Venezuela: Resistance or disintegration?

Guaido asks US military for meeting to plan ‘restoring democracy’ in Venezuela
Officials loyal to the US-backed self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido have requested a meeting with US Southern Command to begin planning a military intervention in Venezuela, after multiple failed attempts to take power.

Guaido’s ambassador to the US, Carlos Vecchio, published on Monday a letter he sent to SOUTHCOM requesting a “meeting with a technical delegation to advance in strategic and operational planning” in order to “restore democracy” in Venezuela.

Vecchio’s letter was swiftly condemned by the government in Caracas.

“We reject the letter by one of the coup leaders asking for military intervention in Venezuela, on behalf of a group of coup plotters who carry out terrorist activities to create confusion and destabilize our homeland,” Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez said in an appearance on Venezuelan television.

The letter is dated May 11. Two days prior, SOUTHCOM tweeted out a statement by its commander, Admiral Craig Faller, saying “We stand ready!” to support Venezuelan military officers who are willing to side against the government in Caracas – and were only waiting for Guaido’s invitation.

Earlier this month, Faller voiced the same sentiment to a congressional committee, urging Venezuelan officials currently loyal to President Nicolas Maduro to “do the right thing” and switch their allegiance to the US-backed opposition leader.

Though Vecchio’s request was sent on Venezuelan embassy stationery, he does not actually have access to the embassy building in Washington, DC. After Maduro’s government severed diplomatic ties with the US, it gave permission to a group of American activists calling themselves the “Embassy Protection Collective” to occupy the building in order to prevent it from falling into the hands of Guaido supporters. Attempts to force them out by cutting off food supplies, water and electricity have so far been unsuccessful.

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‘Illegal seizure’: US police raid Venezuelan embassy in DC to evict pro-Maduro activists
Pro-Maduro activists occupying the Venezuelan embassy in Washington are refusing to vacate the premises in defiance of a notice threatening them with arrest for refusing to turn over the building to representatives of Juan Guaido.

“We are expecting the police to come in and violate the Vienna convention with their fictional government, nongovernment claiming that we should leave,” the so-called Embassy Civilian Protection Collective said in a video message shortly before the police arrived at the doors of the premises to the cheers of pro-Guaido camp outside.

"We’re going to be prepared to be arrested. We’re not going to leave voluntarily."

Despite their resolve to stay and protect the diplomatic mission from the “illegal seizure” by Guaido-appointed US representative Carlos Vecchio, pro-Maduro activists have been urged to “depart immediately” from the building in which they have lived for the last 34 days by a notice which has not been signed by any US government agency.



The crisis surrounding the Venezuelan embassy in Washington began after US authorities forced diplomats loyal to President Maduro to leave the premises more than one month ago. Just before departing for Caracas, the diplomats appointed by Maduro allowed the peace activists to occupy the building.

A failed US-backed coup attempt in Venezuela inflamed the situation at the embassy, with the pro-Guaido camp blocking any attempts by activists to sneak supplies inside. Several people were arrested as they attempted to throw food and hygiene products through the open windows, while authorities cut the power and water supply to the diplomatic compound.

 
I watched a livestream (just ended 10:45 EDT) of the attempts to get the activists out. Lots of noisy crowds for both sides. Several varieties of police came and set up a barrier around 8 pm, and it looked like they were going to breach the door, which the activists had secured from the inside. Instead, they talked to a rep, who's lawyer was there, and three of the group left, leaving four inside, who politely refused to go. The police then secured the door from the outside.

Carlos Vecchio (the "foreign minister) had to leave with his tail between his legs, as he was onsite expecting to make a triumphant entry in "their" embassy. It would have been pointless as he, or anyone he appoints has no authority to issue passports or any sort of official paperwork.

So, at this point, the activists still remain inside, albeit without power or water. The embassy is not in Guaido's hands. I guess the optics of forceably removing US citizens being livestreamed all over the world was judged to be very bad optics, at least by the officers on the ground. That doesn't preclude some sort of pre-dawn raid, but I'm hoping it doesn't come to that.

The activists are well-schooled in international law, and have proposed from the beginning that the embassy be put under the control of a country that maintains relations with both the US and Ven, as they no longer have relations. This has been the custom for at least a century in times of conflict. Maybe that will be worked out. It's not exactly a face-saving solution for Guaido, nor for the US, but the damage to their reputations in the rest of the world should they go through with this would be incalculable. That Pompeo, Bolton and Abrams are crazy enough not to care, is a scary thought.

