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On May 15th, the US Department of Homeland Security suspended all commercial passenger and cargo flights to Venezuela.
“This determination is based on the ongoing political instability and increased tensions in Venezuela and associated inadvertent risk to flight operations,” the statement said.
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K. McAleenan determined that conditions in Venezuela threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew. The decision was approved and backed by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
This is mostly a formal action, since most US-based airlines stopped flying to Venezuela earlier. The last one to suspend its flights was American Airlines, which did so in March, after the US State Department issued a warning to stay away from Venezuela.
The suspension is indefinite, “if and when the conditions in Venezuela change, and if in the public interest, the Secretaries will revisit this determination.”
US-Proclaimed President Juan Guaido continues to take part in talks with various officials from Canada, Britain, Norway and others, despite the apparent standstill the US-backed opposition is in.
Reiteramos:
Grupo de Contacto, Canadá, Reino Unido, Noruega, Grupo de Lima, ademas de otras iniciativas, nos apoyan para lograr una solución a la crisis. Para los venezolanos la ruta es clara y la mantenemos: cese de la usurpación, gobierno de transición y elecciones libres. pic.twitter.com/DJTiVsXGbg— Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) May 15, 2019
“Reiterate: Contact Group, Canada, United Kingdom, Norway, Lima group, in addition to other initiatives, support us to achieve a solution to the crisis. For Venezuelans the route is clear and we keep it: cessation of usurpation, transitional government and free elections.”
He accused the Venezuelan authorities of “harassing” National Assembly members by not letting them in the Federal Legislative Palace on May 14th.
Lawmakers weren’t let inside the building due to a purported bomb threat. A quorum of 87 members was eventually achieved and the session got under way. But security forces barred the media from the chamber, including a crew from online channel Capitolio TV, which usually provides a live feed of legislative proceedings.
Guaido blamed the Maduro government of prosecuting 96 of the National Assembly’s 112 members.
On May 14th, the UNSC met in closed consultations on Venezuela, in them the US raised alarm over the arrest of Edgar Zambrano, the First Vice President of Venezuela’s National Assembly.
“We are concerned Zambrano’s arrest is a major escalation of the ongoing crackdown by the Maduro regime against the National Assembly, the sole remaining democratic institution in Venezuela. The regime has intensified efforts to jail opposition leaders in a campaign that media outlets in Venezuela have dubbed, “Operation Scorched Earth.” The United States calls on all member states to be prepared to take concrete actions in response to the Maduro regime’s repression throughout Venezuela.”
Finally, on May 15th, AP reported that representatives of the Maduro government and the US-backed opposition travelled to Norway to take part in negotiations to resolve the Venezuelan crisis.
Unnamed opposition officials said that both sides had received separate invitations to take part in negotiations in Oslo.
In his televised address on May 15th, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made no mention of any such negotiations, but did say Information Minister Jorge Rodriguzes was outside of Venezuela on an “important mission.”
Separately, Rev. Jesse Jackson brought food and water to the Code Pink activists barricaded inside the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington.
Meet me today at 2pmE at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington D.C. We must take food and water to those locked up in the Venezuelan Embassy. #KeepHopeAlive! @codepink pic.twitter.com/rKWHetpJ2I
— Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) May 15, 2019
The remaining Embassy Protectors and the activists are fearing after the Secret Service was reportedly preparing to raid the premises in breach of the Vienna Convention.
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Maduro made a mistake and is repeating it so hard. Fuck put that pig Guaido in jail or you will end up as Gadaffi.
That day will come , but the pig needs to be fattened up on a diet of US stupidity first.
He should have had Guiado “accidented” by a carcrash!
Cancer, the same way the Americans assassinated Chavez.
I’m starting to think it’s handy having him at large. Every time he pulls an illegal stunt, they get to jail more opposition types for backing it. And if they get rid of him, there’s always the chance the opposition/Americans will come up with a figurehead who’s, you know, competent.
getting rid of guaido could trigger an intervention by moronistan (aka usa – home of morons and cannon fodder in the form of under-educated red necks/hillbilly types for whom the choice is either metamphetamine cooking and use or the marines to kill or get killed). remember the fugs and their ‘kill for peace’.
Gauido constantly uses term usurpation or usurper – this is classic projection, ie, accusing an opponent of doing what the accuser is actually doing themselves. All pathological level narcissists and sociopaths routinely engage in this behavior, largely without any self awareness, and as they are delusional they believe their own distortions.
An old proverb says “the Jew cries out in pain when he strikes you”
” (US puppet) Lawmakers weren’t let inside the building due to a purported bomb threat.”
It is very possible that there was a bomb threat, a clandestine CIA attempt to sacrifice their Venezuelan glove puppets on the bloody alter of US Exceptionalism, otherwise known as ZioMafia Inc :)
In effect another US False Flag starting gate for direct US military intervention.
Doesn’t seem like there was an actual bomb, just a threat. Anyone can phone in a threat–it could have been an oppo legislator creating a photo op.
Funny how these Yankees and vassals never mention that the venezuelan elections were observed by Election officials from many Nato countries ,including the US i believe ,and they were found to be fair and genuine.
Raspberry to the Yankee liars and bullies!
Actually, the Americans didn’t go. Based on the track record they knew what the results would be if they did, and so to avoid that particular embarrassment they avoided going and pressured the UN not to go either. So now when they claim the elections were stolen, rather than the embarrassment of having to contradict their own observers, they only have the embarrassment of having no information to cite whatsoever, and there’s nothing new about that. But enough people did go to make it clear that the elections were free, fair and transparent.
I am almost sure i sae a vid feed of some observers in Venezuela and he was American- accented. Part of a charity perhaps? Either way someone was there because I read and saw the vid feed and they said they had no concerns at all.
Pity no observers were there in Murica to have stopped that weakling Gore from losing by one or two votes!
Did you know the US won’t allow international observers to observe American elections? What are they hiding?
No , i did not know that. Typical American Hypocrisy.