Venezuela crisis: Pompeo pledges more US support for Guaidó

[Zippyjuan]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51169801

Trump has tried sanctions but they don't help- in fact, they often benefit dictators by giving them somebody else to blame for the country's problems instead of their own government.

Mr Guaidó (left) travelled to Colombia to meet Mr Pompeo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says his country will take additional measures in support of Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

Mr Pompeo called on other countries to co-operate in efforts to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.

Mr Guaidó travelled to Colombia to meet Mr Pompeo on the sidelines of a regional conference.

This is the second time he has defied a travel ban imposed by Venezuela's pro-government Supreme Court.

Mr Maduro and Mr Guaidó have been at loggerheads for more than a year, after Mr Guaidó - who heads the National Assembly - declared himself interim president, claiming Mr Maduro's re-election in 2018 was fraudulent.

Despite international pressure and US sanctions on the crucial oil sector, Mr Maduro has managed to stay in power, supported by Russia, Cuba and a handful of other countries as well as the powerful Venezuelan military.

"I would fully expect there will be further action that the United States would take to continue to support President Guaidó and the Venezuelan people," Mr Pompeo told journalists.

He referred to Mr Guaidó as president as the US and more than 50 other nations have recognised him as the legitimate leader.

"We do not talk about particular sanctions, but everyone can fully expect that the United States is not done," Mr Pompeo said.

"The world must continue to support the Venezuelan people's effort to restore their democracy and put an end to Maduro's tyranny which harms millions of Venezuelans and has an impact on Colombia and indeed on the entire region."

Mr Guaidó was attending a counter-terrorism conference in the Colombian capital, Bogotá, along with foreign ministers from several Latin American nations.

He said he would next travel to Davos in Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum.

Mr Maduro accuses the US of orchestrating a coup to oust him. But in an interview he seemed to open the door for direct talks with the US.

Speaking to the Washington Post, Mr Maduro said: "If there's respect between governments, no matter how big the US is, and if there's a dialogue, an exchange of truthful information, then be sure we can create a new type of relationship."

Mr Guaidó was received by Colombian President Iván Duque with full presidential honours.

President Duque said they had discussed the importance of re-establishing democracy in Venezuela as well as measures to help those fleeing Venezuela's crippling economic and political crisis.

According to United Nations figures, 4.8 million Venezuelans have left their country since 2016, with 1.6 million arriving in neighbouring Colombia.

Almost a quarter of Venezuela's 30 million people are in need of aid, the UN says.

Barred from travelling
It was not clear how Mr Guaidó reached Colombia. He had not left Venezuela since last February, when he first defied the travel ban to drum up support for the opposition.

The rivalry between Mr Guaidó and Mr Maduro has flared in recent weeks as Mr Guaidó stood for re-election as National Assembly Speaker, the position on which his claim to the post of acting president rests.

He was prevented by the National Guard from entering the National Assembly building, forcing him to move the session to another location where about 100 lawmakers re-elected him.

The scenes of Mr Guaidó trying to clamber over the railing surrounding the National Assembly and being pushed back by the National Guard were widely condemned, even by countries such as Mexico which had so far not backed the opposition leader.

[Pauls' Revere]

The new Shah of Venezuela and we know how Iran turned out.

[r3volution 3.0]

Guaido's not the guy to support, if there's any guy to support, which there may not be.

Find a general with no ideology but good intentions, who's open to direction on economic policy from Professors Higgs and Salerno.

Otherwise, leave it be and let nature take its course.

[RonZeplin]

Guaido's Last Ride

Written by Daniel McAdams
Monday January 20, 2020



This article first appeared in an update sent exclusively to RPI subscribers. Be the first to get updates - subscribe here.

Remember Juan Guaido? Just a year ago the Venezuelan politician, unknown even in his own country, was tapped by the US government to lead a coup against the elected government of Nicolas Maduro. In a phone call with no less than Vice President Mike Pence himself, Guaido was told that if he declared himself president the US would back him. So...he did.

Guaido hadn't received a single vote to be president in Venezuela's election - in fact he never even ran for the office - but such absurdity has never stopped the US government from backing military coups overseas. All done in the name of "democracy," to be sure.

News of US recognition of Guaido as the lawful president of Venezuela led to an avalanche of lies meant to bolster Washington's claim that Maduro must be overthrown because he was making war on his own people. The claim that the elections were invalid because of fraud were the product of the Foggy Bottom foghorn, amplified by US government funded entities like the Organization of American States instead of any actual evidence or investigation.