It's really an unprecidented situation. Max Blumenthal was on RT (I had two feeds going in two tabs), through all sorts of conflicts the US has been involved in, the enemies embassies have never been touched. Either a neutral country would provide space for the opponant's dipolomatic activities, or the doors of a facility were locked and that was that. Russia's embassy in San Francisco is still closed, but as far as I know, undisturbed.
 
Eva Bartlett has been in Venezuela and, once again, her reports contradict what the MSM is saying:


Translated from Russian by Microsoft
#USA #Columbia #Venezuela The U.S. government announced on May 7 that it would send a naval ship to the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to "support" the Venezuelans who emigrated because of the crisis. Read MORE: США отправят в Латинскую Америку военное судно для «поддержки венесуэльцев»

In her investigations, I wish Eva Bartlett would look into the activities surrounding that Naval hospital ship? I don't see any references given, as to, the name of the ship? If it's the USNS Comfort hospital ship, I might be a bit concerned? The Comfort hospital ship was docked for three days, off Rockport, Texas after Hurricane Harvey hit the coast in late August 2017. Rumors surfaced of people disappearing, with late night helicopter activity - back and forth to the ship and organ harvesting. Same rumors had surfaced when the ship docked in Haiti, after the 2010 earthquake. The ship has a habit of appearing "weeks after a disaster" and is very selective of the type of care it offers and to the number of patients it receives on ship. If they set up Field Tent clinics, more patients receive help.

Amid Puerto Rico Disaster, Hospital Ship Admitted Just 6 ...
Dec 06, 2017 · In Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, the Comfort provided much-needed surgical care, but communication with referring doctors and with family members was problematic.

The Comfort’s mission has ended, but it leaves behind questions about whether it was adequately used during a time of desperate medical need. The ship was prepared to support 250 hospital beds, but over its 53-day deployment, which included travel to and from the island, it admitted an average of only six patients a day, or 290 in total. An additional 1,625 people were treated aboard the ship as outpatients, all at no cost.

Following public debate over the Trump administration’s initial reluctance to deploy it, the Comfort arrived two weeks into the disaster, after some of the medical urgency had abated. Its mission and capabilities were opaque to many doctors on the island. It lacked the ability to treat some important areas of need, and the complex referral procedures made little sense on a battered island with scant power or telephone service.

Staffed with 800 personnel and costing $180,000 a day, the ship received an average of 36 people a day as outpatients or inpatients.
(A New York Times reporter was one of them, given an X-ray and medicine for an asthmatic cough). And that number swelled only after a public furor erupted over the ship’s empty beds.

The Comfort is used on relief missions about every two years. It served off the coast of Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991 and provided aid during the rescue of Cuban and Haitian migrants in 1994. The Comfort was deployed in Manhattan after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, the Comfort provided much-needed surgical care, but communication with referring doctors and with family members was problematic. Some patients died during laborious, multistep transfers, and some doctors felt the ship left too soon.

'It's time to rise up,' Venezuelan general tells military officers in video
FILE PHOTO: An opposition supporter holds a Venezuelan flag during a rally against the government of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and to commemorate May Day in Caracas Venezuela, May 1, 2019. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

A Venezuelan general called on the country's armed forces on Sunday to rise up against President Nicolas Maduro, who has relied on the backing of the military to hold on to power despite an economic collapse.

“We have to find a way to get rid of the fear, to go out into the streets, to protest, and to seek a military union to change this political system,” Rangel, dressed in a suit with a copy of the constitution in his hand, said in a video posted on YouTube. “It’s time to rise up.”

While Rangel’s pronouncement marks another blow to Maduro after a handful of similar defections by senior officers this year, there is little to indicate that he will tip the scales.

Officers who have disavowed Maduro have fled the country and the military top brass - most notably those who command troops - continues to recognize Maduro.

Air Force Commander Pedro Juliac posted a picture of Rangel on Twitter on Sunday with the words “traitor to the Venezuelan people and the revolution” printed across the image.

Rangel was an active military officer who fled to Colombia last month, according to a source close to Venezuela’s military who asked not to be identified.


Moscow blasts US media reports of tear gas purchases in Malta for Venezuela as fake news
Russian Foreign Ministry

On April 18, some Maltese media reported about Russia’s alleged attempts to buy tear gas in Malta for shipment to Venezuela.

