Venezuelan National Guard circa May, 2018. Click to see full-size image
On June 26th, Venezuelan Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez announced that another coup attempt, aimed at taking President Nicolas Maduro’s life was foiled.
In addition, he presented more information regarding the earlier failed coup that took place on April 30th.
The most recent plan was to take place between June 23rd – 24th but was foiled. It aimed to release General Raul Isaias Baduel, who has been detained since 2009, and to proclaim him as president.
Rodriguez claimed that Colombian President Iván Duque and Chilean President Sebastián Piñera backed the purportedly thwarted coup plot.
Rodriguez showed what he said were scenes from 56 hours of intercepted video conference calls with the alleged plotters hashing out strategy for the attack planned for June 23rd.
The spokesman said first lady Cilia Flores and Diosdado Cabello, leader of Venezuela’s governing socialist party, were among those also targeted for assassination.
Rodriguez said that the coup attempt was destined to fail as:
“We were in all the meetings to plan the coup d’état. We were in all the conferences,” Rodriguez said, suggesting that government informers had infiltrated the alleged plotters during planning meetings.
At least six of the alleged plotters had been detained, the minister said in a televised speech in Caracas, presenting testimony from one of them, named as Lieutenant Carlos Saavedra.
The minister also showed a video with the officer’s confession in which he assured that the plan for the military coup was being executed with the presumed support of the Israeli and American militaries.
#LIVE | A solider who was part of the April 30th coup attempt in Venezuela has revealed the involvement of two foreigners in the operation, one from Panama, one from Israel. pic.twitter.com/n54Kl1nbeT
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) June 26, 2019
Four of the officers were arrested on June 21st.
On June 25th, US-Proclaimed Interim President Juan Guaido, from the opposition-controlled National Assembly denounced the arrests, calling them “political persecution of military and security personnel.”
Intervención del Pdte (e) de Venezuela y de la #AsambleaVe @jguaido entorno al debate sobre la persecución política a efectivos militares y de seguridad. #25Jun #SesiónAN https://t.co/NJlJfSaX0o
— Asamblea Nacional (@AsambleaVE) June 25, 2019
La dictadura sabe que perdió el apoyo de nuestra Fuerza Armada y por eso ha perseguido a casi 200 funcionarios activos.
Denuncio la desaparición forzada de cinco funcionarios militares y dos comisarios del CICPC.
— Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) June 26, 2019
“The dictatorship knows that it lost the support of our Armed Forces and that is why it has pursued almost 200 active officials. I report the enforced disappearance of five military officials and two CICPC commissioners.”
The earlier coup’s planned timeline was also presented by Rodriguez:
#LIVE (2/2)
– Seize weapons stored at the Central Bank
– Seize Presidential Palace
– Separate team tasked with murdering key leaders and generals
– Murder President Maduro and Diosdado Cabello pic.twitter.com/IwR1c9L4yA— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) June 26, 2019
Maduro himself, in a televised address said that the opposition plan had failed and that US-Proclaimed Interim President Juan Guaido was part of it.
“We have revealed, dismantled and captured a fascist band of terrorists that planned a coup against Venezuelan society and Venezuelan democracy,” Maduro said.
“They are captured, behind bars, with clear evidence after following this group of criminals and fascists.”
On the side of the opposition, US-Proclaimed Interim President Juan Guaido dismissed the announcement of the foiled coup, calling it an attempt at distraction by the Venezuelan government.
Regardless, Guaido continues saying that a military intervention by the US was “still on the table” according to “others” in the opposition, but according to him it wasn’t the only option.
The lack of propagation and effective instruments on the opposition’s side to pressure Maduro is becoming more and more apparent. This is heavily reinforced by the fact that the Venezuelan agenda took a back step to the “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran.
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Yankee go home.
Kill Guiado.