The US government staged several stunts on Venezuela's border with Columbia in attempt to provoke the Maduro government into over-reaction. Washington claimed that much-needed aid was sitting on the border but Maduro had closed it off - a lie easily debunked by the fact that the border crossing had never been open. Washington's tears over the suffering Venezuelans were more of the crocodile variety. After all, an estimated 40,000 Venezuelan civilians have died in the chokehold of increasingly crippling US sanctions and none of Washington's regime changers has raised a whisper about the suffering.

Sadly, many libertarians also fell for the State Department lies about Venezuela. This was all about the "free market" versus "socialism," they chanted. There was no logic in their mantra. If all of Venezuela's problems were the result of its "socialism," how would the installation of a leader picked by the State Department set them on the path to freedom and free markets? Since when has the US government given a damn about free markets and weakening the power of the state? If anything, US foreign policy strongly favors concentration of power in governments overseas. A strong central government is easier to strong-arm in a direction favored by US elites.

Besides, if libertarians really hoped to weaken the power of Maduro over the Venezuelan economy they would have put their energy into opposing US sanctions rather than backing the hapless State Department stooge Guaido. Like all sanctions, US sanctions on Venezuela delivered far more power over the economy to the central government: rationing, price controls, more bureaucracy, etc. are all the result of US sanctions.

So back to Guaido. After several comically failed attempts to wrest power away from Nicolas Maduro, it became obvious that the State Department "experts" were once again believing their own propaganda and using it to drive policy: no one showed up in the street to back Guaido because he had no following inside Venezuela.

Because Washington loves nothing more than doubling down on bad policies - and because they will spend other people's money with reckless abandon - the US government, realizing that their man in Caracas would never be king, settled for quietly paying the salaries of the corrupt circles around Guaido.

Earlier this month the year-long neocon fantasy of a Mike Pence-appointed president ensconced in Miraflores Palace finally came to an end. The opposition-dominated National Assembly had split amidst in-fighting and that last scrap of hope that Guaido clung to as leader of the Assembly was ripped from his fingers when the legislative body voted to oust him from his post. Though opposed to Maduro, the National Assembly was even more opposed to Guaido, voting convincingly end the Guaido era and elect fellow oppositionist Luis Parra.

The US foreign policy establishment, being the hammer that only sees nails, reacted to the end of the Guaido era the only what it knows how: in addition to sanctions across the board on the government of Nicolas Maduro, Washington announced that it would also slap sanctions on the opposition to the Maduro government!

This is US foreign policy in a nutshell...or should we say "nuthouse"?

---

Copyright © 2020 by RonPaul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

--Trump welcomes wife of Juan Guaido to the White House
Venezuelan Rebels, aka Community Disroganizers, International Terrorists, Robber Barons.

[juleswin]

Guaido's not the guy to support, if there's any guy to support, which there may not be.

Find a general with no ideology but good intentions, who's open to direction on economic policy from Professors Higgs and Salerno.

Otherwise, leave it be and let nature take its course.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I'd say we leave them alone and let them figure it out. Hostilities and provocation always and I mean always forces govs to make bad economic decision in order to secure their nation. The human body does something similar when fighting a pathogen.

I know we have so much goodness in our hearts and know exactly what is good for these people but we must not force ourselves on them. We should sit back teach by example and if need be, advise them on how to be more free. That should be the extent of our help.

[Anti Globalist]

I say we just leave Venezuela alone and let them figure things out. Us getting involved will only further complicate things.

[r3volution 3.0]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I'd say we leave them a lot and let them figure it out. Hostilities and provocation always and I mean always forces govs to make bad economic decision in order to secure he nation. The human body does something similar when fighting a pathogen.

I know we have so much goodness in our hearts and know exactly what is good for these people but must not force ourselves on them. We should sit back teach by example and if need be advise them on how to be more free. That should be the extent of our help.

If it were possible to throw some of their present leaders in a ditch and replace them with reasonable people, I'd have no objection to that.

None

But, I'm not aware of any locals with the right ideas/morals/personalities.

That is, I don't see a General Pinochet.

So, therefore, leaving them be and letting nature take its course might be the best option.

[Origanalist]

Well, that doesn't look awkward at all...

[juleswin]

If it were possible to throw some of their present leaders in a ditch and replace them with reasonable people, I'd have no objection to that.