The Russian diplomats who work in Malta do not take part in any covert special operations, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Monday in light of the publications in the Maltese press about the alleged purchase of tear gas by the Russian Embassy personnel for further delivery to Venezuela.

"The Russian diplomatic mission in Valletta is working in strict compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The Russian diplomats do not take part in any secret special operations," the ministry highlighted. "The Russian Embassy in Malta did not receive any official comments from the Maltese authorities."

"The misinformation spread by the Maltese mass media is an example of unprofessionalism, an echo of the anti-Russian hysteria, the stoking of which does not serve the interests of the Russian-Maltese friendship," the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

On April 18, some Maltese media reported about Russia’s alleged attempts to buy tear gas and protective gear in Malta for shipment to Venezuela, citing the London office of the US internet portal BuzzFeed News. The reports of an anonymous Maltese official and the alleged diplomatic correspondence between the Russian embassy and representatives for the country of stay were used in the publications as sources.
 
The embassy activists have been removed. Alex Rubenstein and others reported

statement of those remaining


the fake notice of eviction. No official letterhead, no signatures. Guaido and co are just making things up openly now.

This guy, Ford Fisher, did yeoman work. He was onsite livestreaming for almost 4 hours, long before even RT showed up. He's part of the Grayzone circle of reporters.

So here we are. The US should be disgraced in the eyes of any right-thinking country. I guess Trump continues to unwittingly expose the Deep State, since he allowed this travesty to go forward.

 
Venezuelan security forces prevented opposition lawmakers from entering the parliament building for a session on Tuesday, a week after the top court stripped several lawmakers of their immunity amid a political crisis in the South American country.

Venezuela security forces block opposition lawmakers from entering parliament
Venezuelan National Police members stand in line near the National Assembly building in Caracas, Venezuela, May 14, 2019. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

Venezuelan National Police members stand in line near the National Assembly building in Caracas, Venezuela, May 14, 2019. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

Members of the Sebin intelligence service, wearing masks and carrying long guns, together with members of the national police and the military blocked the entrance and were investigating the possible presence of an explosive device inside the National Assembly building, lawmakers said.

Last week, one opposition lawmaker was arrested and several took refuge in foreign embassies in Caracas or fled the country as President Nicolas Maduro cracked down on allies of opposition leader Juan Guaido, following a failed effort to convince members of the military to rise up against Maduro in late April.
 
This guy, Ford Fisher, did yeoman work. He was onsite livestreaming for almost 4 hours, long before even RT showed up. He's part of the Grayzone circle of reporters.

So here we are. The US should be disgraced in the eyes of any right-thinking country. I guess Trump continues to unwittingly expose the Deep State, since he allowed this travesty to go forward.

Thanks for the steady reports on the Venezuelan Embassy in D.C., Herondancer! Not one word on the D.C. event on Reuters but they are doing coverage on Maduro and Guaido in Venezuela?

Venezuela's top court accused four opposition lawmakers of treason on Tuesday, following similar accusations against 10 legislators this month, escalating a deep political crisis in the South American country.

Venezuela top court accuses more lawmakers of treason as congress building blocked

Security forces had earlier prevented lawmakers from entering the legislature for Tuesday’s session, saying they were investigating the possible presence of an explosive device inside the building.

The Supreme Court in a statement posted on its Facebook page accused lawmakers Carlos Paparoni, Miguel Pizarro, Franco Casella and Winston Flores of treason and inciting rebellion. The accusations marked the latest step in a crackdown by President Nicolas Maduro on allies of opposition leader Juan Guaido following a failed effort to spur a military uprising in April.

“This simply gives us more strength,” Flores told Reuters, calling the Supreme Court’s accusations “illegitimate orders from the dictator.” “We know they will continue with this process of trying to destroy the National Assembly.”

Last week, one opposition lawmaker was arrested and several took refuge in foreign embassies in Caracas or fled the country after similar accusations from the court.

Flores said he would make an “emergency” trip to Uruguay to denounce the wave of accusations against Venezuelan lawmakers to the parliament of the Mercosur trade bloc, where he is also a representative, in Montevideo.

In a tweet, Pizarro called the court ruling “an illegal sentence that seeks only to generate fear to shut us up.”

Opposition leaders in recent weeks have called such charges an effort by the ruling Socialist Party to shutter the legislature. The Trump administration strongly condemned this month’s detention of Edgar Zambrano, the vice president of the legislature.

