Venezuela: Resistance or disintegration?

[mabar]

I don't know if the above is true or not but it is the first I've seen it mentioned.

Sorry if that is not related to the Thursday blackout. I thought there was more than one substation affected in the power grid. It may be that the wider grid has maintenance problems that don't help the system as a whole, I just don't know. I had to use DeepL since my Spanish is not so good.

Do not be, I had not gone to look more info of fires, and they are using the dizzy expresion to confuse, maybe you found just that in that moment, but later many media are replicating the same in tittle/similar story, and for many what Guaidó says is the truth.

From the Malena electric substation, located in the north of Bolívar state, on the banks of the Orinoco river, to the Guri dam, which is in Puerto Ordaz, the weed had grown in such a way that there was a vegetation fire that caused the 3 lines of 765 kW, 2 by heating and the other by overload"

Fire in the weed that grow in the 3 lines of 765 kW that are located? ... it does not say so

Failure in transmission lines due to fire produced a national blackout of more than 50 hours. ???

Workers at the Guri dam stated that the failure did not occur in generation but in transmission due to zero maintenance. They explained that due to the lack of weeding between the Malena electric substation, located to the north of the Bolivar state, and the Guri, a fire occurred that affected the 765 KV transmission lines and returned energy to the dam's machines, which were shut down for protection. (se produjo un incendio que afectó las líneas de transmisión de 765 KV y devolvió la energía a las máquinas de la represa, que se apagaron por protección. )

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

Apagón was produced by fire and lack of maintenance: Guaidó ???

Venezuela's interim president Juan Guaidó announced on Sunday that the national blackout that has lasted more than 72 hours was caused by a vegetation fire on Thursday afternoon that affected three 765 kilovolt lines between El Guri and the Malena and San Geronimo B substations, according to sources linked to Corpoelec.

Guaidó explained that the lack of preventive maintenance, pica and pruning, makes these towers susceptible to these fires, and added that more than 80% of the energy that goes to the center of the country passes through these lines of 765KV and that the fire reheated them and generated a load rejection in the turbines. (líneas de 765KV y que el incendio las recalentó y generó un rechazo de carga en las turbinas]

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

I use deepl as well because is more practical. :)

Add: and they do not say which sources, whom experts, whom workers ... reminded me of the infinite number of articles that when they do not specify something is wrong

 

[Alejo]

The way Rubio is celebrating this electric plant incident is extremely suggestive of his complicity.

And here’s where people should, one would hope, see through the entire BS narrative. Rubio is riding on the bus of creating and then exploiting the misery of hardships for the Venezuelan people for political gain.

Then they attempt to explain that the best response to said hardships is to make their lives even harder through economic sanctions and blockades, and then they claim that their goal is humanitarian and that their intentions are altruistic.

Literally, they will make people in Venezuela (and anywhere) bleed cry and call it mercy.

And after the prank call to Abrams, I’m always left with the question of:

Are these people truly cunning and evil and their plan is clear in their minds. Or do they legitimately believe in the narrative and think their actions are positive.

One part of me wants to go: no, they’re evil and they know exactly what they’re doing, sanctioning Venezuela so that people suffer, with the intention of making people suffer, to weaken the government and recruit dissidents into an eventual proxy armed opposition.

But every now and then I get the sense that, they’re honest to god that shortsighted and dumb and feel like destroying the sovereignty of a nation by making their people miserable is the best thing they can do.

 

[herondancer]

Marco Rubio has been tweeting non-stop about the Venezuelan blackout, and at some point he tweeted this (can't find it on his wall so it looks like he deleted it):

SOTT carried the story including Rubio's stupid tweet, which has been deleted. He certainly comes off as one who is being kept in the loop on the anti-government 'fun and games' the CIA etc are so fond of.

Twitter mercilessly roasts Rubio for blaming Venezuelan power outages on explosion at imaginary 'German dam'

 

[angelburst29]

Well, we knew this was coming ... sooner or later?

Pompeo blames Russia, Cuba for Venezuelan crisis

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday blamed Russia and Cuba for causing Venezuela's political crisis by supporting President Nicolas Maduro ... and said he had urged India not to help Maduro's government by buying Venezuelan oil.

