Another Venezuela Thread :)

[devil21]

How many hours you spent at it I can't say. But clearly you didn't do so critically.

You haven't actually refuted, with evidence, anything I've asserted. Just attacked the messenger and told me I'm wrong. Sorry, that's not very convincing. It seems you intentionally tried to derail the thread and have been a tiny bit successful so I'll let the thread return to being about Venezuela.

[goldenequity]

https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/1101218002526179329

https://twitter.com/redfishstream/st...10430154784768

[goldenequity]

Sound familiar?

AFP news agency@AFP
Shadowy North Korean group declares itself a "government-in-exile" dedicated to the abolition of the "great evil".
Group believed to be protecting the son of Kim Jong-Nam - the assassinated half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un


here we go again.

[Firestarter]

Maduro is a real opposition to the US. According to u, if the US is against you like they did to Gaddafi, Kim Jun Un, Assad, Saddam, The Ayatillah's, Maduro, that just means that they actually covertly support you to boost their support among the locals and when they really support you like the do with The Saudi monarchies etc, they actually support you.

I mean, how do we know who their real opposition is? Wait, do u even think they have any "real" opposition or are they all controlled opposition? I can entertain a good conspiracy theory but there is a point nothing makes sense anymore. Maduro and Trump are not working for the same people, Guaido is not Maduro's controlled opposition and anyone suggesting such a silly conspiracy theory has issues

You seem to forget that this strategy has been used over and over and over again...

Adolf Hitler: financed from Britain and the US.
The Communist revolution of Russia: financed from Britain and the US.
Ayatollah Khomeini: financed from Britain and the US.
Fidel Castro (and his predecessor): supported by the CIA.

It's such an easy strategy both the one in charge and the opposition controlled by the same cabal.
Then we - the easily fooled slaves - are given 2 options: the mainstream view or the anti-mainstream view.

And as nobody will ever, ever admit to have been fooled, people that tell the truth are subsequently attacked as obviously people will rather believe in fairytales than spend some time looking past the BS.

[Firestarter]

You should also understand that the CIA does not work for the American people or the government. The CIA works for the City of London and the Vatican.

Why does everybody always focus on the CIA?!? Skull & Bones is more interesting.
And I think that the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is more interesting than those Jesuits, who are kept obedient because they aren't allowed to keep posessions (like the Knights Templar in the Middle Ages).


The “right wing” Atlas Network is actively pushing the adverse publicity to make Maduro more popular:

The Atlas Network works with 450 foundations, NGOs, think tanks and advocacy groups, with an operating budget of $5 million in 2016, coming from charitable and non-profit foundations from the US.
Atlas helped to alter the political landscape in various countries in Latin America and is effectively an extension of Anglo-American foreign policy. The think tanks associated with Atlas are financed by the Koch billionaire brothers, State Department and National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

The NED and the State Department funded Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), Freedom House and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), are the major entities who share guidelines and resources for concrete results in the asymmetric war.
15 of the most important organisations financed by Koch are: Americans for Prosperity, Cato Institute, Heritage Foundation, American Legislative Exchange Council, Mercatus Center, Americans for Tax Reform, Concerned Veterans of America, Leadership Institute, Generation Opportunity, Institute for Justice, Independent Institute, Club for Growth, Donors Trust, Freedom Partners and Judicial Watch.

The Atlas network has 13 affiliates in Brazil; 12 in Argentina, 8 in Chile and Peru; 5 in Mexico and Costa Rica; 4 in Venezuela, Uruguay, Bolivia and Guatemala; 2 in Dominican Republic, Ecuador and El Salvador: and 1 in Colombia, Panama, Bahamas, Jamaica and Honduras.

The Atlas Network has financed a variety of organisations that influence the public and promote “right wing” propaganda in Latin america.

Records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, reveal efforts of US politicians to use Atlas´ think tanks to destabilise Venezuela in support of (?) the Maduro government.
As early as 1998, Cedice Libertad, the flagship of Atlas in Caracas, received regular financial support from the Center for International Private Enterprise.
There are other NGOs and foundations working for Atlas, like Provea (financed by the Open Society Foundation of George Soros, the Ford Foundation and the British embassy), the Civil Association of Citizen’s Power, and the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict (which is financed by the NED

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...-Latin-America


That being said.
It’s impossible to understand how Latin America is controlled without taking the Catholic Church into account.

On 4 February 2019, it was first reported that Nicolas Maduro had written a letter asking Pope Francis to “help us on the path of dialogue “ to mediate in the political situation in Venezuela.
Maduro told Sky Tg24: “The Pope knows that I am a practitioner of faith. I pray, a Christian of prayer and action. And with this spirit I asked for help”.

On his return trip from Panama a week earlier, continuing to the UAE, Pope Francis told reporters that it would be “pastoral imprudence” to choose sides in Venezuela (which he confirmed since) and called for “a just and peaceful solution” and:

I support in this moment all of the Venezuelan people – it is a people that is suffering – including those who are one side and the other. All of the people are suffering.

https://www.catholicworldreport.com/...-in-venezuela/

[juleswin]

Why does everybody always focus on the CIA?!? Skull & Bones is more interesting.
And I think that the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is more interesting than those Jesuits, who are kept obedient because they aren't allowed to keep posessions (like the Knights Templar in the Middle Ages).

All news to me, those groups are probably too deep state for me.

The “right wing” Atlas Network is actively pushing the adverse publicity to make Maduro more popular: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...-Latin-America

Make him more popular by creating division within the society? how about they make him more popular by lifting the sanction and allowing the country to experience some economic prosperity? I bet that would make him 100x more popular than he is today. Just a guess.

That being said.
It’s impossible to understand how Latin America is controlled without taking the Catholic Church into account.

