Venezuela - Random Guyaidó's New Coup Attempt Turns Out to Be A Dangerous Joke
(This post was appended throughout the day. It is in chronological order.)
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The Random Guyaidó who the Trump administration tries to make president of Venezuela just launched another coup attempt against the government.
He announced his intent in a series of tweets around 6:00 am local time (machine translated):
Juan Guaidó @jguaido - 9:58 utc - 30 Apr 2019People of Venezuela began the end of usurpation. At this moment I meet the main military units of our armed force initiating the final phase of Operation Freedom.
Venezuelan people we go to the street, national armed force to continue the deployment until we consolidate the end of the encroachment that is already irreversible.
The national armed forces have made the right decision, they have the support of the Venezuelan people, with the endorsement of our Constitution, with the guarantee of being on the right side of the story. To deploy the forces to achieve the cessation of usurpation.
People of Venezuela, we need to go out on the streets together, to support the democratic forces and to regain our freedom. Organized and together mocilícense the main military units. People of Caracas, all to La Carlota.
Guaido also posted a short video which shows talking into the camera with some 30 soldiers standing behind him.
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Some members of the armed forces released Leopoldo Lopez, an opposition leader under house arrest since he, in 2014, organized violent protests against the government. Guaidó and López went to the La Carlota airforce base near Caracas. Lopez tweeted (machine translated):
Leopoldo López @leopoldolopez - 10:17 utc - 30 Apr 2019Venezuela: The final phase has begun for the cessation of usurpation, Operation Freedom. I have been released by the military to the order of the Constitution and of President Guaidó. I'm at the La Carlota Base. All to mobilize. It's time to conquer freedom. Strength and Faith
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López is, like Guaidó, a creature of the U.S. of A. He was also involved in the 2002 coup attempt against then President Chavez.
It is not clear if Guaido and Lopez entered the air base. A person from the government said they are only on a highway.
A video posted by some TV station shows a platoon of armed and masked soldiers at a road block.
The Venezuelan Minister for Communication Jorge Rodríguez says the coup will be defeated (machine translated):
Jorge Rodríguez @jorgerpsuv - 10:18 utc - 30 Apr 2019We inform the Venezuelan people that we are currently confronting and deactivating a small group of military traitors who were positioned in the Altamira distributor to promote a coup against the constitution and Peace of the Republic ... 1/2
To this attempt was added the far-right coupe and assassin, who announced his violent agenda for months. We call on the people to stay on high alert, along with the glorious Bolivarian National armed forces, to defeat the coup attempt and preserve the peace. We will win 2/2
The Distibuidor Altamira is a highway exit near the affluent business and living district Altamira in eastern Caracas.
Some, but not all, Internet access from/to Venezuela is disabled.
The chief of the armed forces of Venezuela chimes in (machine translated):
Vladimir Padrino L. @vladimirpadrino - 10:51 utc - 30 Apr 2019We reject this coup movement that seeks to fill the country with violence. The pseudo political leaders who have placed themselves at the forefront of this subversive movement, have employed troops and policemen with weapons of war in a public thoroughfare of the city to create chaos and terror
News of the coup comes shortly after Reuters reports that the Blackwater founder Erik Prince is looking for money to set up a mercenary army to attack Venezuela:
In private meetings in the United States and Europe, Prince sketched out a plan to field up to 5,000 soldiers-for-hire on behalf of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, according to two sources with direct knowledge of Prince’s pitch.
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A person familiar with the administration’s thinking said the White House would not support such a plan.
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One of Prince’s key arguments, one source said, is that Venezuela needs what Prince calls a “dynamic event” to break the stalemate that has existed since January, ...
No "dynamic event" happened so far.
It has now been confirmed that Guadió and Lopez did not enter the La Carlota air base. It is under control of government forces. Some soldiers are said to have been "deceived".
The metro of Caracas was shut down by the government.
A short video and a photo show a few low rank soldiers on a highway bridge with a carton of bananas and a basket of machine gun ammunition. Besides one machine guns they are armed with normal rifles and pistols. They are marked with a blue armlet or masks as Guaidó supporters.
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Another short video shows Lopez, somewhat frustrated, on a highway bridge with a handful of soldiers and a few journos.
CNN diverts from the official U.S. government line and Marco Rubio isn't happy about it.
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Chavista supporters of President Maduro have surrounded the President's Miraflores Palace to prevent the coup plotters from capturing it.
President Nicolás Maduro tweeted (machine translated):
Nicolás Maduro @NicolasMaduro - 14:07 utc - 30 Apr 2019Nerves of Steel! I have spoken with the commanders of all the REDIs and ZODI of the country, who have expressed their total loyalty to the people, to the Constitution and to the fatherland. I call for maximum popular mobilization to ensure the victory of peace. Venceremos!
Guaidó moved to the Plaza Altamira, a place of regular opposition protests in a wealthy quarter, and speaks to a minor crowd.
There are claims, including by Marco Rubio, that Guaidó supporters have taken the La Carlota Base. (La Carlota's official name is Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base.) These reports are false. The small gang of Guaidó soldiers and some Guaidó supporters are on a highway bridge near the entrance of the air base. The base is in the hand of government forces. The opposition never entered it.
There are no reliable reports that any additional military besides the 30 or so men on the bridge have switched to Guaidó.
15:00 utc
Someone points out that the soldiers supporting Guaidó carry M4 Colt assault rifles. The official assault rifle of the Venezuelan military is the Kalashnikov AK-103. Back in February there were a number of flights from Florida to Venezuela which delivered weapons to the opposition.
16:00 utc
It is becoming clear that this coup attempt is no more than a stupid PR campaign. Here is a map of the whole 'coup' scene which plays in a small area of the wealthy Altamira district of Caracas.
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At the bottom of the map is the La Calota air base, also known as Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Base, which Guaido supporters tried to enter. They threw rocks against the guards until tear gas drove them away. Directly north of it runs a highway east to west. The two highway bridges on which Guaidó's soldiers stand are crossing the highway right next to the base. Some 500 meters north of the highway bridges is Plaza Altamira (the upper blue point) where Guaidó spoke to some supporters.
The highway bridges can be seen in this video taken from north of the highway looking south across the bridges towards the airport. In the video some fireworks go off to which nervous Guaidó supporting soldiers on a bridge respond (1 2 vid) by firing a few shots into the air.
The whole coup attempt was run within a 500 x 200 meter corridor with nothing of significance happening outside of it. A dangerous propaganda stunt but so far nothing more than that.
This slight modification of the Guaidó/López picture above seems appropriate. These dudes are mere comic figures, wannabe fantasy heroes.
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17:00 utc
Video of some six alleged coup soldiers who loudly claim their innocence (machine translated):
Coup soldiers surrender in #Venezuela and claim they were brought to the uprising under deception by military deserters followers of John Guaidó
Quotes from a speech by Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino (machine translated):
A small group, tiny military and police officers decided to kidnap SOME GNB vehicles, armaments and ammunition. They broke in this morning and they bet on the Altamira dealer
Weapons of War, rifles and machine guns were placed, betting on the roads through which the citizens move. It is a coup attempt, no doubt, of a mediocre magnitude
80 percent of the troops who came to this call were deceived. He sought to bring chaos and death to a group of country soldiers who were deceived into committing a terrorist act
It is a coup attempt of a very small and negligible magnitude. We have given immediate response: all the commands of the #FANB, of the components, of the tactical units, operative, of the Redis, Zodi, of the militia were immediately reported
80 percent of those who were taken there, deceived, left on their own and reported with their natural controls.
