Venezuela: Resistance or disintegration?

[angelburst29]

A long and very detailed account of the events leading up to the Blackouts.

This analysis was originally published at the Venezuelan independent website Misión Verdad, and has been edited and adapted by The Grayzone.

Solidarity, Survival and Sabotage: Reconstructing the History of the Blackouts Tormenting Venezuela
Solidarity, Survival and Sabotage: Reconstructing the History of the Blackouts Tormenting Venezuela

Editor’s note: Between March 7th and 10th of 2019, Venezuela experienced the longest interruption of its electric system in the country’s history. The government alleged that the blackout was the result of a sabotage directed against the central computer of the main hydroelectric power station at El Guri in Bolívar State.

If the electrical collapse was indeed the result of an outside attack, it represented the most severe escalation of hostilities since the beginning of the latest regime change campaign. The blackout significantly disrupted Venezuelan society and showed that the war against the country targeted everyone, regardless of their political affiliations.

What follows is a reconstruction of those moments of darkness, showing how the deluge of fake news and humanitarian propaganda, the interruption and recovery of the electrical services, the calls for violence and the organization of the people and their families transformed daily life into a struggle for peace and coexistence. As in the past, the Chavismo movement successfully resisted Washington’s attempts to foment a civil war.

This analysis was originally published at the Venezuelan independent website Misión Verdad, and has been edited and adapted by The Grayzone

Threats of intervention and the failure of “Plan Guaidó”

 

[goyacobol]

With all the U.S. sanctions I suppose it is logical to use other currencies rather than the U.S. dollar.

RUSSIA AND VENEZUELA AGREE TO IGNORE THE DOLLAR IN ITS FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS

After several high-level meetings between the governments of the Russian Federation and Venezuela, bilateral cooperation on trade issues geopolitical impact was established between agreements.

In a session of the intergovernmental commission was held in Moscow, Russian capital, the parties reached many agreements. Among them, the Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Trade, Yomana Koteich, confirmed that the two countries will stop using the dollar in their financial transactions.

Russia has been one of the pillars countries such economic-political - financial, aupando the use of national currencies in bilateral own way. In February this year, for example, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed with his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, make your transactions leaving out the dollar .

Similarly does the Eurasian power with other allies and trading partners in Asia, including China, Kazakhstan, among others.

The main reason for this policy is the aggressiveness that has taken the United States in its quest to punish whoever State not walk down the lane imposed by Washington. This pushes other nations to leave, clearly manipulated for their own purposes by the power of the North Western financial system. In Venezuela, in particular the new configuration included a financial system post dollar has been a cornerstone of its foreign policy.

 

[angelburst29]

I guess, I have to go "on record" and admit I was wrong about Jair Bolsonaro and that he would have Brazil's best interests at the forefront and establish a peaceful working relationship with his neighboring Countries and within BRICS? I thought - he had some brains ... unless he's being blackmailed in some way but as of right now - he's acting "really stupid" and it looks like his Vice President is in the same stupid-buddy-club?

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence met with his Brazilian counterpart Hamilton Mourao at the White House on Monday to discuss sanctions and diplomatic efforts aimed at increasing the pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to exit.

April 8, 2019 - U.S., Brazilian vice presidents discuss Venezuela pressure at White House

FILE PHOTO: Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao speaks to the media after a meeting of the Lima Group in Bogota, Colombia, February 25, 2019. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo

In his first-ever talks with Mourao, Pence aimed to encourage the former Brazilian general to use his experience and influence to urge Venezuelan military leaders - as well as China and Russia - to pull back on their support of Maduro, a White House official said.

Mourao, who was a defense attache in Caracas, “has a very unique perspective” when it comes to helping convince Venezuelan military leaders to switch sides, the White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“He speaks with a unique credibility from within the region as a senior political leader with a military background. That voice is very important, and he is using that voice to advance the cause,” the official said.

Mourao is also well-positioned to confront Russia and China over their support of Maduro, since Brazil is a partner with the nations in the BRICS group of largest emerging markets economies, the official said.

The United States sanctioned state-owned PDVSA in January, a move aimed at cutting Maduro’s government off from oil revenues, and has also sanctioned Venezuelan banks, shipping companies and individuals connected to Maduro.

The White House would like allies like Brazil to take similar economic measures to isolate Venezuela, the official said.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday he is working with the U.S. government to sow dissent within the Venezuelan Army.

April 8, 2019 - Brazil's Bolsonaro says working with U.S. to sow 'dissent' in Venezuela army

FILE PHOTO - Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks during a promotion ceremony for generals of the armed forces, at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil April 5, 2019. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday he is working with the U.S. government to sow dissent within the Venezuelan Army.

Bolsonaro, during an interview with Jovem Pan radio, said that if there is a military invasion in Venezuela, he would ask seek the counsel of Brazil’s National Defense Council and Congress on what, if any, action his country should take.

“We cannot allow Venezuela to become a new Cuba or North Korea,” the right-wing president said.

Bolsonaro said that if any military intervention actually deposed Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, it is quite likely that the country would see guerrilla warfare waged by Maduro’s diehard backers and whomever took power.

