Written by Whitney Webb; Originally appeared at Mint Press
With Guaidó rapidly losing momentum and credibility after Tuesday’s failed coup, López and his U.S. backers may turn on their own if they think it will benefit or energize their cause or if it could be used to set the stage for foreign military intervention.
Venezuela’s opposition leader and self proclaimed president Juan Guaido, greets the crowd from the door of a vehicle during a rally in Maracay, Venezuela, April 26, 2019. Fernando Llano | AP
Prominent American anti-war figures from across the ideological spectrum are warning that the Trump administration may soon turn on Juan Guaidó — the man they recognize as Venezuela’s interim president — in order to justify military intervention in Venezuela.
These warnings followed Guaidó’s failed attempt to lead a military uprising on Tuesday, which analysts characterized as a desperate move, with Guaidó’s parallel government having failed to gain any significant traction in Venezuela since late January. With Guaidó now quickly losing legitimacy and momentum since Tuesday’s failed coup, it has become increasingly probable that his political patrons — the United States — may soon turn on him, as any harm done to him could be blamed on Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, which would allow the U.S. government to justify aggressive action against the Maduro-led government.
One of the first prominent anti-war voices to raise concern that the U.S. government, particularly the CIA, may now see Guaidó as more valuable dead than alive was Daniel McAdams, executive director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity and co-host of the Ron Paul Liberty Report, with the former congressman, presidential candidate and well-known libertarian. During Tuesday’s edition of the Liberty Report, Paul raised concern that a provocation could be used to push for foreign (i.e., U.S.) military intervention in Venezuela:
The big danger is a hard war breaking out. I’d still bet it won’t be too bad, with thousands of troops moving. But it could be a guerrilla war or something like that. If there is a false flag or some important official on either side gets killed, you can’t tell what might happen.”
McAdams responded, pointing out that Guaidó himself could soon become such a target for a provocation:
He [Guaidó] has been a kind of a hapless figure so far. He calls for mass protests and no one shows up. I don’t think he realizes right now that he is actually now worth more dead than alive not only to the CIA, but also to his own opposition people. A shot in the crowd or something like that to take Guaidó out. It might shock you, Dr. Paul, but the CIA is pretty good at this kind of things.”
Watch | Daniel McAdams and Ron Paul discuss the potential for provocation in Venezuela
Concerns about Guaidó being targeted by the U.S. in order to blame it on the Venezuelan government and justify intervention were also raised on Wednesday by Ajamu Baraka, former vice presidential candidate for the Green Party and national organizer for Black Alliance for Peace. Baraka took to Twitter, stating:
Watch out for a false-flag operation in Venezuela with a hit on Guaidó, whose value to CIA & U.S. state is fading by the minute now. With the release of Leopoldo Lopez (by unknown forces) the U.S. now has access to someone who is even more vicious and opportunist than Guaidó.”
As MintPress has previously reported, Leopoldo López was lauded in a leaked U.S. government cable citing “his enduring popularity, charisma and talent as an organizer” within the U.S.-backed Venezuelan opposition. These characteristics are something that Guaidó is increasingly losing as his parallel government continues to fail to gain traction within Venezuela.
Watch out for a false-flag operation in Venezuela with a hit on Guaido who's value to CIA & U.S. state is fading by the minute now. With the release of Leopoldo Lopez ( by unknown forces) the U.S. now has access to someone who is even more vicious and opportunist than Guaido.
— Ajamu Baraka (@ajamubaraka) May 1, 2019
Guaidó’s utility fading fast
With López still unable to directly maneuver in the streets, Guaidó’s continued freedom of movement may continue to make him a valuable asset to the current efforts to overthrow Venezuela’s Chavista-led government. However, with Guaidó rapidly losing momentum and credibility after Tuesday’s failed coup, López and his U.S. backers may turn on their own if they think it will benefit or energize their cause or if it could be used to set the stage for foreign military intervention.
Though it may seem extreme, the U.S. — and the CIA in particular — have turned on their assets in Latin America before, with former Panamanian dictator and long-time CIA asset Manuel Noriega being as good an example as any. Furthermore, the U.S. has often been led into wars by “false flag” provocations, such as the now infamous Gulf of Tonkin incident, which led to increased U.S. intervention in Vietnam. The CIA, together with the Pentagon, even made plans in the 1960s to conduct terror attacks on U.S. soil in order to justify military action against Cuba, showing that U.S. intelligence has even been willing to kill American citizens to justify military intervention abroad. There are numerous precedents from the CIA’s past that show that a plan that would see Guaidó become some sort of “false flag” martyr is hardly a far-fetched scenario.
In Guaidó’s case, National Security Adviser John Bolton — known for his marked tendency to favor military action over diplomacy — previously stated that Guaidó’s “safety must be guaranteed” and that “any threats or acts against his safe return will be met with a strong and significant response from the United States and the international community.”
Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaido has announced his planned return to Venezuela. Any threats or acts against his safe return will be met with a strong and significant response from the United States and the international community.