The majority of the military with weapons have left the place and have gone to the Plaza Altamira, where they are reediting everything that we live in the year 2002
We will not allow any aggression against the law, institutionality, democracy and the Constitution. The Republic's weapons are to defend their sovereignty and independence.
Responsiblity for any bloodshed and violence to the fascist and anti-patriotic leadership, which does not deserve respect from Venezuelans or FANB, because they try to use military for their own purposes.
"Miraflores cannot be reached by violence. Who arrives in Miraflores for violence, will be overthrown by violence, "says Vladimir Godfather Lopez, Minister of Defense of #Venezuela
(FANB, GNB, Redis, Zodis are abbreviations for the Venezuelan army, National Guard and other security forces.)
18:00 utc
Opposition TV showed Guaidó and López talking in a crowd of maybe a thousand all white people in Altamira. There were six men in Army and National Guard uniforms with them plus four bulky bodyguards in civilian clothes (one of color). They drove away in four seemingly armored SUVs with darkened windows.
Some radical youngsters on motorcycles still play cat and mouse with riot police and national guard near the airbase. The number of people near the airbase and on the bridges shrunk considerably.
It seems that the whole event is over.
The conclusion below from our first entry today seem to have been correct.
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Guaidó seems to have neither a base nor large scale military support nor access to significant military equipment. If that does not change this coup attempt is likely to fail within a few hours.
Posted by b on April 30, 2019 at 11:31 UTC | Permalink
next page »Or it is just the right excuse for some intervention. Mr g is known for staging such events. Truth is the US bigmouths seem to have cold feet about it, so also maybe a last desperate push for the circus
Posted by: Waste | Apr 30 2019 12:21 utc | 2
How is the U.S. MSM going to spin this one?
Either Guaido takes over, gets arrested, or he was obviously lying about where he was and the support he had. The MSM handlers will figure something out and tell them what to say.
There is always Gilda's classic line ... 'Never mind'.
Posted by: Christian J Chuba | Apr 30 2019 12:53 utc | 3
We may have jumped the shark in to the realm of the monthly coup attempt. Mostly a media event to see if they can get a buy-in. Didn't work? Not to worry we will try again next month!
Can you imagine a force of 5000 or so mercs staging a combat assault on a large and reasonably well armed country?
If it didn't involve so much killing and dying it would be amusing to watch the "private army" get pinned down and butchered.
Seriously without air cover it would turn into bloody squalor. Meanwhile Russia and perhaps China are likely providing signal intel fo the Venezuelan military and keeping a close eye on what the gringoes are up to. Much like the RAND document on destabilizing other nations it will probably be a slow bleed by sabotage and scarcity.
Posted by: Chevrus | Apr 30 2019 12:53 utc | 4
I can't see either Guaido, the US, or any other of the coup fomentors ceasing their attempts until they've achieved some kind of result. Guaido running around, and I can see the rationale behind allowing him to do so, is an ongoing problem. Too much is at stake for the powerful interests to let go of any of their global plans. People everywhere do not really matter all that much.
Posted by: Geoff | Apr 30 2019 12:59 utc | 5
Looks like the Neo-Cons just replied with their unavoidable escalation, this smacks of desperation. I wouldn't be surprised if Abrams told Random Guy to announce a coup and even if it fails the US will protect him or use it as an excuse to invade. Once this coup fails Maduro should stick both of these traitors in a "real" prison and see if that loosens their tongues a bit, neither of these fools have experienced real hardship so just taking away their sliver spoons and private aircraft would convince them to rat out their fellow traitors
Posted by: Kadath | Apr 30 2019 13:07 utc | 6
As shown in this article, the New York Times has been highly biased in its coverage of the situation in Venezuela:
https://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-new-york-times-its-anti-maduro-bias.html
While everyone is aware of the existence of fake news, we are less aware of how editorial conflicts of interest can be used to sway public opinion, particularly in the case of a highly influential and widely read newspaper like the New York Times.
Posted by: Sally Snyder | Apr 30 2019 13:11 utc | 7
Harvard Law School
Barack Obama, an alumni of Harvard Law School, was the United States President who ordered the destruction of Africa’s richest, most literate and developed country, Libya, and reduced that country to rubble and a state of lawlessness. Thousands died.
The sovereign wealth fund of the oil rich country has disappeared without trace. Libya’s premier medical facilities that were the envy of it’s continent and it’s neighbours in the Middle East have been destroyed, precisely at the time that it’s citizens required them. Many of the doctors, nurses and ancillary staff, as highly trained as their counterparts in Europe, have also disappeared without trace, many presumed drowned in the waters of the Mediterranean trying to flee to save their lives. Libya is now the poorest state in Africa. The leader who had united it and raised the infrastructural standards to be on a par with the first world, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, never had his day in a court of any description, he was beaten, tortured and sodomised with a knife, before being murdered on the blood soaked streets by a mob.
We have to wonder what it is that they are teaching at the Harvard Law School? In the 1980’s the tiny countries of Central America, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua suffered from their own brutal civil wars. Extreme, right wing governments and militias were either trying to hold onto power or to seize it for themselves from the impoverished indigenous citizenries who sought democracy and guarantees of their fundamental civil and human rights. The United States sent in Elliot Abrams, now to be found lurking in the jungles of Venezuela, to support the fascistic regimes in the brutal battle against their own civilians. Mr Abrams was another product of the esteemed Harvard Law School. By the end of his time there, hundreds of thousands of some of the world’s poorest people and been murdered, their bodies tossed into mass graves if they were lucky. There was no rule of law, in spite of the fact that there were constitutions and courts, judges and the concept of jurisprudence.
The current Secretary of State of the United States, Mr Mike Pompeo, recently addressed an audience of American students and told them that his former department, the Central Intelligence Agency, of which he was the Director from 2017 until 2018, routinely “lied, cheated and stole” as and when it suited or the occasion demanded. Mike Pompeo is another American official who studied at and graduated from the Harvard Law School.
This Massachusetts institution has had scores of it’s students graduate and pass through, onwards and upwards into positions of authority in the halls of power. It is difficult to see what ethical foundations were laid down in those formative years of studying the law in the seminars of that Cambridge campus. Three alumni of Harvard Law School who have recently served and continue to serve in some of the highest offices of the United States, have done irreparable damage to a number of countries and have done so by breaking every international law that existed to protect them. They did this unapologetically, in order, as Secretary of State Pompeo admitted in a rare moment of candour, to “cheat and steal” from defenceless nation states and their helpless populations.
Perhaps Harvard Law School is not the best place to send one’s kids to learn about ethics, democracy and the rule of law.
Posted by: Steve Keith | Apr 30 2019 13:26 utc | 8
@ #3, for a second I thought you were describing the Bay of Pigs fiasco.
Posted by: EricT | Apr 30 2019 13:27 utc | 9
IF this coup succeeds, Moduro had it coming. He let the wannabe gangster roam free - bad move!
Seems the grandchildren of the plantation owners will get their plantations back after all.
Posted by: Zico | Apr 30 2019 13:43 utc | 10
Couldn't help noticing that Guyaido looks like a frightened little bunny which just soiled its underwear or is about to. Lopez seems to be in a similar state of near-panic. I don't know why the govt doesn't just disappear them. They could be stuffed and embalmed and put on display in the National Museum as a reminder that abject stupidity isn't a virtue in Venezuela.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Apr 30 2019 13:44 utc | 11
THE VIDEO IS A HOAX!