U.S.'s Pompeo criticizes Russia's Rosneft for buying oil from Venezuela

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that Russia's Rosneft was defying U.S. sanctions by buying oil from Venezuela's state-owned oil company and helping President Nicolas Maduro's government.

Venezuela blackout halts most oil exports, hits crude upgrading: sources

Venezuelan state-run oil firm PDVSA has been unable to resume crude exports at its primary port since last week's blackout, according to people familiar with the matter, indicating that the country's massive power outage is crippling the OPEC nation's principal industry.

 

[Voyageur]

Caught this featuring a talk with the UN's humanitarian lead who entered Venezuela to assess the conditions and wrote an official report for the UN. No one in the UN wanted to read it. No media wanted to publish it or quote it. It was said that this was the first assessment report done in 20 or 30 years in Venezuela. Interesting to hear what he describes, which is the complete opposite of what is being said.

An Ocean of Lies on Venezuela: Abby Martin & UN Rapporteur Expose Coup
By Abby Martin | Empire Files

 

[cope]

One part of me wants to go: no, they’re evil and they know exactly what they’re doing, sanctioning Venezuela so that people suffer, with the intention of making people suffer, to weaken the government and recruit dissidents into an eventual proxy armed opposition.

But every now and then I get the sense that, they’re honest to god that shortsighted and dumb and feel like destroying the sovereignty of a nation by making their people miserable is the best thing they can do.

On the one side, i think, a decision has been made. It was made by forces, higher than Pompeo. He complies, thus discards all other options.
On the other side, he tries to make things worse, to be a bad mtf and thus rise in the hierarchy. Empathy is switched off as unprofessional.

 

[angelburst29]

Venezuela give U.S. diplomats 72 hours to leave, blames Trump for blackout

Venezuela ordered American diplomats to leave the country within 72 hours on Tuesday after President Nicolas Maduro accused U.S. counterpart Donald Trump of cyber "sabotage" that plunged the OPEC nation into its worst blackout on record.

During the past few days, Venezuela was suffering a major blackout that left the country in darkness. The crisis started on March 7 with a failure at the Guri hydroelectric power plant, which produces 80% of the country’s power. Additionally, an explosion was reported at Sidor Substation in Bolivar state. Since then, the government has been struggling to solve the crisis with varying success.

March 12, 2019 - Video: Venezuela Blackout: Cyber Attacks, Sabotage and Political Horror Movies
Video: Venezuela Blackout: Cyber Attacks, Sabotage and Political Horror Movies - Global Research

President Nicolas Maduro says that the blackout is the reason of “the electric war announced and directed by American imperialism.” According to Maduro, electrical systems were targeted by cyberattacks and “infiltrators”. He added that authorities managed to restore power to “many parts” of the country on March 8, but the restored systems were knocked down after the country’s grid was once again attacked. He noted that “one of the sources of generation that was working perfectly” had been sabotaged and accused “infiltrators of attacking the electric company from the inside.”

Communication and information minister Jorge Rodriguez described the situation as “the most brutal attack on the Venezuelan people in 200 years”. He also described the situation as the “deliberate sabotage” on behalf of the US-backed opposition.

In own turn, the US continues to reject claims accusing it of attempts to destabilize the situation in the country. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo even claimed that Washington and its allies would not hurt the “ordinary Venezuelans.” According to him, what’s hurting the people is the “Maduro regime’s incompetence.”

“No food. No medicine. Now, no power. Next, no Maduro,” Pompeo wrote in Twitter, adding that “Maduro’s policies bring nothing but darkness.”

Unfortunately, the top diplomat did not explain how wide-scale economic sanctions imposed to wreck the country’s economic should help the “ordinary Venezuelans”.

The State Department attitude was expectedly supported by US-proclaimed Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaido, who recently returned to country after an attempt to get more foreign support for US-backed regime change efforts. Guaido accused the “Maduro Regime” of turning the blackout during the night in a “horror movie” with his “gangs” terrorizing people.

Another narrative, which recently set the mainstream media on fire, is the alleged Cuban meddling in the crisis. According to this very version of the event, “forces of democracy” were not able to overthrow the Venezuelan government because its political elite is controlled by Cuban intelligence services. President Donald Trump even said Maduro is nothing more than a “Cuban puppet.”

Taking account already existing allegations about the presence of Hezbollah and Russian mercenaries in Venezuela and an expected second attempt to stage US aid delivery provocation on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, it becomes clear that chances of US direct action to bring into power own political puppet are once again growing.

