General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Venezuela: All you need to know about the crisis in seven charts (BBC) [View all]EX500rider
(12,131 posts)Well that's 7 minutes of my life I want back...
"US is starting a coup" No, Venezuelans are trying to get rid of Maduro...with much international support...against it: Russia, N Korea, Iran, Cuba, China etc....great supporters of Democracy & Freedom there.
2nd, Guaido isn't some "unelected guy" but the Speaker of their Congress and inline for succession
3rd, "Wasn't a rigged election" Says that guy....or we can listen to:
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein noted that his office had concerns that reports of extrajudicial killings cast doubts on fairness, stating "this context does not in any way fulfill minimal conditions for free and credible elections"
Prior to the elections, the Lima Group, with its participating nations of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Saint Lucia, stated that they would not recognize the results of the presidential elections due to the perceived lack of transparency. After the vote, Canada joined the group in condemning the election as fraudulent. The European Union, through the European Parliament, also ruled that it would not recognize the 20 May elections and called the electoral process "fraudulent".[12] On 3 May 2018, the European Parliament again called for the immediate suspension of the 20 May election until "free and fair elections were held on a schedule agreed upon with the participation of all relevant actors and political parties"
Reports of vote buying were also prevalent during the presidential campaigning. Venezuelans suffering from hunger were pressured to vote for Maduro, with the government bribing potential supporters with food.[121] Maduro promised rewards for citizens who scanned their Carnet de la Patria at the voting booth, which would allow the government to monitor the political party of their citizens and whether or not they had voted. These prizes were reportedly never delivered.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Venezuelan_presidential_election
"Exxon & Chevron getting thrown out"
Most of Venz's oil as ever goes to their subsidiary Citgo for refining and sale in the US.
"If the coup is successful there will be a bunch of refugees" lol, over 3 MILLION Venz's have fled the country, they are more likely to come back after Maduro.
"Wage a economic war"
The US is Venz's biggest trading partner for exports AND imports.....some war.