I think the video was shot in front of a blue screen. Look at the shadows, there is only one ver bright light source. The solders are illuminated from the rear left. Guaido is illuminated from the front and right. Yet the solders only draw one very sharp shadow. Also note that we do not see Guaido's feet.
https://twitter.com/jguaido/status/1123161692219686912
Posted by: Petri Krohn | Apr 30 2019 13:54 utc | 12
@ Steve Keith | Apr 30, 2019 9:26:21 AM | 7
Nice précis. Perhaps the school should be renamed The School of International Atrocities.
Posted by: AntiSpin | Apr 30 2019 13:55 utc | 13
These soldiers stand no chance. They look like lower ranking conscripts paid to stage this stunt. It's gonna get messy.
Posted by: Zico | Apr 30 2019 13:56 utc | 14
From Breno Altman's (a Brazilian leftist intellectual with direct contacts in Venezuela) Facebook (my personal translation from Brazilian Portuguese):
VENEZUELA: LATEST NEWSMaduro's government is quickly controlling and neutralizing a small group of officials' "coupist" (golpista) uprising which was propped up by the rightist opposition and the White House.
The antidemocratic epicenter lies in the Altamira region, eastern Caracas. The rest of the capital stays in relative tranquility; there's no information about any support from other army headquarters.
The president and his main advisors, through multiple ways, convoke the people to immediately gather in front of the Miraflores palace, to answer in a massive and pacific way to the coupists.
The Defense Minister, alongside the high command of the FANB, has already publicly reiterated its support to the sovereign government (i.e. Maduro -- N.T.) and assured that the troops remain united with the Bolivarian Revolution.
Juan Guaidó's attempt, with his international partners, reveal the riles of a process initiated at 23 January (2019 -- N.T.), when he self-proclaimed "interin president".
Losing popularity and isolating himself from other opposition currents, the candidate to usurper plays his last hand in these hours, trying to stimulate a new coupist offensive before his veil falls and he exits stage.
The conjuncture is still tense and dangerous. Once more, however, the Bolivarian Revolution reveals its unity, wisdom and strength to defeat the enemies of the people.
It was published circa 10 a.m., Brazilian time.
Posted by: vk | Apr 30 2019 14:10 utc | 15
OK, both Random Guy and Lopez are openly committing armed insurrection and high treason. Now is the time to arrest both, try in the courts (public and televised) for high treason. Unlimited military force (as required) is fully justified in making the arrests. Not to do so is appeasing the criminal actions of a foreign force attempting to use violence to usurp the legitimate and democratically elected government of a sovereign state.
Until now there have been legitimate strategic grounds for holding off from arresting Random Guy. No longer. They must be crushed with the full force of the law backed by military power if necessary, and immediately prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Limit the prosecution in the first instance to Random Guy and Lopez, and to High Treason and military insurrection. All other charges and defendents can be tried later in a separate trial, but these two need a straightforward and legally watertight conviction as quickly as possible, so that there is then no rotting carcase of ambiguity left.
Posted by: BM | Apr 30 2019 14:11 utc | 16
Chevrus @3 said: "...it would be amusing to watch the "private army" get pinned down and butchered."
It wouldn't happen that way. The Venezuelan military would be badly beaten in the first several engagements, much like the Syrian military was back in 2011.
Why? Because the regular Venezuelan military troops do not yet realize the need to ruthlessly exterminate the psycho scum that they are confronting. The Venezuelans will initially look at the mercenaries as just other human beings, not the rabid psycho killer monsters that they actually are. The mercs will not have this sentimental liability. This will, in every early engagement, give the psycho-mercs the initiative, and they absolutely will take that initiative to slaughter with wild abandon. Those 5000 rabid dog mercs will easily be able to defeat an unseasoned army ten or more times their number.
Then comes the next problem. After such a defeat the Venezuelan troops will be horribly demoralized. This will give yet another advantage to the rabid mercs.
Basically, expect the fight to go badly for the Venezuelans for a few months. If Maduro can then grow a steel spine, like Syria's President Assad eventually did, and rally the troops, then the mercs will begin to get wiped out.
I am guessing that the mercenary death squads will be able to kill as many as five or even ten thousand Venezuelan troops, and wound two or three times that many, while only losing a few dozen of their own forces before the Venezuelan military can rally and get serious about the fightback. Even though people can see what happened in Syria, they still radically underestimate what kind of soulless, conscienceless, monster killing machines they are up against. The Venezuelan military will eventually be able to beat them, but the early parts of the conflict will be terrible and shocking, with savagery far beyond anything the Venezuelan people can currently imagine.
Posted by: William Gruff | Apr 30 2019 14:15 utc | 17
@8Steve Keith
So much Off Topic equivocation just to conceal the fact that TRUMP WANTS REGIME CHANGE IN VENEZUELA SINCE HE TOOK OFFICE and wanted Mattis to send U.S. troops into Venezuela to make it happen sooner rather than later!!!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
So what we are seeing here is a repeat of what happened in Ukraine. Trump has been egging Guaido on to use force or any means. Maybe the Trump administration is asking foreign neighboring troops to suit up in Venezuelan military gear to try to make it look like mass defections are happening. I wouldn't put it past them to try this type of ruse. When the chaos grows it'll be hard to tell who's who. When revolts grow in numbers we might even see snipers entering the scene. Trump and that devious Abrams and his Neocon war czar Bolton wll use every trick in the coup/regime change playbook to get their way.
Trump will not rest until he gets Venezuela that is key for attacking Iran.
Trump will ride this Venezuela regime change wave into the White House for a second term that will see war with Iran.
Posted by: Circe | Apr 30 2019 14:16 utc | 18
Trump won’t be gaining any “wave” from attacking Venezuela. In fact, it stands to alienate a large part of his base and energize the meekly antiwar Democrats.
It might be moot since it looks like this putsch has failed to get more support, and if so Guadó will spend the next months in a cage.
Posted by: Cesare | Apr 30 2019 14:27 utc | 19
Maduro didn’t arrest random guy to deny the US an excuse to invade. The US was bluffing I think but simply ignoring random dudecwas wise at that point.
But things have changed now. Lopez and Guaidó must be arrested and tried now. Failure to do so would encourage additional coups.
This does indeed smack of desperation as a previous poster observed.
Posted by: Alaric | Apr 30 2019 14:35 utc | 20
A caveat to my post @16: If the Russians are going all out training up Venezuela's equivalent to Syria's Tiger Forces (Leopard Forces?) then such special forces would be able to contain a mercenary death squad army. It would even be advantageous to send some Venezuelan units to Syria to train by killing some of the CIA's head choppers so they know what fighting real monsters is like and what it takes to defeat them.
Posted by: William Gruff | Apr 30 2019 14:45 utc | 21
Difficult to believe that Guaido and Lopez could foresee any success in this venture. Or believe that USA would have their backs.
Did Bolton and Abrams really think this could work with such a small force?
Is it actually possible that the USA leadership believes foreign citizenry long to be ruled by the death squads.
Trust Iran does nothing rash in the meantime.
Posted by: Sorcery | Apr 30 2019 14:48 utc | 22
Have to wonder if this wasn't a "probe" to see Modura's response.
Posted by: blind melon | Apr 30 2019 15:02 utc | 23
Tomorrow is May day, millions could hit the streets in support of Maduro despite the shutdown of public transport.
This coup won't be the last. The empire will have it's oil. How long before we see the snipers on the rooftops?
And also, the spinning over Joe Biden is accelerating.
