[Peace-discuss] Regime Change Fails: Is A Military Coup Or Invasion Of Venezuela Next?

Wed Feb 14 15:02:46 UTC 2018

Regime Change Fails: Is A Military Coup Or Invasion Of Venezuela Next?

By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers,  <http://www.PopularResistance.org'>
Popular Resistance 

February 13, 2018 

|  <https://popularresistance.org/educate/> Educate!

Speaking at his alma mater, the University of Texas, on February 1,
Secretary of State
<https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tillerson-brings-up-possibility-of-regime-chan
ge-in-venezuela/> Tillerson suggested a potential military coup in
Venezuela.
<https://popularresistance.org/tillerson-on-latin-american-tour-calling-for-
regime-change-in-venezuela/> Tillerson then visited allied Latin American
countries urging regime change and more economic sanctions on Venezuela.
Tillerson is considering banning the processing or sale of Venezuelan oil in
the United States and is discouraging other countries from buying Venezuelan
oil. Further, the US is laying the groundwork for war against Venezuela.

In a series of tweets, Senator
<https://www.rt.com/usa/418357-rubio-calls-military-coup-venezuela/> Marco
Rubio, the Republican from Florida, where many Venezuelan oligarchs live,
called for a military coup in Venezueala.

How absurd  remove an elected president with a military coup to restore
democracy? Does that pass the straight face test? This refrain of Rubio and
Tillerson seems to be the nonsensical public position of US policy.

The  <https://popularresistance.org/venezuelas-continuous-coup/> US has been
seeking regime change in Venezuela since Hugo Chavez was elected in 1998.
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Trump-Pursues-Regime-Change-in-Ve
nezuela-20170216-0015.html> Trump joined Presidents Obama and Bush before
him in continuing efforts to change the government and put in place a
US-friendly oligarch government.

They came closest in
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/telesuragenda/Anniversary-of-Venezuelas-2
002-Coup--20150411-0022.html>  2002 when a military coup removed Chavez. The
Commander-in-Chief of the Venezuelan military announced Chavez had resigned
and  <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Carmona> Pedro Carmona, of the
Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce, became interim president. Carmona dissolved
the National Assembly and Supreme Court and declared the Constitution void.
The people surrounded the presidential palace and seized television
stations, Carmona resigned and fled to Colombia. Within 47 hours, civilians
and the military restored Chavez to the presidency.
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/analysis/The-47-Hour-Coup-That-Changed-Ev
erything-20150411-0018.html> The coup was a turning point that strengthened
the Bolivarian Revolution, showed people could defeat a coup and exposed the
US and oligarchs.

US Regime Change Tactics Have Failed In Venezuela

The US and oligarchs continue their efforts to reverse the Bolivarian
Revolution. The US has a long history of regime change around the world and
has tried all of its regime change tools in Venezuela. So far they have
failed.

Economic War
Destroying the Venezuelan economy has been an ongoing campaign by the US and
oligarchs. It is
<https://popularresistance.org/kissinger-nixon-and-chile-the-coups-declassif
ied-record/> reminiscent of the US coup in Chile which ended the presidency
of Salvador Allende. To create the environment for the Chilean coup,
President Nixon ordered the CIA to make the economy scream.

Henry Kissinger devised the coup noting a billion dollars of investment were
at stake. He also feared the the insidious model effect of the example of
Chile leading to other countries breaking from the United States and
capitalism. Kissingers top deputy at the National Security Council, Viron
Vaky, opposed the coup saying, What we propose is patently a violation of
our own principles and policy tenets .
 If these principles have any
meaning, we normally depart from them only to meet the gravest threat . . .
our survival.

These objections hold true regarding recent US coups, including in Venezuela
and Honduras, Ukraine and Brazil, among others. Allende died in the coup and
<https://popularresistance.org/salvador-allendes-last-words/> wrote his last
words to the people of Chile, especially the workers, Long live the people!
Long live the workers! He was replaced by Augusto Pinochet,
<https://popularresistance.org/the-chilean-911-justice-for-victor-jara/> a
brutal and violent dictator.

