US: Russia convinced Maduro to stay in Venezuela

[nitpicker]

https://www.dw.com/en/us-russia-convinced-maduro-to-stay-in-venezuela/a-48555937

US: Russia convinced Maduro to stay in Venezuela

Date 30.04.2019

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that acting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had been preparing to go into exile in Cuba earlier in the day, but was convinced by Russia to stay in Venezuela.

"He had an airplane on the tarmac, he was ready to leave this morning as we understand it, and the Russians indicated that he should stay," he said without mentioning who had provided the information. "He was headed for Havana."

The comments came after opposition supporters and government security forces clashed in Caracas in the wake of self-declared President Juan Guaido's call for the military to oust Maduro.

On late Tuesday, Maduro denied any intention of having planned to flee to Cuba. "Mike Pompeo said that ... Maduro had a plane ready to take him to Cuba but the Russians prevented him from leaving the country. Mister Pompeo, please, this really is a joke," Maduro said.
(snip)

[watoos]

1. I don't believe what anyone says in the Trump administration.

That should be our strategy going forward. Trump and his administration lie so much they can never be believed.

Pompeo needs to come up with 2 reliable sources or I call bs on anything he says.

[Ghost Dog]

2. It is a lie. Psyops. I refer you to

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142310267#post19

See MI6-Guardian report here:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/01/venezuela-crisis-maduro-claims-victory-over-deranged-us-backed-coup-attempt

Maduro called Tuesday’s “coup-mongering adventure” part of a US-backed plot to destroy the Bolivarian revolution he inherited after Hugo Chávez’s death in 2013. “I truly believe … that the United States of America has never had a government as deranged as this one,” he said, calling Guaidó and his team “useful idiots” of the empire.

He also scotched claims from the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, that he had been preparing to flee Venezuela for Cuba on Tuesday morning, until he was told to stay put by his Russian backers. “Señor Pompeo, please,” Maduro said.

In a day when the struggle for power on the streets appeared to hang in the balance, Donald Trump made no mention of Russia when he tweeted on Tuesday evening, threatening Cuba.

“If Cuban Troops and Militia do not immediately CEASE military and other operations for the purpose of causing death and destruction to the Constitution of Venezuela, a full and complete embargo, together with highest-level sanctions, will be placed on the island of Cuba,” Trump said in a series of tweets. “Hopefully, all Cuban soldiers will promptly and peacefully return to their island!”

Incidentally, we also have, in this context, from CIA-APnews:

https://apnews.com/8a18145f858e41e88475360b9a7decee

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel rejected Trump’s threat with a tweet of his own. “We vigorously reject Trump’s threat of a complete and total blockade against Cuba. There are no Cuban military operations or troops in Venezuela ... Enough lies, already.”

And from 5-eyes-Reuters:

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-venezuela-politics/venezuelas-guaido-calls-for-largest-march-in-history-in-uprising-effort-idUKKCN1S734K

Russia on Wednesday denied a claim by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a day earlier that Maduro was prepared to leave the country but nixed his plan after Russia intervened. A spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry told reporters the comments were part of an “information war.”

[TheRealNorth]

3. I think Pompeo and Bolton are probably pedaling lies also.

The only way I can see their claim being true is if they somehow convinced Maduro everyone turned on him (i.e. we jammed their government communications) and it was the Russians that told him that it was a ploy.

I think we did something like this successfully before (can't recall who it was we overthrew).