If at First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again: Venezuelan Edition

With the United States having orchestrated the overthrow of over 30 sovereign leaders, it is surprising how many people are ignorant to the current coup d’etat efforts in South America. When you look back at history, it is easy to see the patterns in US foreign policy. In 2002, there was a failed military coup in Venezuela that saw Hugo Chavez ousted for 2 days before being out back in power by sheer support from the Venezuelan people and military. Publications like the Guardian and New York Times reported that leaked CIA documents prove knowledge of the coup before it happened. Although I was not able to find this document I do not doubt its existence because of the Trump administration following in Bush's war crime footsteps.

On April 14th 2018, Nicolás Maduro was elected president of Venezuela earning a popular vote of about 6.2 million. On January 5th, Juan Guiado proclaimed himself president of Venezuela and Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Nancy Pelosi and all the other war mongers issued out their congratulatory tweets giving support in their struggle for ‘democracy’. The funny thing is, a poll by the company Hinterlaces showed that 81% of venezuelans did not know who Guaido was when he gave his inaugural speech last month. Not to mention in 2005 Guaido was trained in Belgrade, Serbia by the Center for Applied Non-Violent Action and Strategies or CANVAS, which is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy, an intelligence firm used by the CIA to overthrow government all around the world.

The motives for this overt intervention are clear. Venezuela is home to the largest oil reserves in the world. On January 24th John Bolton, US National Security Advisor, is interviewed on Fox News and states, “We’re looking at the oil assets. That’s the single most important income stream to the government of Venezuela. We’re looking at what to do to that.” and “It will make a big difference to the United States economically if we could have American oil companies really invest in and produce the oil capabilities in Venezuela.”. So how is the US able to get away with this blatant disregard for Venezuelan sovereignty? Being able to control the narrative.

A very important part of this regime change operation is the disinformation campaign run by the American mainstream media, with networks like CNN, Washington Post, and MSNBC. They have been lying and spreading propaganda on behalf of our government and their ‘oil-agarch’ bosses. The narrative that President Maduro is not allowing humanitarian into his country is patently false, just last week a shipment of medicine and medical supplies arrived in Venezuela from the Russian government under the watch of the World Health Organization. There was also reporting on an infamous bridge connecting Venezuela and Colombia, claiming President Maduro had shipping crates placed as a blocked. But in fact, the bridge has never been used and closed off since its construction due to diplomatic relation between the two countries.

Last Saturday, Venezuela defended their sovereignty from opposition groups trying to force ‘aid’ into the country from Colombia. With violence breaking out four people were killed and hundreds were injured. Despite the Venezuelan forces not being armed with live bullets, the US and the opposition are blaming President Maduro for the bloodshed. This has led Juan Guaido to continue calling for a military invasion into his own country. “It's sad but it's also insane you cannot believe or tell the people that you are the president so-called president of your country and ask for a foreign intervention against your people against your family against your friends no because bombs will not differentiate who's Chavista than who's not Chavista” - Juan Gonzalez, Venezuelan Foreign Minister.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Venezuelan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_attempt

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Venezuelan_presidential_election

https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-call-from-pence-helped-set-an-uncertain-new-course-in-venezuela-11548430259

https://www.mintpressnews.com/the-making-of-juan-guaido-how-the-us-regime-change-laboratory-created-venezuela-coup-leader/254387/

https://grayzoneproject.com/2018/08/20/inside-americas-meddling-machine-the-us-funded-group-that-interferes-in-elections-around-the-globe/

https://grayzoneproject.com/2019/01/29/us-coup-venezuela-oil-corporate-john-bolton/

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/aid-wars-in-venezuela-russian-medicine-arrives-as-maduro-blocks-us-aid-141387

https://globaljusticeecology.org/venezuela-aid-blockade-debunked-media-complicity-exposed/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dim9uOsDuI