For decades the
<https://popularresistance.org/venezuela-on-april-11-2002-coup-to-2015-econo
mic-war/> US has been fighting an economic war, making the economy scream,
in Venezuela. Wealthy Venezuelans have been conducting economic sabotage
aided by the US with sanctions and other tactics. This includes
<https://popularresistance.org/the-us-covert-war-on-venezuela-in-2015/>
hoarding food, supplies and other necessities in warehouses or in Colombia
while Venezuelan markets are bare. The scarcity is used to fuel protests,
e.g. The March of the Empty Pots, a carbon copy of marches in Chile before
the September 11, 1973 coup. Economic warfare has escalated
<https://popularresistance.org/us-led-economic-war-not-socialism-is-tearing-
venezuela-apart/> through Obama and
<https://popularresistance.org/us-vastly-escalates-economic-war-on-venezuela
/> under Trump, with Tillerson now urging economic sanctions on oil.

President Maduro recognized the economic hardship but also said
<https://popularresistance.org/us-vastly-escalates-economic-war-on-venezuela
/> sanctions open up the opportunity for a new era of independence and
begins the stage of post-domination by the United States, with Venezuela
again at the center of this struggle for dignity and liberation. The
second-in-command of the Socialist Party,
<http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/01/venezuela-presidential-election-order
ed-april-180123180405804.html> Diosdado Cabello, said, [if they] apply
sanctions, we will apply elections.

Opposition Protests
Another common US regime change tool is supporting opposition protests. The
<https://popularresistance.org/renewed-attempts-at-regime-change-in-venezuel
a/> Trump administration renewed regime change operations in Venezuela and
the anti-Maduro protests, which began under Obama, grew more violent. The
opposition protests included barricades, snipers and murders as well as
widespread injuries. When police arrested those using violence, the US
claimed Venezuela opposed free speech and protests.

The opposition tried to use the crack down against violence to achieve the
US tactic of  dividing the military. The
<https://popularresistance.org/world-ignores-opposition-violence-at-venezuel
a-protests/> US and western media ignored opposition violence and blamed the
Venezuelan government instead. Violence became so extreme it looked like the
<https://popularresistance.org/will-us-regime-change-operations-in-venezuela
-create-a-civil-war/> opposition was pushing Venezuela into a Syrian-type
civil war. Instead, opposition violence backfired on them.

Violent protests are part of US regime change repertoire. This was
demonstrated in the
<https://popularresistance.org/chronology-of-the-ukrainian-coup/> US coup in
Ukraine, where the US spent $5 billion to organize government opposition
including
<https://popularresistance.org/us-and-eu-are-paying-ukrainian-rioters-and-pr
otesters/> US and EU funding violent protesters. This tactic was used in
early US coups like the
<https://popularresistance.org/cia-confirms-role-in-1953-iran-coup/> 1953
Iran coup of Prime Minister Mossadegh.
<https://popularresistance.org/state-department-finally-releases-updated-off
icial-history-of-iran-coup/> The US has admitted organizing this
<https://popularresistance.org/the-moment-the-u-s-ended-irans-brief-experime
nt-in-democracy/> coup that ended Irans brief experience with democracy.
Like Venezuela, a key reason for the Iran coup was control of the nations
oil.

Funding Opposition
There has been
<https://popularresistance.org/us-funded-ngos-new-face-of-destabilization-in
-latin-america/> massive US investment in creating opposition to the
Venezuelan government. Tens of millions of dollars have been openly spent
through USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy and other related US
regime change agencies. It is unknown how much the CIA has spent from its
secret budget, but the
<https://popularresistance.org/cia-says-they-are-working-with-mexico-colombi
a-to-overthrow-venezuela/> CIA has also been involved in Venezuela. Current
CIA director, Mike
<https://popularresistance.org/cia-says-they-are-working-with-mexico-colombi
a-to-overthrow-venezuela/> Pompeo, said he is hopeful there can be a
transition in Venezuela.