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) March 4, 2019
President Guaido safely returned to Venezuela today to continue his strong push for a democratic future for the people of his country. The United States fully supports Guaido and the National Assembly. His safety must be guaranteed. The world is watching. pic.twitter.com/pFwUghxW63
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) March 4, 2019
It’s Bolton’s baby
Though reports have characterized President Trump as uninterested in a long-term military conflict (likely owing to concern it could harm his re-election prospects), Trump has also “given Bolton wide purview over Venezuela.” In recent months, Bolton has been pushing a reluctant Pentagon to draft war plans for Venezuela.
According to a recent report in the Washington Post:
As he has pushed for a more aggressive policy, Bolton has angered some within and outside the White House. Even before Tuesday’s events, his staff clashed with Gen. Paul Selva, [Pentagon Chief of Staff Gen. Joseph] Dunford’s vice chairman, during a meeting to address the ongoing Venezuelan crisis, according to several officials with knowledge of the exchange.
The soft-spoken Air Force general was giving an update last week on the Pentagon’s view and making the case against a risky escalation by the United States when Bolton aides, including Mauricio Claver-Carone, Western Hemisphere director at the National Security Council, repeatedly interrupted and asked for military options, according to the officials.”
The report then added:
A senior administration official said Bolton’s staff was dissatisfied with Selva, who they felt had not presented sufficient military options for Venezuela as expected. Selva, according to people familiar with the interaction, believed the confrontational style of Bolton’s staff was out of line.”
A separate report in the New Yorker also noted that Bolton would have “extraordinary latitude” in the event of a crisis or conflict, given that Trump’s national security team currently lacks a permanent secretary of defense, a secretary of homeland security, and an ambassador to the United Nations.
In addition, following Tuesday’s failed coup, Secretary of State and former CIA Director Mike Pompeo told Fox Business on Wednesday:
The president has been crystal clear and incredibly consistent – military action is possible. If that’s what’s required, that’s what the United States will do.”
Bolton, for his part, characterized Tuesday’s failed coup as the “last chance” for top Venezuelan military officials to support the U.S.-backed parallel government led by Guaidó. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan also stated on Wednesday that “all options,” including military options, were being considered for Venezuela.
If a point arises in the not-so-distant future where Guaidó’s lack of popularity and legitimacy conflict with U.S. plans for Venezuela, it seems increasingly likely that those in the U.S. pushing for war may see Guaidó as more useful to their intervention plans dead than alive.
Whitney Webb is a MintPress News journalist based in Chile. She has contributed to several independent media outlets including Global Research, EcoWatch, the Ron Paul Institute and 21st Century Wire, among others. She has made several radio and television appearances and is the 2019 winner of the Serena Shim Award for Uncompromised Integrity in Journalism.
They are out of real cards for success. Most of what is coming out of the WH concerning Venezuela is hot air. Starting a war in that country would be a blatant breech of President Trumps word to the nation and would probably sink his election chances.
And if actions by Mr. Bolton would amount to sinking the MIC grave train, why would he be considered safe himself? A very dangerous game is being played here by very blind people.
One of the reasons the army has stayed loyal to Maduro is because they know all to well what happens once you have served your purpose.
My impression is that Guido was intended to be sacrificed from the get go in order for the more capable López to take the reigns to avenge the terrible murder by Maduro of a true patriot of the Venezuelan people. Readers may now make use of their motion sickness bags.
The CIA not sacrificing Guido is what would be surprising given a long tradition at the CIA of turning on those that no longer serve a purpose, particularly if they may be useful dead.
The big concern is the articles discussion of the wide latitude given ‘President’ Bolton and Pompeo – the Armageddon dream team. The article states Bolton tends to favour military action over diplomacy. Let me correct this statement. For Bolton, military action is diplomacy.
My take on this too. Lopez is the recognize-able name, has contacts with the movers and shakers (moneyed) in Venezuela and is an actual known among the people.Guano is window dressing and an appetizer…the main course is Lopez.
This is an amusing interview of Pompeo this morning. It looks like he is beginning to be rendered in the public eye. He does not seem to like the hard questions. I am going to enjoy watching this arrogant pompous sammich crash and burn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beDeogZXYb0
This Pompeo is a man who does not like having to explain himself, expects interviewers to be cheerleaders throwing softball questions. The body language and his push back is like “look you little piece of s__t, ever been water Boarded?”
Pompeo was top of his class at West Point, and if he has not gone senile in the interim, how the hell did he accomplish that without sucking the dicks of his instructors ?
From watching the interview, I found Pompeo to be quick with a sharp mind and a persona cold as ice. In other words, the kind of person that heads the CIA and his intelligence makes him all the more dangerous.
I would agree, although in my opinion any controller of an organisation such as the CIA, really needs to have an open minded and broad approach to their goals.
Ice is easily transformed into a puddle on the floor when exposed to heat and it’s then that the strategies need to become more fluid. If not the water evaporates in a cloud of hot air.
And hence, why the CIA and the US in general are traveling the road to perdition.
I just hope that its a short road.
Doesn’t matter who kills Guiado as long as one problem less.