None

But, I'm not aware of any locals with the right ideas/morals/personalities.

That is, I don't see a General Pinochet.

So, therefore, leaving them be and letting nature take its course might be the best option.

What is with you people and killers? If its not Pinochet, it is the Shaa or Gen Sisi. Just leave people alone and stop trying to recreate Pinochet with his free helicopter ride and all in Venezuela. Is it that really hard for you people to mind your own god damn business?

[Swordsmyth]

What is with you people and killers? If its not Pinochet, it is the Shaa or Gen Sisi. Just leave people alone and stop trying to recreate Pinochet with his free helicopter ride and all in Venezuela. Is it that really hard for you people to mind your own god damn business?

Some people need killing.
And you certainly celebrate your side's killers, first Che and now Solly as avatars and defending many others.
And your side has the much worse kill record.

[Origanalist]

I should change my avatar to Vlad the Impaler.

[r3volution 3.0]

What is with you people and killers? If its not Pinochet, it is the Shaa or Gen Sisi. Just leave people alone and stop trying to recreate Pinochet with his free helicopter ride and all in Venezuela. Is it that really hard for you people to mind your own god damn business?

General Pinochet saved Chile from a massively murderous communist revolution, led by that repugnant communist pigdog called Allende.

His buddies richly deserved their one way helicopter flights.

That said, as I said, there doesn't appear to be a Pinochet calibre person in Venezuela, and so nature will have to take its course, sadly.

[juleswin]

General Pinochet saved Chile from a massively murderous communist revolution, led by that repugnant communist pigdog called Allende.

His buddies richly deserved their one way helicopter flights.

That said, as I said, there doesn't appear to be a Pinochet calibre person in Venezuela, and so nature will have to take its course, sadly.

Every mass murdering tyrant always has an excuse for their crimes. For the ones in the west, they always justify their killing by claiming that they are trying to prevent an even bigger mass killing. I didn't think anyone bought that shyte anymore but here you are parroting their propaganda. Anyway, I am glad that you have at least agreed that we should mind our own business regardless if there are Pinochet murderous dictators in the country

[Swordsmyth]

Every mass murdering tyrant always has an excuse for their crimes. For the ones in the west, they always justify their killing by claiming that they are trying to prevent an even bigger mass killing. I didn't think anyone bought that shyte anymore but here you are parroting their propaganda. Anyway, I am glad that you have at least agreed that we should mind our own business regardless if there are Pinochet murderous dictators in the country

Every killer objects to their targets fighting back.

[r3volution 3.0]

Every mass murdering tyrant

Gen. Pinochet was not a "mass murdering tyrant."

He killed communist revolutionaries, and only a few thousand.

Allende, had his hardcore communist revolution come to pass, could well have killed half the country, Pol Pot style.

You, my friend, are delusional.

always has an excuse for their crimes. For the ones in the west, they always justify their killing by claiming that they are trying to prevent an even bigger mass killing. I didn't think anyone bought that shyte anymore but here you are parroting their propaganda. Anyway, I am glad that you have at least agreed that we should mind our own business regardless if there are Pinochet murderous dictators in the country

I'll be cheering on the opponents of inhuman Marxoid butchers till the day I die (at the hands of inhuman communist butchers or otherwise).

[juleswin]

Every killer objects to their targets fighting back.

Same with every invading piece of shyte. That is why you need the Che's and the Solemani's of this world to fight back. Sorry SS abut the ISIS and Al Qaeda rebels Solemani took out in Syrian and Iraq, wish there was another way but those guys had to be killed.

[Swordsmyth]

Same with every invading piece of shyte. That is why you need the Che's and the Solemani's of this world to fight back. Sorry SS abut the ISIS and Al Qaeda rebels Solemani took out in Syrian and Iraq, wish there was another way but those guys had to be killed.

Che interfered in foreign countries where he wasn't wanted after he got through murdering and oppressing his own people, Solly did the same thing, so they are invading scum.

ISIS and Al Qaeda are also invading scum.

I weep for none of them, just for their victims.

And Pinochet was a native of his country and was saving it from a communist dictator who had been removed from office by their legislature but refused to leave.

[r3volution 3.0]

Pinochet was, if anything, rather too kind to his bolsheviks.

They should have been crucified upside down, all the way along the road to the capital, like the slaves in Rome.

