Source: Sputniknews (March 11), translation, Resumen Latinoamericano, North America bureau
Yesterday Caracas witnessed a mobilization called by Juan Guaido and another by Chavismo. What should have been an overwhelming opposition action failed to make an impact and clearly showed the division in the ranks of the opposition, an element that has forced the strategy of the United States to accelerate things.
The Venezuelan right continues to face a sustained crisis in their ability to mobilize its social base. The latest actions have been an expression of that weak scene that cannot be disguised.
March 10 was supposed to be the day to reverse that trend. The call for the mobilization, led by the self-proclaimed President Juan Guaido himself, lasted three weeks with a promise that it was to be greater than previous times. This time it was about reaching the National Assembly, in downtown Caracas, the heart of the national political power.
People gathered in Chacao, in the eastern part of the city, the usual opposition area, around 10 am local time. According to Guaido’s announcement, flyers with instructions on how to mobilize during the day would be handed out during the rally.
“We have to get to the Assembly and occupy it with our President Juan Guaido,” said one young man from the rally point.
However, at 9:30 a.m. the chairs were installed near the concentration point to carry out the National Assembly’s session that Guaido assured he would be presiding over. In other words, while the expectation of going to the seat of the legislature and receiving instructions was maintained, the plan had already been set up that the mobilization would walk a few blocks.
The result was once again a disappointment for those who answered the call of Guaido. The mobilization was small and unconvincing, the headquarters of the National Assembly was always on the other side of the city and Guaido announced, vaguely, that there will be a protest on Thursday, March 12th.
Chavism
“They don’t have the capacity to mobilize, to organize, they don’t have a proposal (…) it’s a lack of political imagination,” said Diosdado Cabello, president of the National Constituent Assembly (ANC) who was part of the mobilization of Chavism in western Caracas.
It has become a custom that, faced with a call for action from the right, Chavism also calls for a mobilization in the center of the city on the same day. The objective is, in these cases, to demonstrate that there is a government and a political and social force in the streets mobilized in defense of the Bolivarian Revolution.
This time was no exception and the different structures of Chavism were in the center of Caracas in a new show of force.
“The hours to come will be decisive (…) we must be alert because they have in mind an agenda of violence in the country,” said Tania Diaz, vice president of propaganda, action and mobilization of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).
The Hidden Agenda
On March 7, there was an incident with national impact occurred when a fire in the main storage center of the National Electoral Council (CNE) broke out that caused a column of black smoke visible from a large part of the city.
As many as 49,000 voting machines were destroyed in the fire, among other instruments of the Electoral Power. An armed group named Frente Patriota Venezolano claimed responsibility for the act, which they called Operation Sodom.
A video the group broadcasted later declared that leaders of the Bolivarian process will be military targets and called for war to be waged to the death.
They also claimed responsibility for the February 11 attack in the city of Valencia on the warehouses of CANTV, the state-owned internet and telephone company. The name of that action was, as announced in the video was Operation Genesis.
The last video that appeared from such a group occurred after the attack on two military barracks in Bolivar state, near the Brazilian border, in late December. At that time, a group called Operation Aurora emerged and released a video.
Messages from the U.S.
Not coincidently to all of this, On March 7, U.S. President Donald Trump received Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to talk in particular about Venezuela. Shortly before the meeting, the Brazilian government announced the withdrawal of its diplomatic officials from Venezuela.
Bolsonaro, along with his defense minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva, also met with the head of the Southern Command, Craig Faller, with whom he signed military cooperation agreements.
Days earlier it had been Colombian President Ivan Duque who had met with Trump at a meeting where, they said, they discussed the Venezuela case as well
So the two presidents of the central land countries bordering Venezuela, both right-wingers, aligned with the U.S. strategy, met with Trump to address the situation in Venezuela. These meetings were presented by the coup opposition as a sign that the U.S. government is on the verge of taking further decisive action.
The Break-Up
The mobilization on March 10 had an unexpected development when the main leader of the opposition party Democratic Action (AD), Henry Ramos Allup stated that he would participate in the next legislative elections.
“Let’s prepare to go to the elections that must be done according to the Constitution, which are the elections for the National Assembly because this year the period expires. What are we going to do? Are we going to stay seated?” he said from the rally.
His words ratified what was an open secret: one of the central forces that supported the U.S. strategy expressed in the figure of Guaidó took the decision to participate in the legislative elections, that is, to reach an agreement with the government, therefore, recognizing it.
Ramos Allup added that “we are also pushing for presidential elections”, the message was clear and it entails a break with the roadmap held by Guaido, who claims that the only elections should be presidential and without Nicolas Maduro in power.
What was going to be a day of mobilization to the Legislative Power always with a promise of a coup escalation, ended up with a concentration in the east of Caracas, and the announcement of participation in the legislative elections by Ramos Allup.
What’s next?
There are two political lines developing simultaneously. On the one hand, a scenario is under construction to achieve a broad agreement for the next legislative election. The Government and an increasingly wide range of opposition parties and leaders are working on this road map.
Central steps have already been taken in that direction, such as the installation on March 9 of the Electoral Nominations Committee to elect the new electoral authorities, with the participation of deputies from both Chavism and the opposition: the president will be Angel Medina, from the Justice First party, and the vice-president Julio Chavez, from the PSUV.
On the other hand, the time of the overthrow attempt is underway, with Guaido as the national front and with the United States as its leader and funder. This strategy has not yielded favorable political results either in terms of weakening Maduro or in terms of establishing its social legitimacy since the economic blockade does not have the majority approval of society.