The February attempt to stage a provocation failed and make a final step toward a regime change by force failed after it was publicly revealed that the US-backed opposition was intentionally burning “aid trucks” to blame the Maduro government. Furthermore, the military backed Maduro, and the scale and intensity of protests across the country were not enough to paralyze the government.

The blackout in Venezuela was likely meant to bring the country into disorder and draw off army and security forces. Therefore, an attempt to stage a new provocation to justify a foreign intervention to overthrow the Venezuelan government could be expected anytime soon.

11 March 2019 - “Lights Out!” Did Trump and His Neocons Recycle Bush-Era Plan to Knock Out Venezuela’s Power Grid?
“Lights Out!” Did Trump and His Neocons Recycle Bush-Era Plan to Knock Out Venezuela’s Power Grid? - Global Research

Although many mainstream media outlets have echoed the official U.S. government response, some journalists have strayed from the pack. One notable example is Kalev Leetaru, who wrote at Forbes that “the United States remotely interfering with its [Venezuela’s] power grid is actually quite realistic.”

Leetaru also noted that “timing such an outage to occur at a moment of societal upheaval in a way that delegitimizes the current government, exactly as a government-in-waiting has presented itself as a ready alternative, is actually one of the tactics” he had previously explored in a 2015 article detailing U.S. government hybrid warfare tactics “to weaken an adversary prior to conventional invasion or to forcibly and deniably effect a transition in a foreign government.”

In addition to Leetaru’s claims, others have asserted U.S. government involvement after U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), who is deeply involved in Trump’s Venezuela policy, appeared to have prior knowledge that the blackouts would occur when he tweeted about them only three minutes after they had begun. (Article continues.)

Venezuela prosecutor seeks probe of Guaido over electrical 'sabotage'
Venezuela's Chief Prosecutor Tarek Saab on Tuesday said he has asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation into opposition leader Juan Guaido for alleged involvement in "sabotage" of the country's electrical system.

U.S. to withdraw all remaining diplomatic personnel from Venezuela
The United States will withdraw all remaining diplomatic personnel from Venezuela this week, the U.S. State Department said late on Monday, citing the deteriorating situation in the country after months of political unrest.

Russia's Rosneft says U.S. statements on its Venezuela operations groundless
Russia's top oil producer Rosneft said on Tuesday that U.S. statements that it had violated U.S. sanctions in its Venezuela activities were "groundless accusations".

 

[angelburst29]

The Venezuelan Army has introduced an air surveillance system over the country's power lines to protect its energy system and prevent further incidents, Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said.

Mon Mar 11, 2019 - Venezuelan Army Introduces Air Surveillance over Power Lines After Blackout, Caracas Suspends Classes, Work Activities
Farsnews

"The Venezuelan National Armed Forces launched an air surveillance system for power lines today, and since yesterday they have occupied all strategic facilities… for physical protection at various levels in order to stabilize the system and prevent any other attacks", Lopez stated on Sunday as broadcast by the channel VTV.

Also on Sunday, President Nicolas Maduro said Venezuelan authorities are making every effort so that the national electricity supply system can be restored within a few hours.

"The national power supply system has been subject to numerous cyberattacks, which led to its disruption and prevented attempts to restore it. Nevertheless, we are making great efforts to finally establish stable power supply within few hours," Maduro wrote on Twitter.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stated that two would-be saboteurs have been caught “in flagrante delicto” trying to take down the communications system of the Guri hydroelectric dam.

Tue Mar 12, 2019 - Maduro Says Two Perpetrators of Power Grid 'Sabotage' Captured, Trump Responsible for Cyber Attack on Venezuela's Electricity System
Farsnews

Authorities reportedly apprehended the two "material" perpetrators of the vandalism in the midst of interfering with the dam’s communications systems on Monday, averting a serious catastrophe, and have turned them over to the courts, RT reported.

They are now looking for the "intellectual authors" of the sabotage, and Maduro has blamed the US for the sustained technological attack on Venezuela's electrical system, which began last week.

The Venezuelan president also opined that US President Donald Trump bore the most responsibility for the disruption of Venezuela's power grid system, according to RIA Novosti.