The
<https://popularresistance.org/are-u-s-backed-right-wing-groups-trying-oust-
venezuelas-elected-government/> United States has also educated leaders of
opposition movements, e.g.
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/The-Distorted-Democracy-of-Leopoldo-
Lopez-20150129-0022.html> Leopoldo López was educated at private schools in
the US, including the CIA-associated Kenyon College. He was groomed at the
Harvard Kennedy School of Government and made repeated visits to the regime
change agency, the National Republican Institute.

Elections
While the US calls Venezuela a dictatorship, it is in fact a strong
democracy with an excellent voting system. Election observers monitor every
election.

In 2016, the economic crisis led to the opposition winning a majority in the
National Assembly. One of their first acts was to
<https://popularresistance.org/in-venezuela-amnesty-bill-right-wing-confesse
s-to-17-years-of-crimes/> pass an amnesty law. The law described 17 years of
crimes including violent felonies and terrorism committed by the opposition.
It was an admission of crimes back to the 2002 coup and through 2016. The
law demonstrated violent treason against Venezuela. One month later, the
<https://popularresistance.org/venezuelas-supreme-court-strikes-down-amnesty
-law/> Supreme Court of Venezuela ruled the amnesty law was
unconstitutional. US media, regime change advocates and anti-Venezuela human
rights groups
<https://popularresistance.org/us-imperialists-criticize-venezuela-court-for
-blocking-political-violence-amnesty/> attacked the Supreme Court decision,
showing their alliance with the admitted criminals.

Years of violent protests and regime change attempts, and then admitting
their crimes in an amnesty bill, have caused those opposed to the Bolivarian
Revolution to lose power and become unpopular.  In three recent elections
Maduros party
<https://popularresistance.org/chavistas-take-17-of-23-states-in-venezuelan-
regional-elections-as-opposition-cries-fraud/> won regional,
<https://popularresistance.org/the-people-of-venezuela-successfully-fight-re
gime-change/> local and the
<https://popularresistance.org/venezuela-elections-resurgent-chavismo-and-un
recognised-democracy/> Constituent Assembly elections.

The electoral commission announced the
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Presidential-Elections-Set
-for-April-22-20180207-0034.html> presidential election will be held on
April 22. Maduro will run for re-election with the United Socialist Party.
Opposition leaders such as Henry Ramos and Henri Falcon have expressed
interest in running, but the
<https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-opposition-
ponders-whether-to-fight-maduro-in-vote-idUSKBN1FS29E> opposition has not
decided whether to participate.
<http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/04/henrique-capriles-venezuela-banned-pu
blic-office-170407230838078.html> Henrique Capriles, who narrowly lost to
Maduro in the last election, was banned from running for office because of
irregularities in his campaign, including taking foreign donations.
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Bans-Capriles-From-Running
-for-Office-for-15-Years-20170407-0019.html> Capriles has been a leader of
the violent protests. When his ban was announced he called for protests to
remove Maduro from office. Also banned was
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/The-Distorted-Democracy-of-Leopoldo-
Lopez-20150129-0022.html> Leopoldo Lopez, another leader of the violent
protests who is under house arrest
<https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-protests-ra
ge-jailed-lopez-supporters-stage-vigil-idUSKBN1801OI> serving a thirteen
year sentence for inciting violence.

Now, the United States says it will not recognize the presidential election
and urges a military coup. For two years, the opposition demanded
presidential elections, but now it is unclear whether they will participate.
They know they are unpopular and Maduro is likely to be re-elected.

Is War Against Venezuela Coming?

A military coup faces challenges in Venezuela as the people, including the
military, are well educated about US imperialism. Tillerson openly urging a
military coup makes it more difficult.