Venezuela pledges to honor oil commitments to Cuba despite sanctions

Venezuela will "fulfill its commitments" to Cuba despite United States sanctions targeting oil shipments from the South American country to its ideological ally, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Monday.

 

[goyacobol]

Venezuela's neighbor Columbia is also getting nervous about Russian and Chinese military training and assistance. One can see some of the obvious reasons in this article.

WHY COLOMBIA IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE RUSSIAN MILITARY PERSONNEL IN VENEZUELA?

Suspicions from Colombia to the presence of Russian military personnel in Venezuela, are clearly sync with Washington spokespeople who have lambasted the technical-military cooperation that oil nation has with the Russian Federation.

Indeed, the United States House of Representatives recently passed three bills with which requires the State Department to consider measures against what they called the "Russian-Venezuelan threat."

With this battery is endorsed legislation that the Venezuelan issue now has the Russian seasoning. But they not cease to be paradoxes in these laws. Among them it was enacted legislation barring of arms to Venezuela ratifies an embargo on US arms against Venezuela, a situation that originated from early in the first government of Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's cooperation with the second arms manufacturer in the world, Russia.

HOSTILITIES FROM COLOMBIA
Carlos Holmes Trujillo, chancellor of Colombia, recently answered a communication from the Embassy of the Federation in that country and has opened an unusual range of cycle tensions between these nations.

Upon a request by Russia to Colombia to stay away from the possibility of a conflict in Venezuela, being this an act adversely affecting the international law, the foreign minister replied that "Colombia reiterates that any deployment or military incursion into support for the regime of Nicolas Maduro threatens the democratic transition and constitutional normalization in Venezuela, and constitutes a threat to peace, security and stability in the region. "

This new duplicitous and intemperate of Colombia, statement suggests the development of an overtly hostile rhetoric, as an act by way of a third party, but US commends against Russia since last week, Holmes Trujillo had described as "a military incursion" arrival Russian to Venezuela aboard two aircraft landed at the airport in Maiquetia soldiers.

Neogranadino Chancellor's statements are wholly incongruous and huge disproportionality, if we understand that the US presence in eight military bases in Colombia, if it can be termed as a military raid projection Venezuela.

MILITARY COOPERATION RUSSIA-VENEZUELA
In another vein and according to informed Russian TASS schedule in Venezuela it was opened "a training center for helicopter pilots, created with the help of Russian specialists".

The Instruction and Training Center Simulated Joint "Brigadier General Oscar Jose Martinez Mora, is located in the National Army Air Field" Colonel Joaquin Veroes "in San Felipe, Yaracuy state.

The press service of Rosoboronexport, reported that "a modern helicopter training center under contract with Rosoboronexport state defense manufacturer Venezuela (CAVIM) was built. Its opening ceremony took place on March 29".

Rosoboronexport is the leading state-owned marketing and export of Russian defense products, which for years kept separate cooperation agreements and sale of military supplies to Venezuela.

The center, according to state defense, "will provide Venezuelan pilots the opportunity to train using the Mi17V-5 helicopters, Mi-35M and Mi-26T" with which, according to a Venezuelan aviation cited by TASS, will increase "the active role in the fight against drug trafficking in the states of Barinas, Apure and Amazonas," because, "as a rule, are used to detect and destroy convoys of drug trafficking traveling by land and rivers."

Detailed information on the one hand, clarifies the doubts unfounded by the US government and Western media about the presence of Russian military personnel who arrived in Venezuela recently. As he said the Russian government and Venezuela, the arrival of this staff was designed to strengthen technical cooperation military level between the two countries, as effectively demonstrated by the installation of this training center for Venezuelan pilots.

SUSPICIONS AND RISKS
These agreements on military matters undoubtedly increase the capabilities of the FANB holistically. That is, projecting the development of a cohesive defensive and offensive strategic approach versus open and deliberate specific military threats that have been made by the administration Trump.

This element concerns Colombia for its practical logistically and operationally subservient to the US government, in the event of a conflict with Venezuela position. Which infers that given the possibility of intervention in Venezuela from Colombia, indeed it is a threat to Colombian troops, it is that Venezuela increase its tactical and strategic capabilities.

But beyond the possibility of a war, Venezuela continues to increase its operational readiness for routine tasks which certainly concern Colombia.

Helicopters and planes that Venezuela has bought from Russia have served to neutralize the activities of Colombian drug to be that an issue of national security because the paramilitary component that carries and financing that has the Colombian drug in the destabilization of Venezuela, on denounced by the government of Venezuela.

The concept of comprehensive strategic security FANB involves the protection of soil and Venezuelan airspace illegitimate and criminal activities of transnational organized crime elements.

Law Airspace Control which was signed in May 2012 by President Hugo Chavez has authorized the use of force against any aircraft according to the protocols of the law is considered hostile or presumed to conduct illegal activities the national airspace.

2015 was announced the detention of more than 100 aircraft and the figure has not stopped growing and may reach 200 units immobilized, unused and detained until 2019.