Venezuela's Guaido readies to open up oil industry after years of nationalization
Venezuelan congress head Juan Guaido is preparing a groundbreaking reversal of late President Hugo Chavez's energy industry nationalization, allowing private companies a bigger role in its oilfields and shrinking state-run PDVSA, according to opposition advisers and a draft seen by Reuters.

U.S. military not involved in withdrawing diplomats from Venezuela
The U.S. military has not been asked to assist with the removal of American diplomatic personnel from Venezuela, the top U.S. military commander for the region told Reuters, adding they were expected to depart the country by commercial means.

U.S. plans 'very significant' additional Venezuela sanctions: official
The United States is preparing to impose "very significant" Venezuela-related sanctions against financial institutions in the coming days, U.S. special envoy Elliott Abrams said on Tuesday.

 

[angelburst29]

Maduro said he has already appointed a "special presidential commission to investigate the cyberattack".

March 13, 2019 - Venezuela to ask Russia, China, UN to help investigate power sabotage
Venezuela to ask Russia, China, UN to help investigate power sabotage

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro © REUTERS/Marco Bello

The Venezuelan government will ask the United Nations, Russia, China, Iran and Cuba to help investigate the cyberattack on the country’s power grid, which led to massive blackouts in the republic, President Nicolas Maduro said.

"I will request assistance from the UN, as well as from Russia, China, Iran and Cuba, who have vast experience in issues of protection against cyberattacks," he said on Tuesday in a speech, broadcast via the Periscope app.

Maduro said he has already appointed a "special presidential commission to investigate the cyberattack."

"I asked to include international specialists in it," he said.

According to the Venezuelan leader, the government "has already prevailed, and restored the power grid" of the country. "We now need to reinforce it, to make it reliable and impregnable again," he added.

On the evening of March 7, Caracas and 20 of the country’s 23 regions were left without electricity. The National Electric Company said the blackout had been caused by an accident at the Simon Bolivar Hydroelectric Plant, which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro blamed on "US imperialism." However, the US Department of State denied any involvement.

Electricity began to be gradually restored across Venezuela on the night of March 8 but the situation worsened later following reports about an explosion at an electric substation located on the outskirts of the city of Ciudad Bolivar. According to Maduro, the country’s law enforcement agencies have arrested two people suspected of being involved in attacks on Venezuela’s electricity grid.

Vice President for Communications and Culture Jorge Rodriguez said on Tuesday that power supplies have resumed in most of the country.

China offers help to Venezuela to restore power


China offered on Wednesday to help Venezuela restore its power grid, after President Nicolas Maduro accused U.S. counterpart Donald Trump of cyber "sabotage" that plunged the South American country into its worst blackout on record.

 

[mabar]

Juan Guaidó falls for a telephone joke by Russian comedians (AUDIO)
The jokers Vován and Lexus pretended to be the president of the Swiss Confederation and got the self-proclaimed "president in charge" of Venezuela to sign a request to block Maduro's 'assets' in a nonexistent bank.

After their telephone call to US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams, the Russian jokers Vován and Lexus once again posed as the President of the Swiss Confederation, Ueli Maurer, and this time engaged in an alleged dialogue with Juan Guaidó.

According to the well-known comedy duo, the conversation with the self-proclaimed "president in charge" of Venezuela took place on February 20, the same day Guaidó said in an interview with Televisa that he had a phone call with the "president of Switzerland.

During the interview, Guaidó claimed to have been informed by the Swiss politician that the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, was trying to make illicit movements of money in the European country, as can be seen in the supposed conversation with 'Maurer'.

"You have to find a way to freeze those accounts, president, and you will tell me through regular channels how to move forward," is heard on the audio shared on social networks by Vladimir Kuznetsov (Vovan) and Alexei Stoliarov (Lexus).

In turn, the duo of jokers asked about a possible military intervention in Venezuela and the danger that this could mean for Maduro.

"Well, that's an option. Clearly that option is not under our control. It would be an option of force. The best thing that could happen, obviously, is an agreed choice. But today, with the crisis that there is...", the recording of the humorists shows Guaidó's presumed voice.

Official' document

Emulating Maurer's voice, the comedians asked for an 'official' document to concretize the fictitious blockade of assets. "Perfect, we worked immediately on that," the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly supposedly nodded.

After Guaidó's public statements on the matter, the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs soon denied them. "This information is not correct. There was no telephone contact between Mr. Guaidó and President Maurer," a spokesman told Reuters.

