis-veces-han-diferido-su-audiencia/ |archive-date=7 February 2019 |access-date=5 February 2019 |periodical=Efecto Cocuyo |language=es}}
The DGCIM has been targeted by US sanctions in 2019 after Venezuelan Navy Captain Rafael Acosta Arévalo died in DGCIM custody, accused of being involved in a coup plot.{{cite web | url=https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm727 | title=Treasury Sanctions Venezuela's Military Counterintelligence Agency Following the Death of a Venezuelan Navy Captain | date=23 December 2024 }}
Training
Since 2019, it was reported that Cuba provided assistance in training DGCIM agents.{{Cite news |last=Berwick |first=Angus |date=22 August 2019 |title=Special Report: How Cuba taught Venezuela to quash military dissent |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/world/special-report-how-cuba-taught-venezuela-to-quash-military-dissent-idUSKCN1VC1BU/ |access-date=7 April 2025 |work=Reuters}}
== Torture centres ==
The DGCIM is known to run a torture centre within its headquarters in Caracas, known as the Casa de los Sueños ({{langx|en|"House of Dreams"}}).{{Cite web |last1=Wilner |first1=Michael |last2=Delgado |first2=Antonio Maria |date=February 13, 2023 |title=Biden hailed a prisoner swap with Maduro — but Americans remain in Venezuela's notorious jail |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article267303177.html |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=miamiherald.com}}{{Cite magazine |last=Ciralsky |first=Adam |date=2024-05-29 |title=Exclusive: Inside America's Secret Efforts to Free US Hostages |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/americas-top-hostage-negotiator-exclusive |access-date=2024-06-08 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}}
See also
- Dirección de los Servicios de Inteligencia y Prevención (Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services, DISIP)
- General Counterintelligence Office
- Torture in Venezuela
References
{{reflist}}
{{National_intelligence_agencies}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Direccion De Inteligencia Militar}}
Category:Venezuelan intelligence agencies
Category:Military of Venezuela
Category:Military intelligence agencies
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