Posted by: ben | Apr 30 2019 15:02 utc | 24
RULE NUMBER ONE: Always have more than 30 armed men when trying to overthrow an established government
RULE NUMBER TWO: Always settle on a coup leader who has mass appeal and charisma, not a candy-ass rich kid like Guyaidó
RULE NUMBER THREE: Never follow the advice of serial losers like Bolton, Abrams and Pompeo
RULE NUMBER FOUR: Make sure you have plenty of reading material for long-term imprisonment
What do you think: Was Trump behind this comical burlesque??
Another black eye for Uncle Sam!
Is that how you make America Great Again??
What a joke!
Posted by: plantman | Apr 30 2019 15:05 utc | 25
Hopefully this will end up being, as it certainly looks now, another ill-fated fizzle. In any case, this latest Tweet from one of the international coup plotters, Canada's FM Chrystia Freeland:
"Watching events today in Venezuela very closely. The safety and security of Juan Guaido and Leopoldo Lopez must be guaranteed. Venezuelans who peacefully support interim President Guaido must do so without fear of intimidation or violence."
https://twitter.com/cafreeland/status/1123219586642522112
Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 30 2019 15:18 utc | 26
Remember the (if I remember correctly) supposed 1800+ Venezuelan soldiers being kept in hotels in Cucuta, Colombia across the border? This and the white house rejection of the Prince scheme show that some combination of the US, the Colombians, and Guaidó’s people have had little faith in the route of using that as the core of a contra force. Now they might have to.
As for our boy Juan, presidente encargado, unless something drastic happens very soon, he’ll be wishing for some black helicopters to show up and pluck him off that bridge. Unless, of course, being arrested is the plan. This may be a case of believing your own propaganda - the opposition claims it’s 90% of Venezuela. Maybe Guaidó truly believed all he needed to do was orchestrate something like Prince’s “dynamic” event and the army would rally to Altamira with the masses in tow. About a month ago, when his motorcade went outside of his east Caracas haunts and got pelted by rocks, you had all the internet trolls denouncing it as staged. You see, there are mafialike Chavista bosses, Cubans all, forcing the barrios to act like they hate their beloved interim president. Maybe instead of taking the hint and changing strategy, Juan believed his own spin. Or maybe he did take the hint, and figures the struggle against Cuban oppression is better waged from the dock than the streets, where he can force action from his allies and supporters by claiming abuse. Time will tell.
Posted by: Cesare | Apr 30 2019 15:22 utc | 27
Examine this Exchange of fire (Hard to tell but it looks like the coup plotters are shooting up into the sky)
From Mintpress:
According to reports, a group from Venezuela’s Sebin intelligence service freed Leopoldo Lopez from house arrest early Tuesday morning. Lopez then joined Guaido and a handful of members from different branches of the armed forces in the Altamira highway in eastern Caracas close to La Carlota airbase. Lopez and Guaido published videos on social media calling on other elements of the armed forces to join the uprising and on their supporters to take to the streets. Guaido vowed that this was the “final phase” in ousting the Maduro government.The Venezuelan government promptly reacted, condemning the coup attempt and vowing that it would be defeated.
Chavistas arrive at Miraflores Palace.
#Venezuelans defend constitutional President @NicolasMaduro
#HandsOffVenezuela
Posted by: jsb | Apr 30 2019 15:26 utc | 28
Please understand I mean this in the most positive manner
THE END IS NEAR!!
How many more spinning plates of dying empire does it take to show utter demise is approaching.
Syria is going to continue to retake ALL its land
Many countries will continue to purchase oil from Iran after May 1
Venezuela has the backing of both China and Russia that will insure that Random Guyaido guy is a failure
The spinning plates of dying empire are wobbling with both their number and weight. Think of the momentum when they crash and that is the time to beware of the sickest of Western perfidy......taking advantage of crisis
Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 30 2019 15:31 utc | 29
I agree with Ben 23. This is about May Day. This is about disruption of the workers' day in a socialist country. It is a challenge and tomorrow we will see whether it had an effect, or if the working class comes out and re-takes the streets.
Posted by: Domza | Apr 30 2019 15:40 utc | 31
Looking at the Ruptly live feed on RT, I see middle-class people milling around in their smart casual clothes, and riding their motor-bikes up and down. They are not organised. They are a rabble. They are in their own neighbourhood. They will go home soon. This is not serious.
Posted by: Domza | Apr 30 2019 15:43 utc | 32
@29 What happened to the 'humanitarian aid' anyway? My guess is most of it got repackaged and ended up in supermarkets in Bogota. Or maybe Richard Branson sent it to Haiti to redeem his reputation.
This is Guaido's worst stunt yet. Even his wealthy supporters will see right through his little army.
Posted by: dh | Apr 30 2019 15:44 utc | 33
NYTimes updat--
speaking to reporters near the airstrip, Mr. Guaidó said that a wide swath of the military now backed him, including top commanders, but he declined to release their names.
“There are generals, there are lieutenant colonels, there are majors, there are colonels — it’s a reflection of the country,” he said.
Mr. Guaidó said he had had no communication with Mr. Maduro.
The government and supporters of Mr. Guaidó appeared to be bracing for further confrontation. Pro-government armed groups and protesters had encircled Mr. Maduro’s presidential palace by midmorning.
..
The appearance of Mr. Guaidó and Mr. López on Tuesday, with the apparent support of some national guardsmen, prompted immediate rumors in Caracas that the armed forces could be shifting loyalties.
A central pillar of Mr. Guaidó’s strategy has been luring the military to his side, and a number of officers have defected. But that has never amounted to enough for a full-scale uprising against Mr. Maduro.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/world/americas/venezuela-coup-guaido-military.html
Bolton must have more up his sleeve than this nonsense....
Is this just Phase 1 of a broader plan for widespread disruption....power outages, seizure of oil fields...
Where's Putin when you need him??
Posted by: plantman | Apr 30 2019 15:50 utc | 34
No way the idea to christen this regime change operation, i.e. coup, Operación Libertad, came from the Venezuelan side. This is classic U.S. psy-ops; a phony prompt for public mobilization. It sounds like Abrams connivance.
Posted by: Circe | Apr 30 2019 15:50 utc | 35
Venezuela should get an award for "most free country in the world" where you can do all of the following without being arrested: declaring yourself President without running for the office, breaking people out of jail, conspiring with foreign powers for regime change, stealing the countries money and using it to hire mercenaries to attack your own country, attempting to take control of the armed forces..etc. I'm hoping Venezuelans are taking note of all the rich people that support this thug so they can reappropriate their wealth and give it to the poor when this is over. This should be an interesting test for the Democratic contenders. Will Bernie back this undemocratic violent coup attempt with the same flimsy half speak or finally get some balls and make a real statement against it? Will the empire's pick Biden come out in support of Guido and the war and end up losing to Trump?
Posted by: Jason | Apr 30 2019 15:50 utc | 36
Cue the snipers on rooftops.
Not wishing for this, but that's what history suggests. Naturally, Maduro would then be blamed.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Apr 30 2019 16:00 utc | 37
Hubris and overreach are about to manifest Big Time in Caracas. The piss poor timing, a day ahead of May Day, is quite likely to be an epic miscalculation. Juan Guyaidó is going down in history as a traitor and the stooge of a foreign power.
The US media is really talking up this latest coup attempt by random guy, but I still don't see the meat on it. successful coups are fast moving and depend on quickly seizing key targets like media centers, power generators and most importantly of all seizing high value government officials. Currently, it looks like Random Guy just found some more random guys to stand around him and pose while he declares a coup. so this looks doomed to failure within a few more hours (6-8), what really matters is what does the US do once it fails, realistically, there aren't anymore sanctions they can put on Venezuela and Colombia has made it clear they won't send their own army in to fight the US's war.