Protocols announced by the Venezuelan authorities have indicated that the aircraft have been detected by the new radar systems supplied by Russia and China in its cooperation with Venezuela. Then these aircraft are addressed in the air by the Venezuelan aviation and are ordered to land.
In most cases, these aircraft land and its occupants were ordered to leave the unit for it to be immobilized and rendered useless from the air by armed action. Many times these operations are supported from the air of Russian helicopters in the hands of the Venezuelan aviation.
Loss drug trafficking shelter these activities Venezuelan airspace, could reach about 300 tons of drugs not reached their destination by the intervention of Venezuelan forces.
Venezuela for increasing their operational capabilities is indispensable. In 2015, a Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft of the Venezuelan Air Force crashed to the ground, according to the Ministry of Defense in a statement posted on its website. The aircraft would precipitate action while conducting an unlawful interception of aircraft that have entered Venezuelan airspace from the north-west of the country heading south towards the border with the Republic of Colombia.
Concerns from Colombia to increase the operational capabilities of Venezuelan forces are perfectly clear if we understand that the Colombian government is an institutional drug franchise. Activity continues to grow in that country and likewise pointed out the Trump mismoDonald days ago.
Trump last Friday accused his Colombian counterpart, Ivan Duque had not "done anything" to stop the flow of drugs from Colombia. "There are more drugs out of Colombia now" which before was president Duque said Trump.
Indeed, in June 2018, Colombia reached record levels in crops of coca plant and the potential production of cocaine, according to a report from the Office of National Policy for Drug Control US (ONDCP, for its acronym English).
According to the report, the country went from 188,000 cultivated hectares in 2016 to 209,000 in 2017. And on the potential production of cocaine, Colombia went from 772 metric tons in 2016 to 921 in 2017, according to the ONDCP report 2018 .

 

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The author of this article, Anya Parampil has worked with RT. She's a very good investigative reporter. This article deals with Guaido's appointment to the Inter-American Development Bank, Ricardo Hausmann, his comedian Daughter and family connections working towards Maduro's overthrow.

April 9, 2019 - Did NY Times Violate Its Own Ethics Code to Feature Child of Venezuelan Coup Plotter?
Did NY Times Violate Its Own Ethics Code to Feature Child of Venezuelan Coup Plotter?

When the New York Times approached me seeking permission to use video I recorded of the Washington DC “Hands Off Venezuela” protest on March 16, I hoped that somebody at the paper was seeking to atone for the Gray Lady’s demonstrably one-sided coverage of the US coup attempt against the internationally recognized Maduro government. Maybe, just maybe, the editors had had a rare bout of self-reflection and decided to produce something that gave voice to the many Americans who rejected the Trump administration’s brazen regime change operation against Venezuela.

But on April 1, I woke up to learn that my footage had been used to demonize the protesters as useful idiots by a YouTube comedian born to one of the family dynasties of Venezuela’s opposition.

The comedian in question was Joanna Hausmann, and her appearance in the supposed newspaper of record was far from funny. How could the paper justify selecting Hausmann as an authoritative voice on the situation in Venezuela when she was so closely connected to central players in the Trump administration’s coup attempt? The answer is that it couldn’t, so it simply neglected to mention her glaring conflict of interest.

I took a deep dive into Hausmann’s family history in a March 10th article for MintPress, highlighting the role Joanna’s father, Ricardo Hausmann, played in the neoliberalization of Venezuela’s economy throughout the 1980s and ’90s as an academic and eventual member of the repressive Carlos Andrés Pérez administration.

The piece was inspired by Joanna Hausmann’s Youtube harangue, “What’s Happening in Venezuela.” Despite promising “a video dedicated to ‘just the facts,’” Hausmann failed to mention that her father was serving as a top advisor to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó while she argued in support of his self-declared “presidency.”

Ricardo Hausmann’s function within the coup government crystalized shortly following the release of Joanna’s Youtube explainer, when Guaidó selected the Harvard professor to represent his shadow regime at the Inter-American Development Bank. The Times took no issue with the fact Hausmann’s family stood to benefit from the same coup she was urging viewers to support, and like Joanna herself, neglected to disclose this ostensibly relevant information.

The Times appeared to have underestimated the intelligence of its viewers, and was subsequently bombarded with criticism for its decision to obscure Hausmann’s background.

One reader who described himself as “a Venezuelan, [who agrees] with everything [Hausmann] has to say,” complained in the comments section of the Hausmann video that the omission amounted to “an ethical error,” arguing “it should be noted that her father has a lot to gain politically and professionally should regime change happen.” The comment forced a response from the segment’s executive producer, Adam Ellick, who claimed that, while the Times was “aware of her father’s biography before publication,” it opted not to acknowledge it because “Ms. Hausmann is an independent adult woman who has built a popular following on her own.”

Ellick’s response failed to satisfy the commenter, who emphasized that “the issue here isn’t one of independence, it’s one of shared outcomes.” According to Ellick’s logic, it would be journalistically ethical to ignore Ivanka Trump’s relation to the President on the basis she is “an independent adult woman” with a fashion line of her own. Does the Times actually think we are stupid?

