Posted on 05/12/2019 9:37:12 AM PDT by Kaslin
After self-declared interim President of Venezuela Juan Guaido failed in calling on his nation’s military to oust dictator Nicolas Maduro, the attempted revolt appeared to have been strangled in the cradle. Only a handful of military leaders came over to his side and the civilian protests in the major cities fizzled for the most part. Guaido himself still hasn’t been arrested, but his deputy and several other opposition party leaders in the National Assembly have been locked up. This week, Guaido seemed to be getting a bit more nervous and he sent out an even more emphatic “invitation” to the United States. This announcement is as close as he’s come to a direct plea for American troops to ride to the rescue and take Maduro into custody themselves. (Associated Press)
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó on Saturday said he’s instructed his political envoy in Washington to immediately open relations with the U.S. military in a bid to bring more pressure on President Nicolás Maduro to resign.
The leader said he’s asked Carlos Vecchio, who the U.S. recognizes as Venezuela’s ambassador, to open “direct communications” toward possible military “coordination.”
The remarks, at the end of a rally Saturday, mark one of his strongest public pleas yet for greater U.S. involvement in the country’s fast-escalating crisis. While Guaidó has repeatedly echoed comments from the Trump administration that “all options” are on the table for removing Maduro, few in the U.S. or Venezuelan opposition view military action as likely nor has the White House indicated it’s seriously considering such a move.
Guaido’s desire to have a military “coordination” plan is understandable, given his current position. He certainly holds the moral high ground and enjoys some broad support among the citizenry. There’s also a definite argument to be made that he is technically the interim president, though a more formal recognition process would have been helpful. But the fact is that without the support of the military in his own country, he lacks the ability to exert true control or rule the nation.
And that should remind us that what Guaido is looking for is not military “coordination” between our two countries. He’s asking for an invasion, but the military doesn’t answer to him and would not follow his directives. Meanwhile, Maduro has not only the military leadership in his corner but also the secret police, armed militia units, Russian special forces, and Cuban troops.
I would love to see Maduro gone as much as anyone else. The guy is a monster, growing fat off of the plundering of his nation’s coffers while his people literally starve in the streets. But if he’s to be removed, it needs to be done by Venezuelans, not a foreign invasion force. Even setting aside our country’s history of military misadventures in South America, this is obviously not a war we want or deserve. The presence of foreign military units in Venezuela complicates it even further.
We should stand ready to support Guaido if he is able to take power and perhaps even give Maduro a free lift to safety (as the President has suggested) if that helps ends the conflict peacefully. But sending a squadron of B-2s to conduct a midnight bombing run on Caracas would simply not end well and could very likely subject us to the law of unintended consequences.
It’s just like Syria...you don’t know who the enemy is.
Embargo on Cuba will do the trick
Right, like it did for 60 years.
By the way, why no embargo on Saudi Arabia? If we really have a problem with dictatorships, let’s start there. Venezuala May have had rigged elections - I don’t know because Gaudi didn’t run for election, he wants to be installed by coup or riots - - but Saudi Arabia doesntveven have elections. They do have head chopping and crucifixion, though
Can’t we get a covert team in there to knock off Maduro and make it look like the locals did it?
“attempt to get the country Back”
When did Guida ever have the country? He didn’t run in the election for president did he?
“” “” The legislature of Venezuela removed Maduro from office and installed Guaido as the interim President. He is the legal commander in chief, but the military remains loyal to the man removed from office, not to mention the many thousands of Cuban forces that are propping up Maduro. “” “”
That’s one of many fairy tales resembling others supporting all too many foreign entanglements before it.
It is actually an adaptation of older lie stating the military is with Guaidó.
I believe Guaidó has expired. Failing to gain enough support to pull a successful coup then inviting a foreign power to bomb your people is beyond legitimate popular uprising. More like sedition, high treason.
Can’t we mind our own business just once?
Can’t we get a covert team in there to knock off maduro”
Tell me, why is he a worse ruler than the Saudi dictators? Do you want us to knock the off too?
Saudi Arabia is a friend and good ally
Cuba is neither.
We have not embargoed Cuba, ever.
You comparison is stupid
The only people who don’t want Maduro gone are people making money with him.
I wonder how many drug dealers in the US are beholden to him?
Send them weapons and training, but no boots on the ground. We can round up the invaders in our country, arm them and send them to Venezuela.
Venezuela is more useful to us as a bad example, to be perfectly cold about it. And we would be a terrific scapegoat that the international Left would use to mask socialism’s obvious failure if we decapitated Maduro so that another socialist could step in. The Venezuelans are going to have to do this themselves, and judging by what little we actually had reported on the last attempt, they don’t want to.
If Trump follows the lead of his neo con National Security staff and starts invading other countries—even if their “leader” asks for it, he will loose re-election.
The Constitution is pretty clear on this stuff. I am tired of the Dems disregarding it, I will be damned if Trump ignores it.
“” “” Send them weapons and training, but no boots on the ground.”” “”
Contras anyone? Payback would come in coke.
I think we’ve reached nukem mode on Venezuela! Wait 20 years and build a resort!
Not enough sheeple want maduro out.
“You comparison is stupid”
Yes, good point, Saudis are worse , My bad. In Venezuala I could at least practice my Christian Faith. In Saudi that would be a risk
https://www.newsmax.com/t/newsmax/article/888651/204
Saudi Arabia’s Crimes Against Christians
The difference is the Saudis are continuing to pay off the populace.
In Venezuela the greedy upper echelon is not paying off the populace and is occurring the wrath of their socialist populace who want money and food and medical attention, like they had in their socialist past. -Tom.
Actually, I’ve heard it said that Guaido is a social democrat-basically, he’s all for capitalism, with a welfare state government to use the money from it for social benefits. All things considered, he might well be the best possible option in that country. Also, Hugo Chavez won his first election legally, but there’s reason to believe that he won the second with fraud.
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