The government and opposition recently negotiated a peace settlement
entitled Democratic Coexistence Agreement for Venezuela. They
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuelan-Government-Opposition-to-
Sign-Peace-Deal-20180205-0003.html> agreed on all of the issues including
ending economic sanctions, scheduling elections and more.
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Rodriguez-Venezuelan-Right-Advocates
-For-Violence-and-War-20180211-0024.html> They agreed on the date of the
next presidential election. It was originally planned for March, but in a
concession to the opposition, it was  rescheduled for the end of April.
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Maduro-Signs-Agreement-Opp
osition-Backs-Out-20180208-0015.html> Maduro signed the agreement even
though the
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Maduro-Signs-Agreement-Opp
osition-Backs-Out-20180208-0015.html> opposition did not attend the signing
ceremony. They backed out after Colombian President Santos, who was meeting
with Secretary Tillerson, called and told them not to sign.
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Rodriguez-Venezuelan-Right-Advocates
-For-Violence-and-War-20180211-0024.html> Maduro will now make the agreement
a public issue by allowing the people of Venezuela to sign it.

Not recognizing elections and urging a military coup are bad enough, but
more disconcerting is that
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Bolivian-President-Condemns-US-Milit
ary-Meeting-in-Colombia-20180211-0017.html> Admiral Kurt Tidd, head of
Southcom, held a closed door meeting in Colombia after Tillersons visit.
The topic was regional destabilization and Venezuela was a focus.

A military attack on Venezuela from its Colombian and Brazilian borders is
not far fetched. In January,
<https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/14/opinion/united-states-venezuela-attack.h
tml> the NY Times asked, Should the US military invade Venezuela?
President
<https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/12/world/americas/trump-venezuela-military.
html> Trump said the US is considering US military force against Venezuela.
His chief of staff, John Kelly, was formerly the general in charge of
Southcom.
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/More-Bases-Military-Exercises-The
-ParaMilitary-Option-Against-Venezuela-in-Action-20170918-0023.html> Tidd
has claimed the crisis, created in large part by the economic war against
Venezuela, requires military action for humanitarian reasons.

<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/The-Combat-Order-Was-Given-Santos
-War-Against-Venezuela.-20180211-0018.html> War preparations are already
underway in Colombia, which plays the role of Israel for the US in Latin
America. The coup government in Brazil,
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Brazil-Temer-Hikes-Military-Budget-A
fter-Axing-Social-Spending-20170313-0001.html> increased its military budget
36 percent, and participated in
<https://www.mintpressnews.com/operation-america-united-a-military-drill-wit
h-vast-amazonian-aspirations/234065/> Operation: America United, the largest
joint military exercise in Latin American history. It was
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/More-Bases-Military-Exercises-The
-ParaMilitary-Option-Against-Venezuela-in-Action-20170918-0023.html> one of
four military exercises by the US
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Brazil-Announces-US-Backed-Military-
Drills-at-South-America-Triple-Border-Zone-20170507-0017.html> with Brazil,
Colombia and Peru in Latin America in 2017. The US
<https://www.mintpressnews.com/omnibus-defense-bill-puts-venezuela-in-us-mil
itary-cross-hairs/233800/> Congress ordered the Pentagon to develop military
contingencies for Venezuela in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act.

While there is
<https://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Resisting-US-Military-Bases-and-P
entagon-Strategies-in-Latin-America--20180126-0015.html> opposition to US
military bases,
<http://clearingthefogradio.org/latin-american-resistance-and-united-states-
imperialism/> James Patrick Jordan explains, on our radio show, the US has
military bases in Colombia and the Caribbean and military agreements with
countries in the region; and therefore, Venezuela is already surrounded.

The United States is targeting Venezuela because the Bolivarian Revolution
provides an example against US imperialism. An invasion of Venezuela will
become another war-quagmire that kills innocent Venezuelans, US soldiers and
others over control of oil. People in the United States who support the
self-determination of countries should show solidarity with Venezuelans,
expose the US agenda and publicly denounce regime change. We need to educate
people about what is really happening in Venezuela to overcome the false
media coverage.

Share this article and
<http://clearingthefogradio.org/latin-american-resistance-and-united-states-
imperialism/> the interview we did on Clearing The FOG about Venezuela and
the US role in Latin America.  The fate of Venezuela is critical for
millions of Latin Americans struggling under the domination of US Empire.

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