The backlash against Joanna’s NYT debut grew so intense, it eventually compelled her father to respond to the controversy. Following the video’s release, I tweeted criticism of the paper for its failure to disclose that “Hausmann is the daughter of Guaidó advisor Ricardo Hausmann,” linking to my article which explained that he “was instrumental in neoliberalizing and destroying Venezuela’s economy in the 90s and wants to do it again.”

The factual statement apparently outraged Professor Hausmann, who charged that my “tweet surely deserves at least an honorary mention among the year’s most sexist comments,” adding, “since Joanna is my daughter, she is not entitled to her own opinion. She must be speaking on behalf of some male figure that tells her what to say. Seriously?” (Copy of tweet.)

Yes, seriously! Joanna does not appear to have her “own opinion” — she has precisely the same opinion as her father, who happens to be participating in the very coup for which she was advocating. Yet even if we accept the notion that Joanna formed opinions independent from her father’s influence, the Times still had an ethical obligation to disclose her family ties – especially considering that Professor Hausmann is not her only relative actively working to achieve regime change in Caracas.

Joanna’s mother, Ana Julia Jatar, has worked for the US-funded Súmate organization, which in 2004 tried and failed to oust President Hugo Chávez via popular referendum. As I reported for MintPress, Jatar hails from a political family herself. (Copy of tweet.)

Jatar’s father, Braulio Jatar Dotti, was once described by an independent Chilean news site “as having been ‘in charge of eliminating the leftist groups’ in Venezuela” in the 1960s, as the government sought to violently repress the armed Revolutionary Left Movement. Jatar Dotti even published a manual called, “Disabling the Extreme Left” in 1963. With her grandfather’s history in mind, it’s no wonder that Joanna now spends her time attacking the US left for organizing to oppose war on Venezuela. Apparently, the family that attacks the left and fails to overthrow governments together stays together.

While it is important to understand the full extent to which regime change and resentment of “the left” runs through Joanna Hausmann’s veins, her father’s participation in the current coup alone should have disqualified her to pose as a neutral voice on Venezuela. The Times’ decision to ignore her background is not only offensive to viewers, but may have also violated the paper’s own ethics code. According to that code, “staff members must be sensitive that perfectly proper political activity by their spouses, family or companions may nevertheless create conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflict.” The Hausmann scandal undeniably created such a scenario for the paper.

Joanna has largely kept quiet amid the deluge of criticism, and is quick to block those who question her. (She blocked me on Twitter after I noted her father’s prominent role in the Guaidó shadow regime.) Why a grown woman professing her total independence needed her father to come to her defense should be a mystery, as RT Español reporter Helena Villar observed. (Copy of Tweet.)

One Twitter user named Vanessa Salas, who describes herself as “a personal friend” of Joanna, recommended that I “get to know” the comedian before making “unfounded statements.” Salas insisted that her pal was “SMART, THOUGHTFUL, and FEARLESS.” Indeed, Joanna Hausmann was so fearless that she had to rely on her friends, family, and an army of trolls to deflect from her wanton journalistic malpractice.

Joanna did eventually muster up one non-answer to critics. When a Twitter user named @unnaband asked why she neglected to mention that her “father was personally appointed by the very opposition leader” she promoted in her video, the Youtube comedian hit back: “I am proud of my dad.” (Copy of tweet.)

He is surely proud of her too. And among the Times editors who presided over her ethically dubious video rant, there appears to be no shame.

U.S. wants U.N. to revoke credentials of Maduro's government

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called on the United Nations on Wednesday to revoke the U.N. credentials of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government and recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's legitimate leader.

 

[goyacobol]

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called on the United Nations on Wednesday to revoke the U.N. credentials of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government and recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's legitimate leader.

If Inside the Criminal Mind accurately portrays the way psychopaths think this is a very good example of just wanting reality to conform to your own wishes and views of reality I think. Why not just re-write history to your own liking.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

The US Admiral Craig Faller says that military is awaiting instructions from the Trump administration on military intervention in Venezuela - The Venezuelan military is preparing to resist.

US SOUTHCOM HEAD SAYS VENEZUELA MILITARY INTERVENTION “MIGHT BE NECESSARY” BY END OF 2019
11.04.2019

New satellite images show Venezuela’s deployment of their S-300 system to key base
2019-04-10

 

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Maduro government a threat to U.S. national security: Pompeo

President Nicolas Maduro's government in Venezuela poses a threat to the United States, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday, referring to the increased involvement of Russia, Iran and Cuba in the country.

Venezuela Slams US for Urging UN to Recognize Guaido as New President
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro denounced as “arrogant” US Vice President Mike Pence for calling on the UN Security Council to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as the new president of the Latin American state.

Russian Envoy to UN: US Caused Billions of Dollars in Damage to Venezuela Since 2013
Russia's ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia accused the US of causing "billions of dollars" of damage to Venezuela since 2013 and said Washington "artificially provoked" a crisis to overthrow the legitimate government.

Guaido says OAS recognition of his envoy signals new ways to exert pressure on Maduro
The fact that the Organization of American States (OAS) recognized Gustavo Tarre Briceno as Venezuela's envoy will help activate mechanism of increasing pressure exerted at the country's authorieis, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Tuesday.