Guaido, leader of the opposition-controlled Assembly, in January invoked Venezuela’s constitution to assume an interim presidency, arguing Maduro’s 2018 re-election was illegitimate. More than 50 countries have recognized him as the country’s rightful leader, and say the assembly is its last remaining democratic institution.

“This is a dictatorship that goes after dissidents, and we are fighting for a political change,” lawmaker Juan Pablo Guanipa told Reuters, referring to the blocking of congress.

Tuesday’s session was scheduled for 10 a.m. (1400 GMT), but never began. The lawmakers were set to discuss the charges against their colleagues and the arrest of Zambrano, an outspoken critic of Maduro.

Venezuela’s information ministry, which handles media inquiries on behalf of the government, did not respond to a request for comment on why security forces blocked the entrance to parliament. Maduro, a socialist, calls Guaido a puppet of the United States seeking to oust him in a coup.

The government stripped the assembly of most of its powers after the opposition won a majority in 2015 elections. Lawmakers loyal to Maduro generally do not attend the sessions, but go to meetings of the Constituent Assembly, a legislative body created in 2017 that meets in the same building.

The Constituent Assembly is controlled by the ruling Socialist Party and its powers supersede those of the National Assembly.

Opposition lawmaker Jorge Millan told reporters the report of “bombs” in the building was false.

“It is a trick to prevent the parliament from functioning today,” he said. “If we do not have a session today, we will do it tomorrow.”

Brazil sees Venezuelan military deciding Maduro's fate: security aide
Venezuela's armed forces will either depose President Nicolas Maduro and lead a transition to democratic rule or face divisions that risk a civil war, the Brazilian government's top security adviser said on Tuesday.

Retired General Augusto Heleno, national security adviser to President Jair Bolsonaro, told Reuters the situation in Venezuela was unpredictable after opposition leader Juan Guaido unsuccessfully called on the military to change sides last month.

Only a handful of soldiers headed Guaido’s call to back the opposition on April 30 and since then Maduro’s government has launched a crackdown on opposition legislators allegedly linked to the attempt.

Venezuela top court accuses four opposition legislators of treason: statement
Venezuela's supreme court on Tuesday accused four opposition legislators of treason and conspiracy, according to a statement posted on the court's Facebook page, following similar accusations earlier against 10 opposition lawmakers.
 
The Supreme Court in a statement posted on its Facebook page accused lawmakers Carlos Paparoni, Miguel Pizarro, Franco Casella and Winston Flores of treason and inciting rebellion. The accusations marked the latest step in a crackdown by President Nicolas Maduro on allies of opposition leader Juan Guaido following a failed effort to spur a military uprising in April.
I don't know much about international laws, are mexican diplomats are obligated to receive him? :huh: or it is as Alina mentions?


https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/2019/05/14/diputado-de-la-an-de-venezuela-pide-refugio-en-la-embajada-mexicana-4978.html said:
Mexican Embassy in Venezuela welcomes AN deputy to its headquarters

Mexico City. The government of Mexico provides protection and shelter in the headquarters of his residence in Caracas, Venezuela, to the opposition deputy of the National Assembly, Franco Manuel Casella Lovaton.

The member of the Partido Voluntad Popular faction was one of the five opposition deputies who were stripped of their parliamentary immunity by the National Constituent Assembly for their involvement in the military uprising against President Nicolás Maduro two weeks ago.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) said this action was carried out in accordance with international law. "Mexico reiterates its commitment to the respect, protection and promotion of the human rights of individuals, regardless of their political affinity, and underlines its concern for the human rights situation, the right to due process and the inviolability of parliamentary immunity in Venezuela, especially of the members of that country's National Assembly.

The Mexican government, which has declared itself neutral in the Venezuelan case, justified that in accordance with its constitutional principles of foreign policy, "it reaffirms its position of non-intervention, its openness to dialogue and its firm commitment to collaborate in finding a democratic, peaceful and dialogued solution to the situation in which the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela crosses.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
 
Guaido is only making a fool out of himself - at this point? He has "no real" support among the people.

May 12, 2019 - Guaido Tells Supporters He Wants ‘Direct Relationship’ with Pentagon
Guaido Officially Requests US Military Support

Juan Guaido asked his envoy in the US to meet with Pentagon officials to request “cooperation” in resolving Venezuela’s political crisis, the Washington-backed opposition leader said at a rally in Caracas after a failed coup.

May 14 2019 - Guaido Officially Requests US Military Support
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has formally requested the support of US military forces in the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis in the South American country, a letter published by his representative Carlos Vecchio said on Monday.