The humorists, in order to prevent their joke from coming to light, stated that they had then contacted the U.S. envoy to Venezuela - again posing as Maurer - to reprimand Guaidó for not having kept the conversation secret, stating that because of this "Maduro's clan can immediately withdraw all the money from Switzerland".

Abrams allegedly believed the argument. "Yes, that was a mistake on his part. Of course we will keep everything confidential. I will kindly let Guaidó know that his comment was a mistake and should not be repeated," the jokers quote an alleged e-mail from the diplomat.

The special envoy would also have made sure the request was sent. "Dear Mr. Maurer, please let me know if that document is not sent to you in time, and we will kindly remind you [send it]," reads another message.

Now, Vován and Lexus have affirmed to have received from Guaidó the document in question, that with a signature and a seal of the National Assembly requests "officially the conductive for the protection and/or blockade of assets of the Venezuelan State". The text includes a mention of "Lexus Vovanial Bank Ltd," a fictitious entity but which the humorists underscored as the key to carrying out the 'blockade.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

https://youtu.be/B1GOT2bVNYg
[/quote]

 

[angelburst29]

Between the Ethiopian Boeing 747 crash, the New Zealand Mosque massacre and Brexit, news on Venezuela seems to have taken the back burner.

Venezuela's Guaido launches national tour in 'new phase' to oust Maduro

Venezuelan opposition leader and National Assembly head Juan Guaido said on Saturday he was launching a "new phase" in his push to oust President Nicolas Maduro, pledging to travel across the country before "reclaiming" the presidential palace.

Venezuela's Maduro plans 'deep restructuring' of government: VP

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during his visit to the Hydroelectric Generation System on the Caroni River, near Ciudad Guayana, Bolivar State, Venezuela March 16, 2019. Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is planning a "deep restructuring" of his government, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday, as the country recovers from a prolonged blackout amid a power struggle with the opposition.

“President @NicolasMaduro has asked the entire executive Cabinet to put their roles up for review in a deep restructuring of the methods and functions of the Bolivarian government, to protect the fatherland of Bolivar and Chavez from any threat,” Rodriguez wrote on Twitter, referring to independence leader Simon Bolivar and former President Hugo Chavez.

Maduro has repeatedly changed Cabinet members since taking office in 2013, with members of the military rising to posts heading the oil, interior and electricity ministries.

In a visit to electricity workers in southern Bolivar state on Saturday, Maduro pledged a restructuring of state power company Corpoelec and promised to create a unit in the armed forces focused on protecting key infrastructure from cyber attacks.

The first part of this article (in the quote below) describes the activities and the main players in the Iran-Contra scandal and how some of the same players are involved now - to overthrow the Venezuelan, Haiti and Nicaragua Governments for regime change. The rest of the article which pertains to Venezuela and what's happening now behind the scenes will follow.

22.02.2019 - Trump’s Contra War Redux in Latin America

Things are flaring up in Nicaragua again ...

Anti-government protests erupt in Nicaragua after extended pause

Protesters targeting Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega took to the streets on Saturday, demanding the release of all political prisoners and turning up the heat on the political crisis that has consumed the country since last year.

 

[angelburst29]

The reorganization would be aimed at "protecting the homeland of Bolivar and Chaves from any threat", Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez added.

March 18, 2019 - Maduro asks Venezuelan government to resign - vice president
Maduro asks Venezuelan government to resign - vice president

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro © Michail Metsel/TASS

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has asked the country’s cabinet members to resign so that the government can be reorganized, Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez wrote on Twitter.

"President Nicolas Maduro has asked the cabinet to resign to carry out a deep reorganization of the Bolivarian government," the tweet reads.

Rodriguez added that the reorganization would be aimed at "protecting the homeland of Bolivar and Chaves from any threat."

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS on Sunday he is due to hold a meeting with US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams on March 19 in Rome.

March 17, 2019 - Senior Russian diplomat confirms meeting with US special envoy for Venezuela on March 19
Senior Russian diplomat confirms meeting with US special envoy for Venezuela on March 19

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov © Sergey Fadeichev/TASS

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS on Sunday he is due to hold a meeting with US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams on March 19 in Rome.