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry described the OAS' recognition of the envoy appointed by Guaido as "flagrant manipulation, blackmailing and exerting pressure on member countries" with the aim of implementing Washington's plans. The foreign minister announced Venezuela's withdrawal from the OAS starting from 27 April 2019.

Recognition of Guaido’s envoy to OAS is attempt to legalize dual power, diplomat says
The Organization of American States’ decision to recognize a supporter of opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s permanent representative is an attempt to legalize dual power in the country, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing on Thursday.

"The Organization of American States, as we understand, has succumbed to White House influences," she said. "The OAS Permanent Council’s decision to recognize the envoy appointed by Venezuela’s National Assembly is an attempt to legalize dual power in Venezuela.

Blackout Strikes Venezuela Again as Earlier Cases Blamed on ‘Sabotage'
Venezuela suffered another blackout, with Caracas and other areas around the country reporting a loss of power shortly before midnight on Tuesday.

“At this time a new impact on the electric service is reported, not only in Caracas, but also in various regions of the country. The first call to keep calm, STEEL NERVES,” the mayor of the Bolivarian Libertador Municipality, Erika Farias Pena, tweeted, according to RT.

However, within minutes reports came in that the power was starting to gradually return. A member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) stated that workers in the service areas were working on fixing the issue and that hospitals had alternative systems set up to provide power, Telesur reported.

At 1:20am, Farias Pena shared footage of the lights back on Caracas, saying it had returned to 16 parishes.

Restoring Venezuela's electricity system may take up to one year — minister

© EPA-EFE/MIGUEL GUTIERREZ

Works to restore Venezuela's electricity system may take up to a year, the country's Electricity Minister Igor Gavidia told Venezolana de Television TV channel on Monday.

"We will solve the problem in accordance with the plan set for us by President Nicolas Maduro. We are talking about plans for several terms - for up to 30 days, for 30-60 days, for 60-90 days, and for a yaer," Gavidia, who was appointed as Electricity Minister on April 1, said.

Envoy to UN: Caracas Rejects Trump's Plan for Economic Destruction of Venezuela

Caracas rejects US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence’s "imperialist" policies and the ongoing economic destruction of the Latin American country, Venezuelan Permanent Representative to the UN Samuel Moncada said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

"We reject him [Trump]… we do not accept any racist, supremacist doctrine that they want to impose over us. We are not anybody’s subordinates, much less of the imperialist government of Trump and his representative Pence", Moncada stated, Sputnik reported.

"The first point of this discussion the battle inside the UN, is to defeat the imperialist arrogance of this man [US Vice President Mike Pence]… we clearly established how there is a program for economic destruction… being applied with no pause," he added.

Moncada also stressed that the Trump administration spearheaded by National Security Adviser John Bolton was pressuring other major nations and all international aid financial institutions and humanitarian aid agencies not to work in any way with Venezuela’s legitimate government.

They are threatening every single bank … every humanitarian agency. They are blocking the UN agencies”, he said. Earlier in the day, Moncada told the UN Security Council meeting that the United Nations should address the United States' threats against Venezuela, including its repeated remark that "all options" with respect to Caracas are on the table.

Pence during a UN Security Council meeting earlier in the day stated that the United States would introduce a resolution to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president of Venezuela. Last week, Pence during remarks in Houston announced yet another round of sanctions targeting Venezuela's oil sector and said that President Nicolas Maduro "must go".

Havana Slams US Threat to Take Action Against Cuba over Venezuela as 'Blackmail'
The Cuban Foreign Ministry sees US promise to take certain actions against Cuba in order to free Venezuela from the influence of Havana as blackmail, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Wednesday.

 

[angelburst29]

Moving democracy forward ...

Pompeo defends U.S. sanctions on Venezuela on Latin America visit

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday defended sanctions on Venezuela and said countries in the region would understand that the United States was not the "malign actor" in the socialist-run country's deepening economic and political crisis.

Pompeo was embarking on a three-day visit to Chile, Paraguay and Peru, a clutch of fast-growing countries in a region where Washington concerns are focused on China’s growing presence, as well as the Venezuelan crisis.

The visit comes as Washington considers more sanctions against Maduro’s government and pushes Russia to remove its troops from Venezuela.

Critics have warned that heavy sanctions could hurt ordinary Venezuelans, already suffering from hyperinflation and food and medicine shortages. Pompeo said the people recognized the United States was not to blame for the country’s crisis.

“I think they understand who the malign actor is here and I think they’ll see all the countries in the region, including the United States, as truly trying to help them,” he said.


A Blessing in disguise - the last thing Venezuela needs - is to be taken over by the IMF & the World Bank (asset wealth strippers)?

Venezuela leadership issue still blocking IMF, World Bank aid

International Monetary Fund and World Bank shareholders are still undecided on whether to recognize Venezuelan opposition chief Juan Guaido as the country's leader, the institutions said on Thursday.

 

[angelburst29]

Spanish police on Friday arrested Hugo Carvajal, a former general and close ally of the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, on drug trafficking charges on an arrest warrant issued by the United States, a police spokeswoman said.