That basically leaves just Erik Prince's planned mercenary army or a direct US invasion, previously Prince's plan had faced a lot of opposition so it is interesting that this failure of a coup is launched right now. If Trump was ever serious about not starting anymore stupid wars (and thus won't invade Venezuela before the 2020 elections) I imagine he'll now be more supportive of the idea of loaning money to Random Guy's backers so that they can buy Erik Prince's mercenaries and use them. Even if they use Prince's troops I doubt that they will succeed, Prince's mercenaries might be good at massacring civilians, but Venezuela has a massive civilian militia made up of the poorest citizens they will know right away what Random Guy's mercenaries will do to them and their families if their coup succeeds. So they will fight very, very hard. This could setup another Bay of Pigs type situation for the US and their mercenaries.
Posted by: Kadath | Apr 30 2019 16:04 utc | 39
Hopefully any May Day celebrations don't turn into a sniper-fest. That seems to be the script in this show. We saw how it was tried in Caracas before. It went according to plan in Kiev in late February of 2014. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by David Power and South of the Border by Oliver Stone go into the previous attempt on Chavez. Maduro is no Chavez, though. Super depressing.
Posted by: roza shanina | Apr 30 2019 16:08 utc | 40
telesur english has live updates and the governments and alliances that are supporting the coup. wish i had the time to paste them in, but i suspect you already know.
Posted by: wendy davis | Apr 30 2019 16:09 utc | 41
To all commenters who are advocating some sort of Might-Makes-Right response to the situation in Venezuela.
You are part of the problem. It is time to stop wars and aggression, not continue them in hopes the good folks win and stay on top. A world that lives by the gun, dies by the gun.
I for one think that humanity has the ability to evolve beyond this puerile approach to human conflict. AND, in case you haven't quite noticed yet, so does China and Russia (Russia has only been defensive except maybe Crimea could be argued but it was voted on)
Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 30 2019 16:11 utc | 42
i guess the memory of a death worshiping lunatic like prince doesn't go back far enough to remember the bay of pigs. probably because someone who make millions off the brutal murder of children is better off with the recall ability of that guy from "momento". otherwise the floating ghost faces moaning "guuuuilty!" every night might be overwhelming after a while.
i predicted the idiots in DC would try and turn this into another syria but since they can't use wahabis and play the "they all look alike" card they're just going to throw hessian merc bros at the problem. hopefully if they try it will turn out exactly like - again - the bay of pigs. they will also have a hard time playing "victim" after storming in like nazis into poland.
as for guido and his pals, shot or captured. whatever. captured would produce less blowback and they could be paraded through town while chavistas throw rocks and rotten tomatoes and such. if this is their best then they need to just give it up and stop acting like bitches.
Posted by: the pair | Apr 30 2019 16:14 utc | 45
William Gruff@16---->
You make some good points for sure, but I am not convinced that the Venezuelan soldiery will be caught that flat footed.
Consider that they are South Americans who must be familiar with brutality so it's unlikely that a mercenary force will be shocking and awe-ing the wide eyed native with their ruthlessness. Add to that all the coup attempts since 1998 must have imparted some practical experience. It is also very likely that the Russians are advising and helping prepare for what seems like an inevitable military confrontation. This time they are ahead of the curve when compared to Syria and the rape of Libya.
Although it's mere speculation, I suspect that Russian electronics on many levels can greatly increase the effectiveness of whatever resources are available. In some ways the half-arsed coup attempts and defections have done Venezuela a favour by getting rid of the weak and easily bribed chaff while polarizing the population as if it weren't polarized enough already.
Also: Where are these proxies coming from? The neighboring countries have already balked at the "let's you and him fight" proposal so whats next, Erik Prince's finest? Sure they can be a ruthless and disruptive hatchet force but take and hold territory...I doubt it. What happens when 500K AKs are activated and there an easily recognizable invader target?
On the other hand all the speculations about the USA needing this oil control to activate a larger consolidation via Iran does hold water in which case they aren't going to just walk away and give up.
Posted by: Chevrus | Apr 30 2019 16:15 utc | 46
John Gilberts@25
You wouldn't want to try this in Ukraine or Honduras would you?
Kadath@37
Unless I am mistaken Colombia, with its rich and vibrant traditions of paramilitary death squads and the permanent presence not only of American but of British and Israeli military advisors, is also a major source of mercenaries for Prince's enterprises. Venezuela makes a very handy target. But then, so does Colombia.
Posted by: bevin | Apr 30 2019 16:17 utc | 47
Maduro can rest easy, Random Man is done, and as Maduro sings,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoQZ0qmf-mk , yes little man the party's over.
Posted by: Taffyboy | Apr 30 2019 16:18 utc | 48
Several thoughts to keep in mind:
Trump will be lied to by CIA and NSC and State, so if he okays this or really wants this, it does not matter. He was couped and the Deep State uses him. He's happy being POTUS. That is all that matters to Trump.
The uprising will depend on hundreds of thousands in the streets, not several thousand.
The goal is hundreds of dead protesters.
Maduro has to snatch Guaido and put him on trial.
Looks like they are massing the people successfully.
The question for the moment is will the US agents and officers on the ground turn this into a Venezuelan Tiananmen 2. They certainly know how.
Posted by: Red Ryder | Apr 30 2019 16:26 utc | 49
Imagine trying to overthrow your elected government at the behest of John Bolton?
If anyone in the United States pulled a stunt like this - and, remember, the US is packed with armed extremist loons like militias and survivalists and Aryan churches - they would be stormed with federal agents and soldiers and either dragged away to prison in chains or shot.
I am not exaggerating in the least. He would be charged with treason, and I think we all know, from our memories of how the United States has treated prisoners at Guantanamo what kind of treatment he would receive in prison for treason.
But the same United States not only thinks this is just fine to do in another country, they encourage it.
Simply the most lawless of all advanced nations, that's America. Utter contempt for rule of law and blind belief that American laws should overrule everything else everywhere.
So, what is Canada's Foreign Minister, Ms Chrystia Freeland - someone who has shamed Canada with her fervent support for Washington's illegal activities in Venezuela - doing today to assist Bolton and his unelected, self-appointed "president?"
Posted by: JOHN CHUCKMAN | Apr 30 2019 16:28 utc | 50
The Lone Johnny Bat Guano and Tonto - sorry, Lopez - ride again; for a few hours, anyway. LOL!
Posted by: Rhisiart Gwilym | Apr 30 2019 16:28 utc | 51
If I were a Russian or Chinese strategist, I would be salivating at the thought of the US willfully creating another Vietnam right on its own doorstep and throwing the only Continent connected to it by a landbridge into complete upheaval and stark class warfare.
Class-based Civil War could easily spread to Brazil, Colombia, and beyond, throwing the lives of hundreds of millions of people into upheaval, all on Uncle Sam's dollar.
After the failures of Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and the Ukraine, the several million Latino refugees and the expenditure of another 6 trillion or so over the next decade should be enough to throw the US itself into Civil War and Coup territory and finish off its hegemony over EurAsia for good.
Don't give Maduro too much aid just yet. Sucker the US to commit its hand and go in, then, as elsewhere, give just enough aid to keep the US in perpetual zugzwang as it slowly bleeds itself to death.
Austerity and War for the Americas, OBOR and peaceful development for EurAsia.
This is too easy a call.