People who desire to destroy civilization, and wish to kill millions, could justly be made an example.

[juleswin]

Gen. Pinochet was not a "mass murdering tyrant."

He killed communist revolutionaries, and only a few thousand.

Allende, had his hardcore communist revolution come to pass, could well have killed half the country, Pol Pot style.

You, my friend, are delusional.



I'll be cheering on the opponents of inhuman Marxoid butchers till the day I die (at the hands of inhuman communist butchers or otherwise).

I am the delusional one, oh yea we all know the humanitarian institution known as the US and the CIA just came in the nick of time to save Chile. If they have waited a few more weeks, Allende would have turned Chile into Cambodia under Pol Pot. They also tried to save Cuba from mass murder resulting from their adoption of hardcore communism, their attempt failed and yet no mass murder after communism, imagine that? This is coming from a man who thinks nations should be mass murdered for voting for communism. I will check myself out first before projecting my delusional thinking on anyone else.

And I say this as someone who likes your posting, your honesty is very refreshing. It's rare that you see someone who gets very excited on the mere thought of killing foreigners who choose communism and is not afraid to say it. I like you very much, my only wish is that you will tone down on the blood lust aspect of your politics.

Could have, had his hardcore communist revolutionary this, if that, what about that...............blah blah blah. How about we stop assuming that foreigners throw babies out of incubators, that alleged communists are going to commit mass murder and just mind out own business? How is this simple concept so hard for some people to follow?

[r3volution 3.0]

I am the delusional one, oh yea we all know the humanitarian institution known as the US and the CIA

That the USG is monstrous (and it is - has killed millions for no reason) is irrelevant.

"They dunnit too!" isn't a good argument.

just came in the nick of time to save Chile. If they have waited a few more weeks, Allende would have turned into Cambodia under Pol Pot. They also tried to save Cuba from mass murder resulting from hardcore communism, their attempt failed and no mass murder after communism, imagine that. This is coming from a man who thinks nations should be mass murdered for voting for communism. I will check myself out first before projecting my delusional thinking on anyone else.

I think you may not understand what was happening in Chile in the months before Gen. Pinochet seized power.

It looked a lot like Russia late 1917.

E.G. Communist guerilla groups supported by Allende's national political party were already seizing power in the countryside.

The country was about to explode. Allende had been talking about a Marxist-Leninist state, and was about to stage a coup d'etat himself.

He already had, judging by the Chilean courts.

And I say this as someone who likes your posting, your honest is very refreshing. Its rare that you see someone who gets very excited on the mere thought of killing foreigners who choose communism and is not afraid to say it. I like you very much, I just wish you will tone down on the blood lust.

LOL, well I appreciate that.

However, communists, such as killed one-hundred or so million people in recent decades, don't get any sympathy from me.

Could have, had his hardcore communist revolutionary this, if that, what about that...............blah blah blah. How about we stop assuming that foreigners throw babies out of incubators, that alleged communists are going to commit mass murder and just mind out own business? How is this simple concept so hard for some people to follow?

Mind our own business...

Right, so it's an abomination for people in one hemisphere to object to mass murder happening in another hemisphere.

That's terrible interventionism, violating the rights of the natives to kill their neighbors.

The people being murdered in those countries don't have any rights, evidently...

[juleswin]

That the USG is monstrous (and it is - has killed millions for no reason) is irrelevant.

"They dunnit too!" isn't a good argument.

True, an institution with a history of destruction, current behaviour of destruction doesn't mean they never did something for the good for humanity. I was merely re-establishing this fact so the audience would know who this humanitarian group we are talking about is.

I think you may not understand what was happening in Chile in the months before Gen. Pinochet seized power.

It looked a lot like Russia late 1917.

E.G. Communist guerilla groups supported by Allende's national political party were already seizing power in the countryside.

This is exactly what the mass killers would like you to believe. They also said that Gaddafi was assembling a viagra army that was going to rape women en mass or that the Iraqi army was committing genocide in Kuwait. Yes, lets believe those people and their delusion about a potential condition for mass killing. Btw, if anyone doesn't know this is a lie, just watch the video accompanying this post.

The country was about to explode. Allende had been talking about a Marxist-Leninist state, and was about to stage a coup d'etat himself.

He already had, judging by the Chilean courts.

The leader of a country staging a coup? this just doesn't make sense, but care to explain to us this coup by the leader of the country.

LOL, well I appreciate that.

