US denies any involvement in failed Venezuela coup attempt

(May 9) President Trump said that the US had nothing to do with the recent failed attack on Venezuela and that he personally knew nothing about it. He mocked the attack as a failed operation by a rogue group from other countries.

Trump said: "I know nothing about it. I think the government has nothing to do with it at all, and I have to find out what happened. If we ever did anything with Venezuela, it wouldn't be that way. It would be slightly different. It would be called an invasion...I saw the pictures on a beach. It wasn't led by General George Washington, obviously." The US has repeatedly threatened threatened regime change in Venezuela to topple President Maduro for over a year now.

Trump even offers $15 million bounty on Maduro arrest information

The Trump administration is offering a $15 million reward for information that leads to the arrest of Maduro. Maduro has been indicted in the US on charges related to the use of cocaine as a weapon against Americans. Mike Pompeo US Secretary of State claimed: "The Venezuelan people deserve a transparent, responsible, representative government that serves the needs of the people – and that does not betray the trust of the people by condoning or employing public officials that engage in illicit narcotics trafficking."

Evidence that the US was involved 

The US has arguably been involved with attempts to overthrow a Venezuelan government before in 2002 when there was a failed coup against the Chavez government. The latest plot was led by two US veterans, and that plot was run by US-based Silvercorp. The plot was said to be mounted on behalf of Juan Guaido the self-declared interim president of Venezuela. He is recognized as the legitimate president by the US and many of it allies. The US supports Guaido taking over the country. The US has been financing Guaido's activities and no doubt it also in part helped pay for the Silvercorp operation. While the US may not have been directly involved there is evidence that it was indirectly. The Washington Post said that a former US soldier who was captured in the failed raid claimed that he was contracted by a Florida security firm to seize control of the Caracas airport kidnap Maduro and bring in a plane to fly him to the US. The Post also had a document indicating that members of the Venezuelan opposition had negotiated a $213 million deal with Florida-based Siilvercorp USA to invade the country and overthrow Maduro. No doubt some of the opposition funds were provided by the USA. 

Venezuela wants extradition from US of the plan master mind

Jordan Goudreau, a US military veteran and head of the Silvercorp USA has claimed responsibility for the plan. Venezuela's chief prosecutor Tarek Saab wants Goudreau and two Venezuelans suspected as being involved in the plan to be extradited to Venezuela. Saab claims Miami-based political strategist Juan Rendon and the exiled legislator Sergio Vergara were also involved in the plot. The foiled operation left eight people dead and more than a dozen in jail, including two US citizens involved.

Previously published in the Digital Journal