Posted by: Ripe Fruit | Apr 30 2019 16:49 utc | 52
Guaido would like nothing more than an armed response and/or an attempt to arrest him. Either of these might provide a pretext for U.S. military intervention. What a massive blunder that would be, but it cannot be ruled out, as the Trump administration is comprised of blunderers as far as the eye can see.
Posted by: Rob | Apr 30 2019 16:58 utc | 53
Red Ryder @47
"Maduro has to snatch Guaido and put him on trial."
This might be exactly what the U.S. wants Maduro to do. The arrest and/or imprisonment of Guaido by the "repressive regime" could be the pretext for a sudden "popular uprising" to which the "Venezuelan State" (ie. CIA operatives and hired assassins) responds "violently." A small gathering in any city square suddenly disrupted by the gunfire death of a dozen or so innocents--all miraculously captured "live" on cell-phone video and streamed direct to social media--is all that it would take to give the US sufficient domestic support for any further action. I suspect this action would not take the form of direct US military action but rather the freeing of Erik Prince and his mercenaries upon the dirty brown socialist peasants.
Maduro surely has anticipated that his arrest of Guaido is likely to play into US hands. Guaido may be too stupid to know he is being used as live bait, or he may be simply being coerced by his handlers to undertake increasingly reckless actions until Maduro bites.
I think the best thing Maduro might do would be to arrange for a public meetin and reconciliation between him and Guaido away from his U.S. handlers. The US is not expecting that and would then have to explain why they are opposed to the peaceable reconciliation of the conflict. If Guaido feels he has become disposable to the US, he may not be disagreeable to some kind of pardon and face-saving but largely superficial compromise.
Posted by: WJ | Apr 30 2019 16:59 utc | 54
"Venezuela Government says it is putting down coup attempt by Military Traitors."
RT.com 5 minutes ago.
---
Scum Mo's pro-Israel and pro-US Neolib government trimmed today's RT broadcast into Oz down to 7.5 minutes from high of 2 hours back in 2013/2014. With a bit of luck Scum Mo and his lying, corrupt, devious info-managing Palace Coup government will be in the dustbin of history on May 19.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Apr 30 2019 17:12 utc | 55
repeating back to the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in our US coup attempt to depose Fidel Castro, where we supplied armed insurgents to invade, however at the last minute we did not provide the air support that we promised our "insurgent" invasion forces. You would think that US would learn from history
Posted by: carroll | Apr 30 2019 17:14 utc | 56
The Rovian dictat We make our own reality (mutter it in growling mafia accent) is shredded to confetti, or almost.
Look at Ukraine, a comedian who acts the part of a nobody guy propelled to a presidential position in a TV show, is elected as president in RL!
Coluche was a French comedian who stood for president, 1980. Polls showed 16 to 25% of the vote. (He was supported by Charlie Hebdo.. them again..)
His manager was murdered and Coluche withdrew.
He was then himself killed (1985) in mysterious, highly suspicious, circumstances. Won awards for Best Actor and died because.. a truck..
Beppe Grillo is another comedian who created a Pol Party, the 5 Star, Cinque Stelle, party in Italy (with another guy.) Grillo could not be elected, by law, because he has a conviction on his blotter, for manslaughter.
Random Guy-do is within this landscape a feeble contender - a clown who pretends to be serious! He has no acting credentials, nada. No self proclamation presence. A confused, hapless, manipulated placeholder.
No way that is going to end well. For him. Maybe night - school acting classes? Ouch.. Idk. Operation Freedom, anyone who takes that on is pushed offstage..
Better to be a real clown! One can live on (Grillo) or die an honorable death (Coluche)!
:) :)
Posted by: Noirette | Apr 30 2019 17:20 utc | 57
Venezuela's FM is wisely playing down the guilt of the thirty or so military personnel involved in the coup. Such personnel were first described as likely deceived or misled by Guaido and now the FM is explicitly claiming plan and execution of coup came from Washington. The military personnel were not involved in its planning and so can be treated mercifully. (Who knows if some of them weren't blackmailed to join in? We are dealing with the CIA after all.)
Posted by: WJ | Apr 30 2019 17:21 utc | 59
MediaLens has this story today:
"A new report on April 25 by a respected think tank has estimated that US sanctions imposed on Venezuela in August 2017 have caused around 40,000 deaths."
The question for Canadians is whether Freeland and Trudeau are ready to take ownership for, say, 5,000 of those deaths..and counting. Toss them in with the thousands killed thanks to Canadian assistance in Ukraine and a share of the daily carnage in Yemen and the bloody nature of the Ottawa cabal begins to become clear.
Posted by: bevin | Apr 30 2019 17:22 utc | 60
Posted by: Circe | Apr 30, 2019 11:50:18 AM | 33 wrote: "It sounds like Abrams connivance."
Abrams is NOT conniving. He is dead in the middle of it all, the planner, the string-puller, the manipulator.
Posted by: RJPJR | Apr 30 2019 17:28 utc | 61
>>>> jsb | Apr 30, 2019 11:26:52 AM | 27
According to reports, a group from Venezuela’s Sebin intelligence service freed Leopoldo Lopez from house arrest early Tuesday morning.
Lopez and Guaido could have been set up in a stunning black op. Get Lopez and Guaido to come out openly and claim they're running a coup which is treason. If they stayed out of jail previously will they stay out of jail now? Probably not.
BTW, it's interesting that today's events are being called a coup. The coupist, Guaid and Lopez, have maintained the fiction that Guaido is president of Venezuela so in their narrative, how can this be a coup implying they're the usurpers. Surely it should be a counter-coup, which it obviously isn't so someone has fucked up big time. Perhaps John Bolton and/or Elliott Abrams as they're both stupid and arrogant enough to do so.
Posted by: Ghost Ship | Apr 30 2019 17:28 utc | 62
Another vomitona from Guido Gusano and his boy friend. They're clearly out past curfew and should head back to the dorm. Idiots.
Posted by: Miss Lacy | Apr 30 2019 17:31 utc | 63
Venezuela's FM, Jorge Arreaza, is very good. Must have studied under S. Lavrov. Very impressive at UN and other interviews. Much of Venezuela's tactics in fighting off The Empire seems to have Russian finger prints all over it.
Posted by: linda gentsch | Apr 30 2019 17:31 utc | 64
Now, finally, after letting the clown run around creating a lot of noise, now that they tried a hapless attempt at a military uprising will the government of Venezuela arrest, imprison, and put on trial for treason the moron Guaido and the idiot Lopez?
Posted by: AriusArmenian | Apr 30 2019 17:38 utc | 66
Where is the money we stole from Venezuela?
We keep hearing the Neocons saying that Maduro and his 'thugs' are thieves and robbing the 'Venezuelan people'. The Administration has stolen many of their assets like Citgo and given them to Guaido.
So where is that money, his bank account? I'd love to hear someone in the MSM ask Pompeo that question.
Posted by: Christian J Chuba | Apr 30 2019 17:38 utc | 67
DW is casting doubt on Guyaido's claim of "widespread support" based on DW's observation that there's very little visible evidence...
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Apr 30 2019 17:38 utc | 68
Haha, as I repeatedly said over and over here, Maduro have no chance,
for months Guaido have been free to plot with the US and this is what Venezuela get.
Sorry but Maduro is a joke, Guaido would have been jailed long time ago. What will happen now will just be chaos and misery, especially for Maduro himself I fear.
Posted by: Zanon | Apr 30 2019 17:41 utc | 69
Linda Gentsch, 61: Why does it have to be Russian? Arreaza is an educated man, that's all.
I wish Arreaza's initiative at the UN, to create a lobby against regime-change, with reference to the UN Charter, would get more coverage, in English.
