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

Top Pentagon and US State Dept. officials meet with Carlos Vecchio

Carlos Vecchio recognized by the US as the de facto ambassador from Venezuela to the US from the US-supported coup led by Juan Guaido met yesterday with top officials from both the Pentagon and US State Dept. in Washington.

Vecchio claims the talks were quite positive

Vecchio also said the situation "continues to advance". Vecchio may be making a move to directly contact the US military that some in the Venezuelan opposition that are part of the coup attempt have been seeking for some while. The meeting with Pentagon officials in particular suggest that the US may be considering a military intervention to install Guaido as the interim president driving the incumbent Maduro out of power. The US State Dept. has reiterated its position on negotiations with Maduro saying there can be no talks with him. The US position is that they support Guaido, have demanded that Guaido take over the presidency, and this should happen.

A recent article describes the US position: "The United States for now has ruled out holding any negotiations with Nicolás Maduro and instead is focused on how to orchestrate a “dignified exit” for the Venezuelan leader after an opposition uprising and a series of sanctions failed to oust him from power.“We have been very clear that negotiations with Maduro are not possible,” a senior State Department official told the Miami Herald."

Norway peace talks

In spite of the US saying there will be no negotiations Norway is sponsoring exploratory peace talks with representatives from both the Maduro government and the opposition. Maduro said the talks sought to build a peaceful agenda for the country. Norway has a history of trying to mediate conflict resolution.

Opposition legislator Stalin Gonzalez and two advisers represented Guaido's side, while Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez and Miranda State Governor Hector Rodriguez went to Oslo on behalf of the government.

Each side met separately with Norwegian mediators but there was no direct meeting between the two opposing representatives.

Guaido was less optimistic about the meeting than Maduro. Guaido insisted that any "mediation initiative" should start from the end of the usurpation, that is Maduro should resign. This attitude is likely to ensure the failure of the peace initiative. The opposition may have gone just to pretend they are willing to consider a negotiated solution. However, this could only be a surrender by Maduro.

Guaido appears to be growing more open to a US military intervention as other attempts haves so far failed and the Venezuelan military on the whole continues to support Maduro.

Previously published in the Digital Journal