So two lines are advancing simultaneously and the second one, the coup plan, needs to stop the accumulation of forces of the first one, the electoral one. In order to do so, it needs to carry out initiatives that achieve an impact, which leads to the hypotheses related to actions of force, like what occurred with the burning of CNE warehouses or the attacks on barracks last December near the border with Brazil.
Venezuela is living through a 2020 turn where the possibility of reaching a majority political agreement that allows for the establishment of a new electoral power and legislative elections is on the table. Achieving that would be a victory for political stability, the keys to the conflict, and a setback for the U.S. plan.
I despise the Yanks with every bone in my body, one day I hope they get their comeuppance.
The war mongers within the USA deserve to be dumped on an Island and left to fight each other for food.
I think we may actually get to see that, Yank psychos have been buying up property in New Zealand for when they start the war. https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/88705064/super-rich-americans-buying-land-in-new-zealand-as-bolthole-from-apocalypse
The problem with a bug out bunker in such a situation is that any surviving locals can mess with air intakes etc whilst the elite hide and live in fear of the outside.
My problem is Washington DC, all parties, rather than the people. Although, when you combine masses of UK and US and factor for their stupidity, you can understand why one hopes the C virus is a gift from mother nature. Rather than the Soy Sauce Soldiers, the Pentagon exports.
Arh, come on, you know I mean that girly.
Hello stranger, hope all is well with you.
Latin America has been the laboratory of Anglo/Yankee Imperialism since the English broke up the Spanish Overseas Provinces in the Indies. The Spanish remain rulers of the counties, but only as vassals of the Empire. Today, the Spanish/European elites form the backbone of Venezuelan counter revolution who has offered vassalage in exchange to surrendering Venezuela’s oil treasures.
Don’t Russia have majority shares in Venezuelan oil, owing to loan agreements?
Venezuela learned from other countries where America have bring democracy. Wars and terrors along the way.
All true. Guiado the donkey is so much a Democrat ,a man of the people ,that he blows up the voting machines. We can see there ,how much he thinks of the Voice of the People!
I think President Bolsonaro is more of a joke than something serious, regarding his meeting with President Trump, although Donald Trump probably has no idea this is the case. Brasil is going through the motions but, nothing will come of it. They really don’t care what the world powers think and have demonstrated this for centuries. The media make a bigger deal of it than it actually is.
The one true power in Brasil, ordained so in the final acts of the Emperor before the country change from an empire to a Republic, in a peaceful change, is the military. The military was charged with the protection and guidance of the country. At times they step in and rearrange the furniture here but, it is not really for outside considerations. I know the usual story line is CIA influence and such but, this is not reality. Anyway, the Brasilian military has said no to regime change participation in Venezuela and so ……… that is the end of that.
If you don’t understand this, then take a look at President Bolsonaro’s recent public address concerning the Corona virus. He did the news conference, with him and others wearing surgical masks during the announcement. It looked surreal, as if it was an SNL cold open. So, him talking to Trump about anything, has to be taken with a truckload of salt folks. My take.
Nice to hear he cannot control the military. Plus, Brazil is a member of BRICS and powerful partners, who have problems from US Pillaging Tours.
The US in general, maintains an outlook of arrogance. Ignore the hype.
Nice summary of Brazilian affairs.
Pity Bolsonaro’s man wasn’t wearing one before he caught the corona. Pity that he wasn’t able to give it to Trump…
I liked the operation Sodom. I’m now looking forward to operation cunnilingus, and operation threesome. No doubt there will be other equally glorious operations, such as op. pederasty, op. buttlick, and op. homonculus DP, and op. squirt!
What else would you expect from Washington DC, or the Pentagon. Surprised the Operations have not been included in the ‘Rainbow Exercise Package.
Lol! Operation Gender Equality and operation Transo.
No doubt they are working on that one.
Operation Rainbow Worm, comes to mind, owing to the hermaphrodite anatomy of the Worm. Perfect description of 21st century NATO.
What did Guaido do with all the money Branson raised for him and his team? Make Sarah Ferguson his financial adviser?
What I would find hilarious, if Bolsonaro and Guaido, (bearing in mind Bolsonaro tested positive to the C virus), gifted the White House Coronovirus. There again, if Trump and Pence are wiped out before November, don’t the dentures of Pelosi take over?
Lol.
I thought it was only wajngarten ,boso’s man who had it? If you are right then Trump has it as well.
Many have it, pass it on and it is only if they have underlining health problems that it becomes a problem. Do believe they have tested Trump for it. However, would seriously find it funny, if the Soy Sauce Soldiers, scored a home goal. Rather ironic.
Just seen this:
Trump tests NEGATIVE for coronavirus: White House doctor says the President, 73, does not have the virus and remains ‘symptom free’ a week after dining with Brazilian officials who caught disease after party at Mar-A-Lago
President Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus, his doctor revealed
‘The President remains symptom-free,’ in-house physician Sean Conley wrote
Trump revealed he was tested on Friday night after being questioned by reporters
Trump came in contact with three people who later tested positive for the virus
White House for the first time began screening journalists for fevers on Saturday
One reporter was rejected from the briefing with a temperature of 99.9F
Revealed that his own temperature was ‘totally normal’ when checked Saturday
Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8112479/Trump-tested-coronavirus-waiting-results.html