If i was Guiado i’d be looking for an opportunity to climb out of the toilet window and jog over to the Russian embassy, cause they are the only ones who will think him more useful alive (maybe)
He’d have to work for them, which might be difficult now that his face is known.
I dont think the russians will want to pick up others trash.
trash, yes, but useful, could be if he’s still alive/not sedated, he must have some inclining of his fate
useful in what way?
propaganda, he knows stuff that can be used against his foreign backers
All the comments below cover the excellent article very well, so I shall ask a childish question –
Why can he do that famous arm salute, when I will get a criminal record ?.
https://southfront.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/1-24.jpg
You beat me to it – I noticed the same! A true democratic leader, lol!
He is waving stupid , but take the still and run with it .
Just catching this now but he has freakishly big hands, doesn’t he? :P
I did notice that, but I wasn’t sure what to write. Cheers.
zioamerican democracy has yet to reach venezuela that is why.
that is spot on!!!
Statng the obvious.
To everyone but Guano. He better get a clue soon. Maybe those bodyguards aren’t bodyguards for protection. If he doesn’t see the writing on the wall, he is an idiot.
“it may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.”(Henry Kissinger)
Lavrov already issued a very stern (even by his standards) warning.
Let’s see if Bolton&Pompeo (B&P) item dare to pump into blue yonder ..
Lavrov is a fukkin nobody Russian POS .
Your a lying Zionist troll.
Canada. Seriously.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d565b8ce5545d806e6564fba4b6879ae358dbaadbb16bd017070cd18e1347dc3.jpg
Meanwhile, Canadian statesmanlike conduct.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3c76d51d2c1e38f6820be58719d0a5d0a6b06140d9dc75ed6a5eab9cac0b4a13.jpg
Apparently this is Canada’s idea of Prime Ministerial statesmanship. So guessing Lavrov is somewhat lost on you.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/34bde08f4ff095a03402096c2387cef2d15471974a3a13ff55e2e23e1801cc6e.jpg
On a somehow related subject:
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/437719-ukrainian-to-us-prosecutors-why-dont-you-want-our-evidence-on-democrats?fbclid=IwAR225URLqCRManioWyWMOmobMj5cKd6O033zOvj827Bi8g_O9sVPRvZqB-Q
It is all related! :-)
This is a different branch of the Neocon war monger/power and control faction. Solomon is a high caliber investigative journalist. He and a few others are bringing some very ugly facts to the surface. I hope that they all have protection, including this Ukrainian man who is willing to testify.
Have you ever looked at Moon of Alabama Brilliant site Excellent articles and comments. Doing venezuela at the moment.
If the reports are true that President Trump is reluctant to intervene in Venezuela, he should go with that instinct. History is littered with Great Powers that have ended up fighting the very war they seek to avoid. For America that may not be in Venezuela, but if it was dragged into a lengthy conflict there that might benefit more dangerous rivals elsewhere. https://www.ghostsofhistory.wordpress.com/
The U.S. after failing to topple Erdogan now it fails to topple Maduro… There was a time they used to be good at this game… hahaha
They are really not that concerned with shittholes .
…Sour grapes…
Who else would want him dead ??? Putin maybe he likes killing people abroad .
You got to lay off the CNN …it messes up with your reality. If you are looking to find what kills people abroad, try looking at U.S.A.F. Drones.
Bolton is an anti American Israel firster Zionist traitor. And has been for many years. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e185232a5e47ad35b618eb8f7da535db5d3f2e48e487f12d89db334e1bd1b6ed.png
– Project for the New American Century –
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_for_the_New_American_Century
That is fucking scary holy shit
“The 9-11 event advanced the Neocon PNAC agenda, with its explicitly stated need for “…a catastrophic and catalysing event – like a new Pearl Harbor” [1] in order to mobilise US public opinion for already planned wars, the effects of which would be to destroy Israel’s enemies.”
– “9-11/Israel did it” –
https://wikispooks.com/wiki/9-11/Israel_did_it
“in 1998, Kristol and Kagan advocated regime change in Iraq throughout the Iraq disarmament process through articles that were published in the New York Times.[22][23] Following perceived Iraqi unwillingness to co-operate with UN weapons inspections, core members of the PNAC including Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, R. James Woolsey, Elliot Abrams, Donald Rumsfeld, Robert Zoellick, and John Bolton were among the signatories of an open letter initiated by the PNAC to President Bill Clinton calling for the removal of Saddam Hussein.[19][24] Portraying Saddam Hussein as a threat to the United States, its Middle East allies, and oil resources in the region, and emphasizing the potential danger of any weapons of mass destruction under Iraq’s control,”
– Project for the New American Century –
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_for_the_New_American_Century
Something tells me they are going to kill him. Then make him a martyr then back to business as usual. The military corporate complex is going to change the regime there, with or without his help. It’s just a matter of time. Does Venezuela have a central bank? If it does then there is serious resources there they need to steal, start the war please.
Notice the salutes are the same? Lmao
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e9936de91ca9875cb8a095dc1fc16b30bad58aebae2d1ac8175006d04dfa616f.png
By the way, can someone tell Bolton to stfu already?