Image of the video game Call of Duty: Ghosts, showing Black Ops operations in a war zone in Caracas, Venezuela. Click to see full-size image
The 2013 first person shooter video game Call of Duty: Ghosts featured a mission set in Caracas, presenting a war zone in Venezuela. It also depicted the Guri Hydroelectric Dam, which the player had to infiltrate and install a virus in the electrical system that would result in a nation-wide blackout.
The Guri Hydroelectric Dam, which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his government claimed underwent several “terrorist” attacks – cyber and otherwise. The attacks resulted in 3 separate blackouts covering most of the country and lasting for days on end.
In 2013, Call Of Duty featured Caracas as the site of its war scene in Venezuela—a first-person shooter game which also depicted the Guri Hydroelectric Dam. Part of the "mission" is to install a virus in the electrical system to generate a Blackout.pic.twitter.com/QJnC1ROMr4
— Camila (@camilateleSUR) April 9, 2019
If the video game appears to resemble reality – its because COD developer Sledgehammer games received advice from an unnamed “scenario planner,” from the US Department of Defense.
“Three years ago, right after we finished Modern Warfare 3, we started thinking about how to change Call of Duty,” Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey said in an interview with the Guardian.
“We brought in a lot of outside help – military advisers, futurologists – we got together with a scenario planner from the Department of Defense, who is active in the Pentagon. His job is to think about future threats and prepare ‘what if’ scenarios for the US government. So we asked him, what do you think will be the conflict of tomorrow?”
A new cold war with Russia, fighting against a consolidation of Islamic extremist states and even China was unlikely, according to the Pentagon scenario planner.
A proposal was fighting against a powerful cash-rich private military company (similar to what Blackwater was) and it would present a massive security threat.
“We thought that was fascinating and provocative,” Condrey revealed. “What happens when an organisation that’s built for profit has access to all the latest weapons and technology – an organisation that can operate outside of the Geneva Convention, that can be purchased by the highest bidder? What if that got out of control?”
In addition to that they also spoke to Mark Bohl, author of the Hurt Locker.
“Often, we are able to extend our network through existing relationships within the Call of Duty franchise,” he said. “We worked with Mark Bohl, writer of [The] Hurt Locker, and were put in contact with his retired Navy Seal Team 6 adviser through shared contacts. Other times, we research experts in the field and reach out directly. Retired Delta Commander, Dalton Fury, is an example. We read his book, Kill Bin Laden, and made an inquiry on his interest and availability.”
If this is true, then it would appear that the scenario for the crisis in Venezuela had been planned for a while.
Separately, there is also a rising star on YouTube – Joanna Hausmann. In short, she is attempting to make the US coup attempts more acceptable for millennials.
Joanna Hausmann: Making #Trump’s coup more palatable for millennials.
But there’s plenty she hasn’t disclosed.@camilateleSUR#HandsOffVenezuela pic.twitter.com/ti2Up5L2va
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 9, 2019
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will also take a tour of Latin America between April 11th and 15th. He will visit Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Colombia.
His schedule is the following:
“In Santiago on April 12, the Secretary will meet with President Pinera and Foreign Minister Ampuero to highlight Chile’s regional leadership, our strong economic ties, bilateral partnerships in science and technology, and security cooperation, including on cyber issues.
In Asuncion on April 13, Secretary Pompeo will meet with President Abdo Benitez and Foreign Minister Castiglioni to reinforce our strong partnership to combat transnational crime and corruption, strengthen economic ties, and support Venezuelan democracy.
In Lima on April 13, the Secretary will meet with President Vizcarra and Foreign Minister Popolizio to discuss Peru’s support for Venezuelan refugees, the country’s ongoing leadership role in the Lima Group, and our cooperation regarding transnational crime, economic growth, and other bilateral issues.”
In addition to discussing Venezuela in all of the countries he visits, he will also visit Cucuta, Colombia right at the Venezuelan border and where US Humanitarian aid was blocked. He will “visit entities supporting Venezuelan refugees and assess the challenges due to the closed border.”
In a presumed sign of moving away from a military intervention, Rep. David Cicilline introduced a bill to US Congress that would ban use of US funds to militarily intervene in Venezuela.
If the bill were to pass it would be possible for a US intervention to happen in Venezuela in one of 3 cases:
“(1) a declaration of war;
(2) a specific statutory authorization that meets the requirements of the War Powers Resolution and is enacted after the enactment of this bill, or;
(3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States or the Armed Forces.”
It is also worth reminding that on February 28th, the U.S. Global Development Lab, a branch of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) released a sort of “Regime-Change Manual.”
The manual advocates the creation of rapid expeditionary development teams to partner with the CIA and US Special Forces to conduct “a mix of offensive, defensive, and stability operations [in] in extremis conditions.”
The manual was written by members of Frontier Design Group (FDG), a national security contractor whose “work has focused on the wicked and sometimes overlapping problem sets of fragility, violent extremism, terrorism, civil war, and insurgency,” according to its mission statement.
Providing US Humanitarian Aid would surely be made easier in conjunction with the US Special Forces and the CIA.
On Russia’s side, Russia’s State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin condemned the US sabotage of the Venezuelan economy.
“The U.S. has done everything to undermine the Venezuelan economy: US$30 billion have been stolen in the accounts … indeed belonging to the people of that country; commercial sanctions have been introduced and cyber-attacks against vital infrastructure,” Volodin said during the 140th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Finally, the Maduro government appears to be making progress in implementing the Red Cross commitment to provide humanitarian aid to the Venezuelan people.
#Venezuela | President @NicolasMaduro met with Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the #RedCross pic.twitter.com/mI4m6lTDSE
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 10, 2019
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro met with Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Mauer reiterated the Red Cross commitment and said that all was going according to plan.
This is a follow-up on an earlier announcement by the Red Cross President Francesco Rocca who on March 29th said that the organization would require approximately 15 days to prepare the provision of aid to Venezuelans.
The US-Proclaimed Interim President Juan Guaido is continuing his usual rhetoric on Twitter, repeatedly posting calls for protests and an end to usurpation and is publishing recycled images from previous rallies.
He also announced that the opposition delivered 20 tons of Humanitarian aid to the village of Pemon in Santa Elena De Uairén, Venezuela.
Hoy le hicimos entrega de 20 toneladas de #AyudaHumanitaria en alimentos al pueblo Pemón en Santa Elena de Uairén.
Les llevamos atención y bienestar, no amenazas, represión y paramilitares armados.
Nuestra prioridad es atender a nuestra gente y estamos dirigidos a lograrlo. pic.twitter.com/6bDGgyibRT
— Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) April 9, 2019
In addition, the Organization of American States (OAS) recognized Guaido’s envoy as Venezuela’s official delegate until new elections take place in the country.
The organisation adopted the resolution recognising Gustavo Tarre Briceno with 18 votes in favour, nine against, six abstentions and one absence.
Permanent Council accepts appointment of Designated Permanent Representative of #Venezuela’s National Assembly to the #OAS, Gustavo @tarrebriceno
? https://t.co/QooSJszOhf
? https://t.co/5H2ZoPC7qY
? https://t.co/QNyuHWelnI pic.twitter.com/1ijDMyvy0z— OAS (@OAS_official) April 9, 2019
The decision is seen as a significant victory by Guaido’s opposition and the US.
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No one seems to notice that Venezuela is also quietly receiving massive aid from Russia and China. ONLY aid channeled thru Guaido or coming from the US gets any attention.