He has made himself known as an outspoken opponent of the politicization of the Venezuelan Armed Forces, by going to the supreme court to challenge the introduction of a war cry originally created by Fidel Castro, as the motto for the military in Venezuela.

On 7 April 2017, he was arrested again during a SEBIN operation that tricked him into helping a young man that hit his car into the front door of his house, three years after a detention order was published during the 2014 Venezuelan protests.

In 1997 the Organization of American States appointed him commander of the multinational mission MARMINCA in Central America, an operation for mine clearing in the former war-ravaged countries.

[1] On 18 August 2006, General Vivas was appointed National Director of Engineering at the Defense Ministry, but already on 24 January the following year he decided to hand in his resignation from the post due to "grave violations of the Venezuelan Constitution", according to his own declaration.

[2] On 15 May 2008, Vivas petitioned the Supreme Court requesting that it eliminate from use in the Venezuela armed forces the motto created by Fidel Castro, “Patria, socialismo o muerte.

[9] The International Crisis Group made reference to General Vivas's court motion and detention while observing that the introduction of the motto in question is a flagrant violation of the apolitical character of the armed forces.

[12][13] On 7 April 2017, General Vivas was arrested again during a SEBIN operation that tricked him into helping a young man that hit his car into the front door of his house, three years after a detention order was issued during the 2014 protests.

Family members also reported that he lost several kilos of weight and expressed fear that he had a broken rib, due to a protuberance in the area.