Sanctions are acts of war. The USA has now sanctioned the whole world. Arreaza's initiative answers the situation very well. Unite against regime-change!
Posted by: Domza | Apr 30 2019 17:42 utc | 70
Despite the sanctions, the Lima Group, the OAS, and the relentless public relations stunts, all the self-declared "government" has to show for itself is thirty recruits standing on a bridge. That's a poor result. Maybe all the smart think-tank people who dreamed up the Guaido charade aren't actually so smart, or place too much faith in PR optics as opposed to actual politics. The lack of smarts certainly characterizes the Venezuelan opposition - who would want these people to be in charge of anything?
Credit to Mexico for retaining clearly articulated principles, as displayed at OAS recently.
Posted by: jayc | Apr 30 2019 17:43 utc | 71
to steve keith # 7 and anitspin # 12 - School of International Atrocities is just right. Remember Haaahvaaad gave us napalm which was field tested in North Korea, along with other such treats as Larry "Garbagemen" Summers, and MacGeorge "Green Ford Foundation" Bundy. " Fight fiercely Harvard, do...." ah yes, and Geo "Is Our Children Learning" Bushboy. Wonderful.
Posted by: Miss Lacy | Apr 30 2019 17:44 utc | 72
Guaido should be left free to make more failed coups to ridicule himself and loose the little credibility he has left.
Christya Freeland the Canadian Trump worshipper should shut up once for all. Like Victoria Nuland in Ukraine, she represents women politician who feel empowered by their weak and stupid leader to destroy countries. She should be tried for war crimes once she looses her diplomatic immunity. She and her boss are a disgrace to Canadians.
Posted by: Virgile | Apr 30 2019 17:50 utc | 73
Chevrus @44
Absolutely correct, Prince's mercs could not actually win territory and hold it. Their attack would just be a "bloody their nose" sort of thing that American psychos are so fond of. Basically Prince's attack dogs create chaos as long as they can get away with and when the Venezuelan military begins a methodical counterattack they retreat to Colombia. Beyond destabilizing the government somewhat I don't see what it could accomplish, though.
I think the concern raised by others is much more likely; that is snipers killing dozens or hundreds of people celebrating May Day in such a way that the mass media can spin it as the government's doing. Most Americans do not know what May Day is and will assume that any Venezuelan crowds their TVs show them will be Random Guaido's faithful flock protesting against Maduro. Guaranteed that's how the New York Langley Times will spin it tomorrow. If mystery snipers (CIA death squads) shoot up the festival-goers it will not be difficult to fool Americans into thinking that the mystery snipers are pro-Maduro forces trying to kill a few Guaidog supporters for some reason.
What further suggests this possibility is that the US State Department's astroturf Twitter army has been trying to force the meme that Random Guaido is actually a socialist and is more left than Maduro. This is to seed the idea among people who actually do know what May Day is about that Maduro would oppose May Day celebrations and thus reinforce the forced meme that Maduro loyalists are responsible for tomorrow's sniper attacks.
Still, selling it to the gullible American public is one thing. It is another entirely to fool the Venezuelans since many of them will be seeing this happen firsthand. If the Venezuelan people don't buy that the government is behind the sniper attacks then they will close up ranks around Maduro rather than throw their lot in with Guaidog's coup attempt.
Posted by: William Gruff | Apr 30 2019 17:57 utc | 74
LOL, Erdogan just commented publicly on the events in Venezuela "It's Inadmissible to Appoint a President From Abroad", I guess it's ok to overthrow a foreign government (Syria) as long as you have no plan to replace the government. Seriously though, the US looks like it won't be satisfied until it insults Erdogan so constantly that he moves Turkey fully into the Russo-Sino camp
Posted by: Kadath | Apr 30 2019 18:00 utc | 75
@jayc (68) Are the coup planners and advisors smart or dumb? In one sense, they are smart, because they can reason from some basic assumption and reach a conclusion that seemingly flows from the rules of logic. OTOH, they are dumb, because the basic assumption from which their reasoning begins is a steaming pile of crap. So, I vote for DUMB.
Posted by: Rob | Apr 30 2019 18:05 utc | 76
This is how the opposition tricked soldiers to be part of a coup (and the plotters' names):
#Telesur correspondent @madeleintlSUR explains event leading to a #coup attempt.
Recap of event leading up to coup by a Telesur reporter:
1. I was in #LaCarlota (air base) when we heard shots coming from the distributor #Altamira taken by a group of military traitors and this was just the moment when they fire. Watch closely, even the civilians who were there they also take out their weapons
2. And this is how we lived the moment inside #LaCarlota (air base) when they (the opposition members) shot from the #Altamira highway Distributor. We heard the blast of shots and then silence.
Posted by: jsb | Apr 30 2019 18:07 utc | 77
Apologies to b, but today's Xymphora post really tickled my fancy...
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Bay of piglets
"Venezuelan coup attempt ‘directly planned in Washington’ – FM". Guido's cute little coup-let. If you stage a coup and nobody notices as it is so half-assed, is it really a coup? "Venezuela: Military Uprising in Caracas (in Development)".
"Venezuela - Bay of Pigs Redux?" (Lang).
Obviously, the government can no longer tolerate Guido's shenanigans, which have become a public safety matter.
Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Apr 30 2019 18:09 utc | 78
This is the problem with voting in a Socialist government.
These people never tire of causing trouble and working hard to make a Socialist system fail. Since they have most of the money they can afford to cause havoc for very long periods.
Posted by: arby | Apr 30 2019 18:12 utc | 79
This is a very dangerous situation. Recall the leaked conversation between Cathering Ashton and Umas Paet, indicating that Maidan sniping was coming from the hotel occupied by the protestors.
https://thesantosrepublic.com/2014/03/06/kiev-snipers-estonia-confirms-leaked-nuland-call-yanukovych-innocent/
The carnage was blamed on Yanukovich and the Berkut, but the actual killers were from the rebels.
All that's needed are a few snipers killing some actually innocent protestors, and blame for the carnage would be pinned on Maduro. Like others in this blog, I think that Maduro should immediately arrest Guaido et al., and not allow the situation to progress further. He should be wary of repeating Yanukovich' mistake.
Posted by: cassandra | Apr 30 2019 18:17 utc | 80
In the meantime, Canada takes a lead in support of USA, Prime Minister visits Asians to show them how insignificant they are. No one can keep track of the multitude of Asian countries, as we can see in the news:
"What a pleasure it is to welcome Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and China," Trudeau said when while receiving the Japanese Prime Minister on April 28.
“Canada and Japan", he immediately corrected himself.
However, during a press conference later, he again made the same mistake but this time he did not even realize his mistake.
====
I am afraid that the footage will be use to spread phony alarms against "evils" of pot legalization.
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Apr 30 2019 18:34 utc | 81
This is just to further confirm that this stunt is being hyped by US mass-media as if it is "the big one", i.e. that Guaidó and his "revolutionary" forces are practically storming the presidential palace.
I listen to the local all-news radio station at the top of the hour. It's a reliable indicator of the tune du jour being played on the mass-media Mighty Wurlitzer.
This morning, as noted, it was the "top story"-- and presented as if the long-anticipated nation-wide coup was raging. Despite the usual overwrought sensationalism, I suspected that there was less than met the ear: this local station didn't throw over to their parent network for a Special Report, as it typically would if the conflict had actually escalated into open rebellion.
"Special Report" mode is announced with dramatic theme music, and Team Coverage featuring the Usual Suspect celebrity network correspondents and a gaggle of house "experts".