Ex-Venezuelan intelligence chief arrested on U.S. drug trafficking warrant

A court spokesman said Carvajal would appear before Spain’s High Court on Saturday. The court needs to decide within 24 hours of his arrest whether he will be jailed pending a decision on his extradition or if he will be set free.

The U.S. Justice Department said it had asked Spain to extradite Carvajal to face cocaine-smuggling charges that were filed in 2011 and unsealed in 2014.

Carvajal, head of military intelligence from 2004 to 2008, denounced Chavez’ successor Nicolas Maduro in February and gave his support to Juan Guaido, who in January invoked the constitution to become Venezuela’s interim president.

This was the second time Carvajal has been arrested on the U.S. charges, which allege that he coordinated the transportation of 5,600 kg (1,235 pounds) of cocaine from Venezuela to Mexico in April 2006. That shipment was bound for the United States, according to charges filed in federal court in New York.

Carvajal was arrested on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba in 2014, but the Dutch government accepted Venezuela’s argument that he had diplomatic immunity because he had been nominated consul to Aruba.

Carvajal also was sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2008 for “materially assisting the narcotics trafficking activities” of Colombia’s FARC rebel group.

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said Carvajal’s assistance to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia included protecting drug shipments from seizure by Venezuelan anti-narcotics authorities and providing them with weapons.

Carvajal also provided FARC with official Venezuelan government identification documents that allowed its members to travel to and from Venezuela, OFAC said.

In an interview with the New York Times published in February, Carvajal said any dealings he had with drug traffickers resulted from his role investigating them as intelligence chief.

Carvajal said he had met with FARC members in 2001 to engage them as a government negotiator in the kidnapping of a Venezuelan businessman, a trip that had been approved by presidents in both Venezuela and Colombia.

U.S. slaps sanctions on four shipping firms, nine ships, carrying oil from Venezuela
The United States on Friday announced more sanctions on shipping companies transporting oil from Venezuela, blacklisting four shipping companies and nine vessels, some of which the U.S. Treasury Department said carried oil to Cuba.

Pompeo says U.S. won't quit fight in Venezuela, defends sanctions

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shakes hands with Chile's President Sebastian Pinera as he stands near Chile's Foreign Minister Roberto Ampuero at the presidential palace La Moneda, in Santiago, Chile April 12, 2019. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday defended sanctions on Venezuela and said the United States would not "quit the fight" in the socialist-run Latin American nation which is spiraling into deepening economic and political crisis.

Slideshow (5 Images)
Pompeo says U.S. won't quit fight in Venezuela, defends sanctions

 

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Two workers at Venezuela's central bank were arrested on Friday after meeting opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has called on public officials to disavow President Nicolas Maduro, according to the employees' lawyer and a source familiar with the matter.

Two Venezuela central bank employees arrested after meeting Guaido: lawyer, source

The attorney, Alonso Medina Roa, said the pair - Deny Albujar and Manuel Alberto Guisseppe - had also recently taken part in protests demanding better working conditions.

According to Roa, they have not yet appeared in court and the charges against them are unknown.

Maduro is cracking down on the opposition in a nearly three-month power struggle with Guaido, the leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly who invoked the country’s constitution to assume an interim presidency in January.

Both Albujar and Guisseppe, whose job titles were unknown, were present at a public meeting on Monday that Guaido held at the National Assembly with a few dozen state employees, the source said. Guaido discussed a proposed law to improve benefits to public workers in a new government once Maduro leaves power, the source said. None of the other participants has been arrested.

“What is the dictatorship trying to do by kidnapping public workers who are meeting with us to recover our country?” Guaido wrote on Twitter on Friday about the arrests. “They will not be able to halt this unstoppable process to free Venezuela.”

Albujar and Guisseppe worked at the bank for more than five years, the source added.

Pompeo slams China, Russia involvement in Venezuela

.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday accused China of aiding Venezuela's economic collapse by bankrolling President Nicolas Maduro's government and said Russian troop presence in the country was an "obvious provocation."

Venezuela's neighbor Columbia is also getting nervous about Russian and Chinese military training and assistance. One can see some of the obvious reasons in this article.

WHY COLOMBIA IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE RUSSIAN MILITARY PERSONNEL IN VENEZUELA?

This should relieve their anxiety?

Colombia gets $31.5 million grant to aid Venezuelan migrants

A refugee fund set up by the World Bank, the United Nations and the Islamic Development Bank on Friday approved a $31.5 million grant for Colombia to aid Venezuelan migrants and refugees.

Trump adviser Bolton to give speech on Venezuela, Cuba next week

President Donald Trump's national security adviser John Bolton said on Friday that he will deliver a speech in Miami to Cuban exiles about actions the White House is taking on Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.

 

[seek10]

President Donald Trump's national security adviser John Bolton said on Friday that he will deliver a speech in Miami to Cuban exiles about actions the White House is taking on Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.

Nothing changes for US or Israel policy makers, how many times they lose (Syria or else where). Now they want to expand to Cuba and Nicaragua. Probably nothing changes even if Putin occupies White house. In a away, Trump as Putin puppet is symbolic.

