The Fake April 30 Coup Plot in Venezuela: What’s Next?

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)

Guaido’s so-called Operation Freedom, orchestrated by his Trump regime handlers, was a coup plot that wasn’t, explained by Brazil-based journalist Michael Fox and others on the ground, witnessing events as they unfolded.

The scheme was head fake deception, in part trying to convince ordinary Venezuelans a coup plot was unfolding seeking their support, along with getting Bolivarian military commanders and rank-and-file soldiers to defect. 

The scheme was mostly prelude for further shoes to drop, including stiffer sanctions, maybe an embargo to try blocking Venezuelan exports altogether, and possible US military intervention.

More sanctions are virtually certain. An embargo and/or war could follow. Trump regime hardliners didn’t initiate their regime change plot in January to quit, lots more toughness sure to come. Precisely what’s coming remains to unfold.

Fulfilling their press agent duties, US media pretended the fake coup was real, falsely reporting on what went on — how they always operate, reporting managed news misinformation and disinformation, suppressing hard truths.

No mass uprising occurred on April 30, no liberation of Venezuela’s La Carlota airbase, no attempt at it, no thousands turning out to support Guaido. 

The episode was a stunt ahead of further toughness the Trump regime intends against Maduro and the Bolivarian republic, wanting the nation returned to US client state status, its social democracy destroyed, its oil and other resources looted, its people exploited and immiserated.

On Wednesday, Pompeo turned truth on its head, saying “(t)he Venezuelan people have spoken through through constitutional mechanism (sic). They have put Juan Guaido as their interim president (sic), and he is the duly elected leader there (sic).”

CNN, the most untrustworthy name in television news, falsely claimed: “(I)n (January) elections…voters chose opposition leader Juan Guaido over (Maduro) for president.”

No January “elections” took place. As directed by his Trump regime handlers, Guaido at the time self-declared himself interim president, flagrantly violating Venezuelan constitutional law.

On Tuesday, neocon extremist Mike Pence bellowed: “(A) new day is coming in Latin America. Across the Western hemisphere, socialism is dying, and liberty, prosperity, and democracy are being reborn (sic).” 

Falsely claiming the Trump regime “stand(s) with the people of Venezuela,” a Big Lie, he falsely called democratic Venezuela a “dictatorship” under Maduro, adding:

“The struggle in Venezuela is the struggle between dictatorship and democracy. Nicolas Maduro is a dictator with no legitimate claim to power, and Nicolas Maduro must go.”

He lied saying “(t)he average Venezuelan has lost more than 20 pounds through deprivation and malnutrition.” He lied claiming “(t)housands of Venezuelan children are starving at this very hour.” 

He lied saying “infants in hospitals across Venezuela are dying for lack of basic medical care.” A further litany of bald-faced Big Lies followed.

Key is what he, other Trump regime officials, and major media ignore — US war on Venezuela by other means, illegal sanctions, and aim to transform the country into a US vassal state, including by possible naked aggression or proxy war, using paramilitary proxies if the latter option is chosen.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry earlier said the US aim in Venezuela is to “remove (its) government from power at all costs.”

Separately it said “(t)he radical wing of the anti-government camp (in Venezuela’s National Assembly) has set a course for civil disobedience” — in cahoots with Trump regime hardliners.

What’s going on in the country “is not new.” It repeats US tactics against numerous other countries, against Iran currently.

Russia aims to preserve and protect Venezuela’s sovereign independence. It supports diplomatic dialogue to resolve things, an option rejected by Trump regime hardliners and puppet Guaido, serving as their front man, saluting and obeying orders.

On Wednesday, Venezuelan authorities arrested and detained National Assembly vice president Edgar Zambrano, accusing him of the following offenses:

They include “treason to the homeland, conspiracy, instigating an insurrection, civil rebellion, conspiracy to commit a crime, usurpation of functions, public instigation to the disobedience of laws and continued hatred, planned and sanctioned in articles 128, 132, 143, 145, 163, 213, 285, all of the Criminal Code, respectively and Association, provided for and sanctioned in article 37 of the Organic Law Against Organized Crime and Terrorist Financing.” 

More arrests are virtually certain to follow in the aftermath of the April 30 fake coup plot. Seven opposition MPs were stripped of immunity as well as Guaido earlier.

As head of the snake, serving as the Trump regime’s lead anti-government proxy in Venezuela, his arrest, detention, and prosecution for the above charges is long overdue.

On Wednesday, Maduro expelled dozens of high-and-lower-ranking military officers, including former intelligence chief Manuel Figuera (in exile abroad), five lieutenant colonels, four majors, four captains, six lieutenants and 35 sergeants. 

Hundreds were arrested. Attorney General Tarek Saab said investigations are being conducted to bring charges against individuals involved in the April 30 plot.

So far, 18 warrants were issued against “civilians and military plotters,” he said, without revealing names.

National Constituent Assembly president Diosdado Cabello urged AG Saab to hold all coup plotters accountable, adding “(j)ustice will be served sooner or later.”

A Final Comment

Trump reportedly is frustrated and flustered over the failure of his regime to topple Maduro. Nothing thrown at him worked.

Most Venezuelans support him. Guaido is increasingly reviled. What was supposed to be a strategy to topple Maduro in days failed — short of military intervention.

According to the neocon/CIA-connected Washington Post, “Trump…complained over the past week that Bolton and others underestimated Maduro, according to three (unnamed) senior (regime) officials,” adding:

“Trump has said that Maduro is a ‘tough cookie’ and that aides should not have led him to believe that the Venezuelan leader could be” easily toppled.

“Trump is now not inclined to order any sort of military intervention in Venezuela, two officials and an outside adviser said.”

Pentagon commanders reportedly oppose military intervention, warning of a quagmire if ordered.

The struggle to preserve and protect Venezuela’s sovereign independence has a long way to go.

What steps Trump regime hardliners intend taking against Maduro remain to be seen.

VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home – Stephen Lendman). Contact at [email protected].

My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html