Venezuela's Military Backs Maduro

[Yosemito]

Source: Wall Street Journal

Venezuela’s military threw its support behind embattled President Nicolás Maduro on Thursday, dealing a significant blow to the U.S. effort to back a parallel government and oust the authoritarian leader.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, flanked by the heads of the country’s armed forces, said the military would oppose any effort to remove Mr. Maduro, who began a second, six-year term this month after elections last year that were widely regarded as a sham. He ended his speech with shouts of “Chávez vive,” a reference to the late socialist strongman Hugo Chávez.

Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/venezuelas-military-backs-maduro-11548347862

[sandensea]

1. Another fiasco like Bush's failed coup attempt in '02 - and one which only emboldens Maduro

Bush, you'll recall, gave intelligence and monetary support (we'll never know how many millions) to overthrowing Hugo Chávez in April 2002.

The designated "interim" president, Pedro Carmona, like Juan Guaidó, inaugurated himself - and even managed to issue a litany of decrees (mostly to undo Chávez-era laws).

But lacking wider military support, the coup collapsed the next day, leaving Dubya with egg on his face - and Chávez emboldened.

Not to be outdone, Cheeto just made the very same mistake - though my guess is that he suspected it might fail, and had Dense Pence put his face to this fiasco instead of his.

Vaya con Dios my darlin'...

[Devil Child]

4. Correct, this smells just the same as the failed '02 attempt

Right out of the good 'ol Southern Hemisphere US intervention playbook with Venezuelans paying the price for the attempt and consequences.

[burrowowl]

5. It sure does and is the CIA working without pay on this?

[Devil Child]

6. I'm sure the CIA is happily working overtime shifts

Never sleep until the job of crippling developing socialist nations is complete!

I'm sure their paychecks are very secure at the moment.

[olegramps]

10. Are you kidding? A developing socialist nation? Like his idol Cuba.

Cruz left the nation is shambles with his massive nationalization of industry. He totally destroyed the economy. Just one example will suffice for the hundreds that he turned over to his criminal friends who pillaged them in to oblivion. Venezuela had a thriving steel industry supply thousands of tons of steel that has totally evaporated. His land redistribution program has been such a booming success that the people are starving. The people are begging the United States to intervene. At least what is left of a decimated starving population. I know this first hand because one of my relatives has people who are desperate, like the millions who have fled the country, to get out before they are totally destroyed. We are attempting to get them into Panama, but the surrounding countries are being inundated with desperate people being forced to flee or starve to death. Every food staple have undergone 100% inflation per month. A five pound sack of sugar goes for over $200.00. The Black Market is thriving and controlled by the military strong men. They back Maduro solely because he is enriching them and they fear that they will be held accountable the government falls. Find out what the facts are firstly.

[Blue_Tires]

9. The major difference is Guaid has a LOT more

backing from the populace and the international community (not just Washington, but Europe and the other South American countries), and Maduro has like .000000013% of the popularity that Chavez had in '02...

Nevermind the fact that there is hyperinflation, widespread unemployment, and folks gotta pay Black Market premiums for basic everyday necessities... The military is pretty much the last entity standing in Maduro's corner...

If I were a betting man I'd say that Maduro is getting out, the only issue is how messy he wants to make the transition.

[Polybius]

2. I was gonna post this earlier

I wasn't sure if the WSJ was an accepted news source, however, as it's conservative.

[Yosemito]

11. WSJ opinion is right wing. The news section isn't

The WSJ straight news is pretty good and unbiased.
The editorial board and columnists are very right wing.
WSJ is accepted in LBN.

[EX500rider]

3. Coups are usually lead by Colonel's, not Generals.

As they are the highest rank that has troops directly under their command whom they know personally.

[Farmer-Rick]

7. Except not in Chile.

Augusto Pinochet, 25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006, was a Chilean general, politician and US-backed dictator of Chile between 1973 and 1990 who remained the Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army until 1998 and was also President.

Pinochet assumed power in Chile following a United States-backed coup d'état on 11 September 1973 that overthrew the democratically elected socialist Unidad Popular government of President Salvador Allende and ended civilian rule.

[sandensea]

12. And neighboring Argentina as well

Gen. Jorge Videla takes the oath of office following the March 1976 coup against the hapless Isabel Perón.

The coup was decided on and planned in secret by the military joint chiefs and other top brass, with only U.S. embassy and CIA knowledge.

While troops were deployed in Buenos Aires and the provincial capitals, those deployed had been told to report for "military exercises" (sound familiar? As in 9/11?).

What followed, besides a wave of human rights abuses that dwarfed Chile's, was the enactment of Bushonomics on steroids - which of course led to a flood of bad debts and an economic collapse in 1981 that took a generation to recover from.

[Farmer-Rick]

13. True that

[Farmer-Rick]

8. We despise short Putin for putting Traitor Trump in as our president

Yet, we use our tax dollars to do the exact same thing in Venezuela.

But I'm sure Traitor Trump got his marching orders from little Putin to attempt an overthrow. I wonder what little Putin is getting out of this?