In a way, it is amazing to see how things transformed since 2014. In 2012, US looked unbeatable until it sucked up the entire planet even when after Assange exposed the atrocities to wider world in 2010. Things started in 2014 with Ukraine, crimea, Turkey moving away from NATO, Russian Syria intervention and removing head choppers, Russian alternative to the world, Trump election, Rise of China in many spheres and now Venezuela. It looks it is not going end here.

It had been fast paced events and big losses for pentagon , but still US or Israel don't stop their old ways. Probably, Only comets/Gods can stop them.

 

[angelburst29]

Nothing changes for US or Israel policy makers, how many times they lose (Syria or else where). Now they want to expand to Cuba and Nicaragua. Probably nothing changes even if Putin occupies White house. In a away, Trump as Putin puppet is symbolic.

In a way, it is amazing to see how things transformed since 2014. In 2012, US looked unbeatable until it sucked up the entire planet even when after Assange exposed the atrocities to wider world in 2010. Things started in 2014 with Ukraine, Crimea, Turkey moving away from NATO, Russian Syria intervention and removing head choppers, Russian alternative to the world, Trump election, Rise of China in many spheres and now Venezuela. It looks it is not going end here.

It had been fast paced events and big losses for pentagon but still US or Israel don't stop their old ways. Probably, Only comets/Gods can stop them.

That's an excellent run-down of events and connecting the dots, Seek10!

"It had been fast paced events" ... I suspect, all these events were on the drawing board and waiting to be implemented moments after Hillary Clinton was sworn in - as President? Hillary was the Pentagon's ticket, to set NATO and it's Military Divisions in motion.

In the three days leading up to the final count of the Presidential election, military based forums were active with reports that Military bases had raised their status to "High Alert" and furloughs were canceled. Army, Marines and Navy Divisions in the US were placed on "Stand-by/Alert" pending instructions. The National Guard were calling "all active members" to report to their commanding Officer.

My first impressions - centered mostly on the media hype - that the electoral counts were very close between Hillary and Trump - that they were preparing for mass riots in the streets ... and that the Military would be called upon to establish law and order, especially in the Nations Capital?

When it was announced that Trump had won and Hillary went into her manic rage on stage in disbelief - I thought - for sure - Hillary's supporters would hit the streets? The TV coverage was surreal, while the public watched and waited for Hillary to come back on stage.
The drama was "tense", putting it mildly. She made a complete "A--" out of herself and the whole World was watching! Quite an embarrassment and spectacle. There were riots but nothing like I had envisioned.

On the other hand, half-way across the World, in Ukraine, there was a major NATO military build up near Russia's Borders. The war in Syria was in full swing, with large divisions of American and ally Troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan, ready to push through Syria towards Russia. Add to that, American Troops stationed on bases in Germany and in Jordon, where the Pentagon has operational headquarters were at full staff and "on Alert".

I honestly believe, if Hillary had made President - within hours - we would have been at Full War with Russia - while Israel was dropping bombs in Iran? On another front, NATO allies would be pushing their Military Divisions into Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua?
I suspect, when Trump fired General Mattis, the NATO meeting he was planning on attending (before he stepped down after handing in his resignation) was to attack - all three Countries (Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua) at once, using NATO Troops stationed in Colombia and Brazil? There's also indications, some kind of confrontation was planned in the African Countries, to secure natural resources, including the Gold and Diamond mines not owned by the Queen of England? There would have been "War" on three fronts and the United States would have changed over night! It's not hard to imagine - a scenario where we would have been placed on "lock-down" and experience door-to-door incursions, much like what was witnessed, after the Boston Marathon bombings? All was preparation for something - bigger?

As fate stepped in - Trump was nominated President. Whatever was planned by the Pentagon was placed on "hold" while every means at their disposal - short of Assassination, was used to push Trump out of the White House. I have to give Trump credit for standing "his ground". Here's a guy, (around 70 y,o. ???) who has made his fortune in life, lives a comfortable lifestyle ... and yet, has held a dream of becoming President and changing the direction and path the United States is headed into? The moment - it was declared he made the Presidency - his life was transformed into "pure hell"! He has been attacked from all sides. Nothing has been left sacred - everything has been "fair-game" in trying to destroy him. Yet, he's still standing - barely but still a force to be reckoned with. I give him credit for that, although, at times, especially recently, I'm not too thrilled with some of his decisions and statements. But I'm willing to give him "a chance and my support" because I see him making moves - to decrease the War activities - even though Bolton and heavy weight Pompeo (John McCain on steroids) and their side-kick Pence are trying to lite the World on fire. Trump is their obstacle. I just pray, Trump doesn't fold under the pressure and strain?

 

[angelburst29]

This is an interesting development:

Argentina credentials representative of Venezuelan opposition leader, leaves Unasur bloc
Argentina reiterated its support for Venezuela's opposition leader on Friday by issuing diplomatic credentials to a new delegate and officially announcing its withdrawal from the regional UNASUR bloc, which has been criticized over its lack of action on Venezuela.

Diplomatic credentials were delivered by the Argentine Foreign Ministry to Elisa Trotta Gamus, who will represent Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido in Argentina, according to a government statement.