So I correctly concluded that despite the breathless tone, this was much ado about little.
____________________________________________________
That said, I agree with previous commenters that Guaidó and his clique have gone beyond seditious "baiting" and advocating violent rebellion to engaging in armed insurrection-- however staged and phony. It seems to have intentionally crossed a line to further test the Maduro government's patience and resolve.
I'm not one of those who finds fault with embattled statesmen for refusing to act precipitously in response to obvious provocations. Maduro and loyal Venezuelans know perfectly well that even a reasonable response to blatant illegal and illicit provocations may be used by the golpistas (which includes the US/Western sponsors and enablers) as a pretext for foreign intervention.
But the prudent policy of tolerance and forbearance cannot continue indefinitely in the face of outright treasonous provocations, since this will eventually be perceived as the government turning a blind eye, or winking at, the rule of law upon which it relies for legitimacy.
It's a difficult dilemma.
Posted by: Ort | Apr 30 2019 18:35 utc | 82
@ #69 Miss Lacy > Napalm was used in WW2 according to, if I recall correctly, Kurt Vonnegut. He wrote that he helped drop the stuff, so the first operational "tests" were in Europe. But of course you're approximately correct, as Korea saw the "perfection", along with germ warfare developed tested on China, by "forgiven" Japanese war criminals.
My gut says that the events today are an overture, they always double. They must. They cannot retreat.
Brother Prince will now have his contract. Probably. Or perhaps the marines will enter the Big Muddy en directo. Why? 'Cause Iran can't be brought to heel until the Koch Boys get the Venezuelan crude.
More seriously I encourage people to check Eric Cline's "1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed" We seem to be repeating the pattern. There are also some video presentation in re by Cline, who is highly expert academic expert.
If Cline's thesis is correct the events we see today, and in the post ww2 period, are less the product of political will than they are simply reactions to objective circumstances. All Ethics is perception-dependent and ultimately circumstance-dependent.
Posted by: Walter | Apr 30 2019 18:48 utc | 83
I'm seeing more Big Ass military transport planes flying over the Florida skies today, in all directions. This is normal for the area, but today there is an uptick and i do not like it.
Like someone stated above, the May Day crowds are possibly the CIAs last chance to con the world about this situation, for some time at least.
Posted by: sejomoje | Apr 30 2019 18:54 utc | 84
On the subject of treason and forbearance: If you watch the Telesur videos, you will note that all of the military leaders of the "coupelet" have been identified and publicly outed. They will either be captured and prosecuted fully, or will have to flee, or live the life of the hunted. Their careers under the Maduro government are finished, with repercussions for their entire families.
Why go for the head of the insect and provoke the imperialist giant, when you can legally cut off all the insect's legs without creating a stir and render the insect helpless.
Who will have the temerity to join the next failed coup attempt?
Every colonic cleanses the system of more impurities.
Posted by: Ripe Fruit | Apr 30 2019 18:54 utc | 85
@ Ort who wrote
"
But the prudent policy of tolerance and forbearance cannot continue indefinitely in the face of outright treasonous provocations, since this will eventually be perceived as the government turning a blind eye, or winking at, the rule of law upon which it relies for legitimacy.
It's a difficult dilemma.
"
I disagree with the part about folks giving up on government because it practices good defense instead of offense at provocations. From my view Venezuela and their backers China and Russia have the high ground and are winning.....and the public are not brainwashed like the West
Yes there are lots of aggression being initiated by the West and they are being met with the best defense in the world because we are still here watching empire flail as it goes down......with very few shots being fired, thankfully
Yes, it is possible that the West can trick some group into military response but they will only hold onto some of that country as long as they can extend their military to do so.....how did that work out in Syria?
Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 30 2019 18:59 utc | 87
iF there was ever a 1 bullet scenario this was it. Now that's closed is it too soon to be frontrunning?
Posted by: Doggrotter | Apr 30 2019 19:15 utc | 88
Beware of snipers on the roof alla the Takism massacre in Turkey 1977 May Day with the Ecevit (leftist) gov't in power.
Of course Bengazi and Kiev come to mind as well.
Posted by: Blue | Apr 30 2019 19:16 utc | 89
Bolden on CNN, what a pile of steaming dog-s***. You'd think the morons here in the U$A would remember the lies told, to back the invasion of Iraq, and elsewhere. All the usual suspects, lying in unison again to promote regime change.
Thanks b, for this island of sanity..
Posted by: ben | Apr 30 2019 19:21 utc | 91
As a Canadian, I’m embarrassed that our govt keeps sucking up to the US, in their war shenanigans. No Integrity.
Posted by: Featherless | Apr 30 2019 19:24 utc | 92
psychohistorian @87 said "...with very few shots being fired."
This is an important point. The Russians and Chinese seem to have the psycho empire psychoanalyzed and are offering good guidance to Venezuela, assuming Venezuelans themselves are not also clued into how the psycho empire works. In essence, America needs a pretext to attack. Americans need to maintain the delusion that they are the victims, and that it was their victims who forced America to attack against America's bogus peace-loving will. The pretext doesn't need to be very convincing, but it needs to exist. For this reason it could be wiser to just leave Random Guaido alone, but arrest and court martial the military personnel who took part in this little stunt. Lopez should also be re-arrested and tried for violating the terms of his detention. This arresting should be done by regular police for Lopez and military police for the military personnel who violated the chain of command. No shooting or even guns drawn. Just calmly take them into custody and let the legal process work on them.
Posted by: William Gruff | Apr 30 2019 19:25 utc | 93
NOBTS said; "Random Guy Doe"..
LMFAO, think I'll plagiarise that:)
Posted by: ben | Apr 30 2019 19:29 utc | 95
Now that CIA poster boy Leopoldo is available to take charge Juan Doe is prime sniper fodder!
Posted by: NOBTS | Apr 30 2019 19:34 utc | 96
B: See -- https://libya360.wordpress.com/2019/04/30/venezuela-attempted-opposition-coup-neutralized/
The USG also seems to realize that the coup attempt was a complete flop, that's how the BBC reported it.
Also, I've compiled a list of stories on the coup attempt:
https://williambowles.info/2019/04/30/venezuela-newslinks-30-april-2019/
Posted by: sejomoje | Apr 30, 2019 2:54:05 PM | 84
Do you really think the Empire is going to risk an invasion with US bodies? I don't think so. Now they maybe flying to the neighbouring satrapies of course.
From the libya360 piece:
Vladimir Padrino López, Venezuelan Minister of Defense, affirmed on Twitter, “The Bolivarian National Armed Forces stand firm in defense of the National Constitution and its legitimate authorities,” adding that all military units are deployed in the eight Integrated Defense Regions and report normalcy in their barracks and military bases, under the command of their established commanders.He further stated, referring to the coup plotters, “They are cowards! We will stand firm in defense of the constitutional order and peace of the Republic, assisted as we are by law, reason, and history. Always loyal, never traitors! “
In this regard, Venezuelan authorities insisted on the need to maintain calm and unity, reporting that the national territory remains in complete tranquility, including Caracas. The president of the National Constituent Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, confirmed that the Carlota airbase was not occupied by opposition forces, as some have claimed, teleSUR reported.
The Maduro govt has to walk on soft-boiled eggs. It resists, obviously but it has to tread carefully, not be provoked. Show maturity over these fucking gusanos! Clearly, in spite of everything the Empire has thrown at the people for 2 years, they remain unbowed, but for how long?
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Dude to the right in that pic has 'merc/minder' screaming all over him.
Posted by: S.O. | Apr 30 2019 12:17 utc | 1