However, communists, such as killed one-hundred or so million people in recent decades, don't get any sympathy from me.

True I also have no sympathy for communist mass killer but you seem to be giving the benefit of the doubt to known killers and country destroyers over alleged communist. I hope that you are just an easily fooled, gullible individual rather than a fan of murderous and destructive institutions. I'll give you that benefit of the doubt.

Mind our own business...

Right, so it's an abomination for people in one hemisphere to object to mass murder happening in another hemisphere.

That's terrible interventionism, violating the rights of the natives to kill their neighbors.

The people being murdered in those countries don't have any rights, evidently...

Kill their own neighbours? I thought the only people that are in danger of Allende and his alleged killers were the Chileans. The point about minding your own business is that even if x country wants to murder their own people, you cannot do shyte about it. There are countless examples where US trying to save a nation from alleged mass killing resulted in the nation being in a far worse than condition had the killing occurred. This is why it is so important for US to mind its own business.



Please, please do watch this video when you can, it completely debunks a lot of your CIA propaganda talking points about Allende. I know its 30 mins long but you can break it up in parts and watch it when you can. Its chuck full of information, more than a dozen citation for the information in it, World bank graphs, election result info, newspaper clipping from Chile, journals, articles etc etc.

[Slave Mentality]

Guaido's not the guy to support, if there's any guy to support, which there may not be.

Find a general with no ideology but good intentions, who's open to direction on economic policy from Professors Higgs and Salerno.

Otherwise, leave it be and let nature take its course.

Leaving it be is a great option. None of our business.

[r3volution 3.0]

True, an institution with a history of destruction, current behaviour of destruction doesn't mean they never did something for the good for humanity. I was merely re-establishing this fact so the audience would know who this humanitarian group we are talking about is.

If you're under the impression that I suggested that the USG have good motives vis a vis Venezuela, you're mistaken.

Nothing I said has anything to do with the USG.

I'm not endorsing a US intervention in Venezuela; I'm sure they'd do a terrible job, intentionally or otherwise.

I'm endorsing the principle of intervention.

This is exactly what the mass killers would like you to believe. They also said that Gaddafi was assembling a viagra army that was going to rape women en mass or that the Iraqi army was committing genocide in Kuwait. Yes, lets believe those people and their delusion about a potential condition for mass killing. Btw, if anyone doesn't know this is a lie, just watch the video accompanying this post.

Everything I've ever read about Chile at the time of the Pinochet coup suggests it was in the midst of a communist revolution.

The leader of a country staging a coup? this just doesn't make sense, but care to explain to us this coup by the leader of the country.

High-ranking politicians routinely stage coups.

In comrade Allende's case, both the supreme court and legislature denounced his pro-communist actions as unconstitutional.

Chile was in the midst of that constitutional crisis when Pinochet siezed power.

True I also have no sympathy for communist mass killer but you seem to be giving the benefit of the doubt to known killers and country destroyers over alleged communist. I hope that you are just an easily fooled, gullible individual rather than a fan of murderous and destructive institutions. I'll give you that benefit of the doubt.

Killing a couple thousand communist revolutionaries (i.e. persons dedicated to mass murder, among other crimes) isn't "country destruction."

Pinochet was no saint, of course, but the alternative was orders of magnitude worse, in terms of lives lost, property stolen or destroyed, etc.

Kill their own neighbours? I thought the only people that are in danger of Allende and his alleged killers were the Chileans.

Those would be the neighbors I mentioned: Chileans who had to live with these misfits.

The point about minding your own business is that even if x country wants to murder their own people, you cannot do shyte about it.

Can't? Very possibly

Have no right? Nonsense

Murderers have no right to murder; anyone with the ability to stop them from murdering has the right to do so.

The same with robbing, etc.

There are countless examples where US trying to save a nation from alleged mass killing resulted in the nation being in a far worse than condition had the killing occurred. This is why it is so important for US to mind its own business.

That some interventions have turned out badly doesn't mean that all intervention is inherently immoral; that's silly, poor reasoning.

Please, please do watch this video when you can, it completely debunks a lot of your CIA propaganda talking points about Allende. I know its 30 mins long but you can break it up in parts and watch it when you can. Its chuck full of information, more than a dozen citation for the information in it, World bank graphs, election result info, newspaper clipping from Chile, journals, articles etc etc.

I'll try to remember to watch it at some point; an article would be preferred, though, if you have one handy.