Representatives from the Argentine Foreign Ministry and the Venezuelan embassy in Argentina did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Argentina, which already has a diplomatic mission from the government of President Nicolas Maduro, recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president in January.

Argentina also announced on Friday it was the latest country to withdraw from the regional Unasur bloc, which was launched by Venezuela’s late socialist leader Hugo Chavez but has splintered over his country’s crisis under his embattled successor, Maduro.

In March, the presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru signed a declaration in Santiago to create a new regional bloc of nations.

Lavrov calls US behavior towards Latin American countries 'unacceptable'


Washington’s political take on a number of Latin American countries is unacceptable, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the 27th Assembly of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy (SWAP) on Saturday.

"The Americans openly interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states. Everyone knows about Venezuela, the blitzkrieg change failed, but the Americans do not refuse the goal of overthrowing the legitimate president. This is directly evidenced by Michael Pompeo’s recent interview, in which he said that military intervention has not been excluded," Lavrov said.

"The Americans even dragged out the notorious Monroe doctrine out of the woodwork, threatening that the next in line are Cuba and Nicaragua. They do not seem to understand that they are opposing themselves to the entire Latin American world and not only to the Latin American world. I think that such behavior is simply unacceptable," he stressed.

Earlier, the US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said in an interview with the Puerto Rican television channel Mega TV, stressed that
Washington still does not exclude military intervention in Venezuela.

 

[angelburst29]

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday ordered an expansion of civilian militia by nearly one million members as opposition leader Juan Guaido toured western Zulia state, which has been hard hit by electricity blackouts.

Venezuela's Maduro orders militia expansion as Guaido tours blackout-ravaged state

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a ceremony to mark the 17th anniversary of the return to power of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez after a coup attempt and the National Militia Day in Caracas, Venezuela April 13, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

The civilian militia, created in 2008 by the late former president and Maduro mentor Hugo Chavez, reports directly to the presidency and is intended to complement the armed forces.

Maduro, who calls Guaido a U.S. puppet, said he aimed to raise the number of militia members to three million by year-end from what he said was more than 2 million currently. Maduro has encouraged them to become involved in agricultural production.

Shortages of food and medicine have prompted more than three million Venezuelans to emigrate in recent years.

“With your rifles on your shoulders, be ready to defend the fatherland and dig the furrow to plant the seeds to produce food for the community, for the people,” Maduro, a socialist, told thousands of militia members gathered in the capital Caracas, wearing khaki camouflaged uniforms.

So far, the military top brass has remained loyal to Maduro despite Guaido’s offer of amnesty to military members who switch sides. Hundreds of soldiers have sought asylum in neighboring Colombia.

While electricity has largely been restored in Caracas, Maduro’s administration is rationing power to the rest of Venezuela.

Guaido is traveling in the interior to drum up support. In Zulia state, the site of the OPEC member’s first oil well and home to Venezuela’s second-largest city, Maracaibo, he said: “We are here to check on the situation, your suffering. But Zulia will rise up.”

Separately on Saturday, two employees of Venezuela’s central bank who were arrested after meeting with Guaido earlier this week were freed, rights group Penal Forum said.

Rights groups say Venezuelan authorities have arrested over 1,000 people after anti-government demonstrations this year. Guaido’s chief of staff was arrested last month.

Venezuela 'new government' could get $10 billion in trade financing: Mnuchin

A group of finance ministers is working on a $10 billion package of trade finance that could be made available to help Venezuela out of its economic and humanitarian crisis once a new government is put in place, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday.

'Large' IMF majority on Venezuela leader issue needed: Lagarde

The International Monetary Fund will not be able to help Venezuela deal with its economic crisis until a "large majority" of its members decide who to recognize as the country's leader, the head of the global lender said on Saturday.

Maduro Tells Brazilian Army to Resist ‘Fascist Rookie’ Bolsonaro’s Orders to Intervene in Venezuela
Venezuela will strongly retaliate against Brazil, the nation’s leader Nicolas Maduro said, calling on the Brazilian Army to resist President Jair Bolsonaro’s attempts to intervene in its neighbor’s affairs.

Venezuelan Ex-Spy Chief Who Defected to Guaido Arrested on US Drug Trafficking Warrant in Spain
The former chief of Venezuela's military intelligence – and the highest-ranking military officer to defect to the US-backed opposition – has been nabbed in Spain on a US warrant for allegedly trafficking tons of cocaine.

Pompeo: Russia, China 'Spread Disorder' in Latin America
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Russia and China of spreading “disorder” in Latin America through their economic projects and of backing US adversaries like Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro in the region.

Cuban president calls for strengthened defenses, economy in response to Trump threats
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel accused the Trump administration on Saturday of dragging relations with the United States to their worst level in decades and called on Cubans to strengthen the Communist-run country's defenses and economy.

Bombing damages Colombia pipeline, second spill under investigation
A bombing damaged a section of Colombia's Trasandino pipeline, state-run company Ecopetrol said on Saturday, and the company was investigating a crude spillage from the Cano Limon pipeline to determine if it was also caused by an attack.