May 14 2019 - US Police Raid Venezuelan Embassy to Evict Pro-Maduro Activists Defending It from ‘Illegal Seizure’
Pro-Nicolas Maduro activists occupying the Venezuelan embassy in Washington refused to vacate the premises in defiance of a notice threatening them with arrest and police entering the building but stopping short of evicting everyone.

May 15 2019 - Venezuela Strips 5 Opposition Lawmakers of Immunity
The government Constituent Assembly of Venezuela stripped five members of the opposition-controlled National Assembly of immunity in order to try them for betrayal, conspiracy and rebellion, local media reported.

Juan Andres Mejia, Sergio Vergara, Freddy Superlano, Carlos Paparoni and Miguel Pizarro were stripped of immunity, according to the VTV broadcaster.

A week ago, the National Constituent Assembly stripped seven other opposition lawmakers to try them for suspected participation in the recent attempted coup.

May 15 2019 - Guaido’s 'Envoy' Set to Meet Pentagon Officials to Plan Ways of Bringing ‘Democracy’ to Venezuela
A representative of the Venezuelan opposition leader in the US will meet members of the Southern Command next week to discuss strategy for regime change in the Latin American country, Juan Guaido confirmed.
 
U.S. orders suspension of flights between the U.S. and Venezuela
FILE PHOTO: Aircraft are seen at a runway on the Simon Bolivar airport in Caracas July 17, 2015. REUTERS/Marco Bello/File Photo

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday ordered the suspension of all commercial passenger and cargo flights between the United States and Venezuela, citing reports of unrest and violence around airports in the South American country.

Representatives of Venezuela's government and the opposition have traveled to Norway to discuss potential talks following a failed uprising against President Nicolas Maduro, according to four opposition sources familiar with the situation.

Venezuela opposition, government leaders travel to Norway for possible talks

The trips suggests the two sides may be seeking a fresh approach after the repeated failure of dialogue between the opposition and the ruling Socialist Party amid a steadily escalating political crisis.

Venezuelan top government officials held talks this year to create a transition government that would not include Maduro, U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton and others have said. Those efforts fell apart after opposition calls for Venezuela’s military to rise up against Maduro on April 30 failed, according to the opposition sources.

The military’s top brass has since then sworn allegiance to Maduro, who describes the April 30 events as a coup plot.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido in January invoked the constitution to assume the interim presidency, calling Maduro’s 2018 re-election a fraud. More than 50 nations have recognized Guaido as the country’s legitimate president, though he does not control the military or the basic functions of governance.

Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez and Miranda state Governor Hector Rodriguez of the Socialist Party both traveled to Oslo, according to the sources.

Opposition legislator Stalin Gonzalez, along with political advisers Gerardo Blyde and Fernando Martinez have also gone to Norway, where authorities have been involved in conflict mediation, including assistance with Colombia's 2016 peace deal between the government and FARC rebels.


Norway’s foreign minister said as early as March that it was prepared to act as a mediator or facilitator of talks between the Venezuelan government and the opposition.

No meetings have yet been held, and the parties will meet separately with Norwegian diplomats, one of the sources said.

Venezuela’s information ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The Norwegian foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment.

It was not immediately evident whether the parties had the full backing of the opposition or of Maduro’s government.

First Justice, one of the main opposition parties, said on Twitter that none of its members are involved.
 
Well, against all odds, there are apparently still pro-Maduro activists in the Washington embassy as of today.
Posted at 2am on the News2Share FB page:

Police attempted to end a weeks-long standoff Monday night by breaking through a bike lock on the front door and entering the Venezuelan Embassy.
Four members of the Embassy Protection Collective remain inside. As Guaidó supporters cheered police on, they attempted to convince the four people to exit, without success.
Embassy Protection Collective's legal counsel Mara Verheyden-Hilliard was present during the negotiations. While law enforcement felt comfortable making an order to leave, threat of arrest, and forcibly enter the building, it



Today Ford Fisher was again onsite, as Jesse Jackson came to make a speech and deliver supplies, which the officers on duty allowed. So the residents of the building (at least 2) have more food, and power supplies to deal with the cuts. Not sure how they're handling the water end of things.

I can't find any media stories except a WaPo paywall here (google link) and News2Share's facebook page

Video of Jesse Jackson making a food delivery with Guaido guy trying to steal the bags. Previously police were cutting the ropes that lowered the bags, but for some reason they aren't impeding matters now.

The speculation seems to be to
 
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