"The talks will take place on March 19. This is a scheduled contact, this is not a spontaneous meeting," the high-ranking diplomat said.

"We will warn the United States against military intervention and other forms of illegal influence against the legitimate authorities in Caracas," Ryabkov said. "We will certainly explain why it is necessary to make efforts for launching inter-Venezuelan dialogue."

Earlier, the US State Department announced that Abrams would meet with Ryabkov to "discuss the deteriorating situation in Venezuela."

On March 2 at Washington’s initiative the top Russian and US diplomats held a phone conversation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Moscow was ready for talks with the US on Venezuela, but only provided that the UN Charter’s provisions were observed.

US officials met organizers of last year's assassination attempt on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro three times after the incident in order to get information about the attack, CNN reported.

March 16, 2019 - Report: US Officials Met Maduro's Attempted Murder Organizers After Incident

"They wanted to get information and then we asked for things in return. They took notes on this, and we asked if they would be able to help. Then they simply left with their notes, and they never appeared again," the anonymous attacker told the broadcaster.

The organizer of the attack told the CNN that the incident did not involve Colombia, despite Caracas' claims to the contrary, and was instead plotted by a group of Venezuelan citizens, including army defectors.

According to the attacker, he met US officials three times after the fact.

A spokesperson for the US Department of State refused to comment on the issue, only saying that Washington was supporting a “peaceful transition” in Venezuela.

According to the Venezuelan authorities, Maduro experienced an attempted assassination with the use of explosive-laden drones during a speech he was making at a military parade in Caracas in early August.

The Venezuela's president has accused opposition forces and Colombia of having organised the attack, adding that some of the perpetrators resided in the United States. Both Bogota and Washington have denied any involvement in the incident.

Russia Will Continue to Expand Cooperation with Venezuela Despite US Pressure
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that Russia would warn Washington against interfering in Venezuela's affairs.

Maduro Announces New Venezuela Military Drills After Nationwide Blackout
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the start of the second stage of the country's large-scale military drills on Saturday, following a nearly week-long nationwide blackout.

US Admits Venezuela's Guaido 'Not in Power'
The US sees opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s acting president but admits that he does not have real power because President Nicolas Maduro did not resign, US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams told a news briefing on Friday.

Russia Believes Western Sabotage Caused Venezuelan Blackout
Moscow believes that an act of Western sabotage was the reason behind the recent large-scale power outage in Venezuela, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Friday.

Hands off Venezuela! Protesters Rally Against Regime Change Outside White House
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Washington DC to demand "No coup! No war! No sanctions!" on Venezuela, and show support for Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro against regime change efforts.

 

[angelburst29]

Representatives of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido have taken control of three of the country's diplomatic properties in the United States, Guaido's U.S. envoy said on Monday, as the opposition presses its bid to oust socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela opposition takes control of diplomatic properties in U.S.

combination of two photos shows Carlos Vecchio (L), the envoy to the United States of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, and an aide take down a picture of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro (top photo) and replace it with a picture of Guaido (bottom photo) in these frame grabs from video after supporters of Guaido took control of the office of Venezuela's military attache in Washington, U.S. March 18, 2019. REUTERS/Gershon Peaks

The envoy, Carlos Vecchio, said the opposition had gained control of two buildings belonging to Venezuela’s defense ministry in Washington and one consular building in New York. He added that the group expected to take control of Venezuela’s embassy in Washington “in the days to come.”

U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters the United States was “pleased to support these requests.”

In a statement, Venezuela’s foreign ministry called on U.S. authorities to “take the necessary measures to immediately reverse this forcible occupation” of its diplomatic offices. It said the transfer of possession violated international law on the protection of diplomatic properties.

U.S.-sanctioned Venezuelan defects to Colombia, slams Maduro
A Venezuelan general under sanction by the United States denounced the government of President Nicolas Maduro on Monday as "inept and corrupt" after fleeing for neighboring Colombia amid growing pressure on the isolated administration.

On Monday representatives of the Venezuelan opposition said that they took control of the country's several diplomatic properties in the United States.

March 19, 2019 - Venezuelan government condemns occupation of diplomatic missions by opposition
Venezuelan government condemns occupation of diplomatic missions by opposition

The Venezuelan government has condemned opposition representatives taking control of the country's diplomatic properties in the United States.

