Russia, China and Cuba Establishing a Foothold in Venezuela?
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Russia, China, and Cuba work cooperatively with other nations in full compliance with the UN Charter and other international law.
The US seeks global dominion – by brute force if other tactics fail. Russian involvement in Venezuela is key, why Trump regime hardliners are hostile to political, economic, and financial aid it’s providing.
Days earlier, Maduro announced that “(i)n April, a high-level working session on intergovernmental cooperation between Russia and Venezuela will take place,” adding:
“We will sign over 20 documents on cooperation in economy, trade, culture, energy and education” – notably including ways to increase Venezuelan oil exports.
Moscow is providing hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid, mainly vitally needed medicines, its efforts vital to foil Trump regime actions to topple Maduro, wanting Venezuela transformed into a US vassal state.
US hardliners slammed Russian involvement in the country. Pompeo turned truth on its head, saying Moscow “is thwarting the Venezuelan people’s legitimate democratic hopes and their dreams (sic)…provid(ing) political cover (for) Maduro (sic)…while pressuring countries (sic) to disregard the democratic legitimacy (sic) of the interim president Guaido (sic).”
“Russia…use(s) (RT and Sputnik News) to divert attention from the humanitarian disaster” in the country (sic).”
“Russia’s state-owned oil company Rosneft continues to purchase crude oil cargoes from PDVSA, Venezuela’s state-owned oil company in defiance of US sanctions (sic).” They’re flagrantly illegal, Pompeo failed to explain.
He lied claiming Cuba “sustain(s) the death and daily misery of ordinary Venezuelans (sic)…Cuba is the true imperialist power in Venezuela (sic).”
“The Cuban government of Miguel Diaz-Canel provides political cover for Maduro and his henchmen so that they may stay in power (sic).”
“…Cuba…trained Venezuelans’ secret police and torture tactics (sic), domestic spying techniques (sic), and mechanisms of repression the Cuban authorities have wielded against their own people for decades (sic).”
“Members of the Cuban military and intelligence services are deeply entrenched in the Venezuelan state (sic). Cuban security forces have displaced Venezuelan security forces in a clear violation of Venezuelan sovereignty (sic).”
“So when there’s no electricity (sic), thank the marvels of modern Cuban-led engineering (sic). When there’s no water (sic), thank the excellent hydrologists from Cuba (sic). When there’s no food (sic), thank the Cuban communist overlords (sic).”
According to US Southern Command (SOCOM) head Admiral Craig Faller, “China came out publicly (through) a state spokesman, implying (sic) the blackouts were attributable to US cyberattacks” and other sabotage.
Calling the accusation “a blatant lie” turned truth on its head, the US indeed responsible for attacking Venezuela’s electricity grid, Faller adding:
“China is building up its military capability, intimidating its smaller neighbors, and threatening Taiwan. In Africa, Beijing is using debt diplomacy to gain control of crucial ports and other infrastructure. And in Europe, the Trump administration is pushing NATO to address potential Chinese cyberthreats and commercial threats.”
China is asserting its influence in Venezuela by investments in infrastructure and loans to gain “economic control” over the country (sic), according to Faller.
The Pentagon is “looking at a range” of options on Venezuela to “be ready” for whatever actions the Trump regime orders, adding:
USSOCOM identified 17 of 31 Latin American nations involved in China’s Belt and Road Initiative – the legitimate right of all nations.
Beijing’s regional infrastructure projects include various ports. It provided Latin American countries with more than $150 billion in loans since 2005, including tens of billions of dollars to Venezuela.
“The degree to which China was investing across all the elements of power in the region is startling and concerning,” Faller claimed.
According to Center for Strategic and International Studies analyst Evan Ellis, (t)here is no other actor in Latin America, with the possible exception of the Cubans, who has much control (sic) over the fate of Nicolas Maduro and his henchmen (sic) as China does.”
All of the above reflect Trump regime desperation. Over 10 weeks of throwing their best punches at Venezuela, short of direct military intervention, their plan to topple its government failed.
Maduro draws huge crowds when addressing Venezuelans, numbers turning out for Guaido in middle class and upscale areas notably shrinking.
Most ordinary Venezuelans revile him. If not heavily protected by security elements, he wouldn’t last 10 minutes in public.
For colluding with Trump regime hardliners to try toppling Maduro and eliminate Venezuelan social democracy ordinary people in the country cherish, if alone outside he’d likely be attacked, maybe killed.
Despite failure of its diabolical plot to topple the hemisphere’s preeminent social democracy, Trump regime hardliners didn’t launch the scheme to quit.
They’ll no doubt continue waging war on Venezuela by other means, wanting the country’s ordinary people harmed while pretending otherwise.
The longer its tactics continue, the more Venezuelans will revile its imperial aims. The same goes for people wanting to live free everywhere.
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