"The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela announces to the international community that its diplomatic properties in the US are now controlled by people who enjoy oppen support from the US government and act as its agents, which represents a direct violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Venezuela's diplomatic missions in the US can only be used by officially appointed diplomats who represent democratically elected and constitutional government of President Nicolas Maduro," the foreign ministry added.

The foreign ministry demanded that US authorities "take necessary measures to immediately stop" opposition representatives from occupying Venezuela's diplomatic properties in the US. "If the US government continues disregarding its international obligations, the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reaffirms its right to take any legal and reciprocal actions on the territory of Venezuela," the ministry stressed.

March 19, 2019 - Only Maduro has the right to appoint Venezuela’s ambassadors, notes Lavrov
Only Maduro has the right to appoint Venezuela’s ambassadors, notes Lavrov

Only the government of Nicolas Maduro can appoint Venezuela’s ambassadors, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday,
commenting on the "appointment" of Venezuela’s representative to the US by opposition leader Juan Guaido.

"Ambassadors are appointed by the governments of the UN member-states, Nicolas Maduro’s government is such," Russia’s top diplomat said.

U.S.-sanctioned Venezuelan defects to Colombia, slams Maduro
A Venezuelan general under sanction by the United States denounced the government of President Nicolas Maduro on Monday as "inept and corrupt" after fleeing for neighboring Colombia amid growing pressure on the isolated administration.

U.S. imposes sanctions on Venezuela state-run mining company
The United States imposed sanctions on Tuesday against Venezuela's state-run mining company Minerven and its president, Adrian Perdomo, in a bid to further cut off funding to the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

(Note - Is this a tactic and excuse being used by the US - so it can station military troops in Columbia near the Venezuelan Border? )

As the United States makes its biggest diplomatic push in Latin America in years to try to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the U.S. military is zeroing in on a byproduct of the crisis: a strengthening of Colombian rebels on both sides of Venezuela's border.

March 19, 2019 - Exclusive: As Venezuela crisis deepens, U.S. sharpens focus on Colombia rebel threat

FILE PHOTO: A Venezuelan flag hangs from a building in Caracas March 11, 2013. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo/File Photo

U.S. Admiral Craig Faller, the head of the U.S. military’s Southern Command that oversees U.S. forces in Latin America, told Reuters the United States had sharpened its focus on the rebels and increased its sharing of intelligence with Colombian officials.

U.S. officials see a growing threat from both Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) and factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that refuse to adhere to a 2016 peace agreement to end five decades of civil war.

The United States believes the rebels are taking advantage of Venezuela’s crisis to expand their reach in that country and the scope of long-standing illegal activities, including drug trafficking.

Colombia FARC fighters who committed rape were shot: party leader

FARC rebels who committed rape during Colombia's more than five decades of conflict were shot as punishment, the group's leader said on Monday, denying sexual abuse by fighters was widespread despite testimonies to the contrary.

 

[mabar]

UN forum on fake news about alleged humanitarian crisis in Venezuela ---spanish

The forum counted with the participation of international organizations and experts, who exposed details and consequences of the propaganda that exists against Venezuela.

On Tuesday, the forum "Humanitarian Crisis in Venezuela: propaganda vs reality" was held at the headquarters of the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, a Swiss city.

The forum was attended by the organization Sures, Estudios y Defensas de Derechos Humanos; the expert in the promotion of democracy and equity; and former UN collaborator Alfred de Zayas; and US journalists Max Blumenthal and Anya Parampil.

Max Blumenthal shared with the colloquium his experience on the achievements of the Social Missions (government programs implemented by the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro) and the risk for the development of Venezuela represented by the aggression of interventionist countries led by the United States (USA).

Likewise, journalist Anya Parampil, who recently visited Venezuela, recounted the various types of attacks received by the South American country, from the first of the decrees, arbitrary measures and sanctions - carried out by former U.S. President Barack Obama in March 2015 - to the present day.

For its part, the organization Sures exposed in the voice of its director, Maria Lucrecia Hernandez, details and consequences of the economic, financial and commercial blockade suffered by Venezuela, which affects the entire population.

Regarding the work carried out by Sures regarding the Venezuelan problem, Alfred de Zayas highlighted the efforts of the organization in favor of the truth, before the media campaign of distorted information that exists against the Bolivarian Government and the Venezuelan people.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

 

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