On 4 February 2019, it was first reported that Nicolas Maduro had written a letter asking Pope Francis to “help us on the path of dialogue “ to mediate in the political situation in Venezuela.
Maduro told Sky Tg24: “The Pope knows that I am a practitioner of faith. I pray, a Christian of prayer and action. And with this spirit I asked for help”.

On his return trip from Panama a week earlier, continuing to the UAE, Pope Francis told reporters that it would be “pastoral imprudence” to choose sides in Venezuela (which he confirmed since) and called for “a just and peaceful solution” and: https://www.catholicworldreport.com/...-in-venezuela/

You don't understand catholicism, my parents are devout catholics and if they were the president of Nigeria, they would be writing the Pope too for him to intervene. I think my dad really believes the Pope is a messenger from God and no matter what I do to show him that the Pope is actually an evil SOB, he would not believe me. Religion has a way of making an idiot out of smart people. Sorry but this is no evidence that Maduro is controlled opposition.

This sort of conspiracy theories are not that far different from lizard people and the day I start believing in conspiracies like this is the day I would start giving up on life. Thankfully, I am not there yet.

[devil21]

Why does everybody always focus on the CIA?!? Skull & Bones is more interesting.

There's so much cross-over between the two and it's easier to introduce people (especially low-info Americans) to deep state topics by starting out with something everyone knows at least something about, the CIA. Going back to the Bushes is a prime example, since GHWB was a Bonesman and CIA head.


If one accepts as fact that the goal of these various interlocking Orders/secret societies is the institution of global socialism, under the UN with Agenda 21/2030/20XX being the vehicle used, it makes sense to try to unite people behind supporting socialism in Venezuela via attacking Maduro. I don't know if that is the higher level agenda at play but it's not unlike the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" tactic being used so extensively today against those who would otherwise oppose socialism, conservatives and libertarians. Non-interventionists find themselves essentially supporting socialism. Polling shows that most people, regardless of political affiliation, oppose Venezuela intervention.

[goldenequity]

Venezuela Colombian Border....

[goldenequity]

https://twitter.com/MoonofA/status/1101559175979716614

https://twitter.com/KenSilverstein1/...51486130155524

People live humbly but they have food — especially because the government distributes a monthly food package, for the equivalent of a few pennies — to everyone who needs it and even some who don’t. Furthermore, food — fruits, vegetable, meat, bread, for example — is available everywhere. You have to be a blind liar like Dreier to miss it since street markets overflow with abundance. It’s not cheap but it’s available.

Furthermore, President Nicolas Maduro, who I personally detest, is corrupt and repressive, but he is not a dictator. There are anti-government slogans painted all over Caracas and people spoke openly about wanting him gone, from the barrios to barbershops to markets.

I had an intense argument with many people close to the government while I was in Venezuela, yet continued to wander the streets and dive bars of the city until the wee hours. No one, neither government security forces nor crack heads, of which there are a few, bothered me.

Maduro does not appear to be widely liked, but he is certainly more popular than the widely reviled and mocked Juan Guiado, President Donald Trump’s toy poodle. This clown used to be an electronics trafficker, for $#@!’s sake. (Note: I got the picture below from a security guard who used to work in the area where Guiado street hustled, before he became the Trump administration’s full time brothel whore.)

[goldenequity]

https://twitter.com/OffGuardian0/sta...76692375445504

[RonZeplin]

////

[goldenequity]

Guaido Defeated But Not Destroyed! American-Appointed Exarch Now Operating From Abroad!




Lavrov: Rebirth of Monroe Doctrine Insulting to All of Latin America! Neo-Colonialism in Action

https://twitter.com/venanalysis/stat...16737413894144

[goldenequity]

https://twitter.com/venanalysis/stat...75489168658433

https://twitter.com/venanalysis/stat...53996116324353

[RonZeplin]

Venezuela names German ambassador ‘persona non grata’ for ‘interference in its internal affairs’


German ambassador to Venezuela Daniel Kriener. © AFP / Federico Parra

The Venezuelan authorities have declared the German ambassador Daniel Kriener persona non grata over what it called “interference into its internal affairs."

Germany’s envoy has become the first European diplomat to be efrom the Latin American state amid the ongoing escalation of tensions between Caracas and Washington and its allies, supporting a self-proclaimed ‘interim president’ Juan Guaido, who challenges the rule of elected leader Nicolas Maduro.

“Venezuela considers its unacceptable that a foreign diplomat … plays a public role on its territory, which is more typical for a political leader, who clearly supports the conspiracy agenda of the extremist parts of the Venezuelan opposition,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement explaining its decision.

Kriener was granted a period of 48 hours to leave the territory of Venezuela, the statement said.

https://www.rt.com/news/453173-venez...-interference/

[timosman]

[goldenequity]

COLECTIVO JUDGMENT
Annika Hernroth-Rothstein


In Venezuela, Will Maduro’s Paramilitary Shock Troops Stay Loyal? That’s Not a Given.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/in-ven...ts-not-a-given

Many Venezuelans see the ‘colectivos’ as nothing more than regime thugs terrorizing the public. In an exclusive interview, one of their leaders presents a different picture.



“Interim President” Juan Guaidó has returned to Venezuela, having defied a travel ban and met with several regional leaders including U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. Now the entire country is holding its breath in preparation for what everyone assumes will be his arrest by the forces of Nicolás Maduro, who continues to occupy the presidential palace and has maintained the support of top military commanders. Fears of civil war and outright foreign intervention are on the rise. If serious fighting breaks out, paramilitaries known as colectivos will be a force to reckon with. Up to now, they have been seen as loyal thugs of the Maduro regime. But in an exclusive interview with one of their leaders, we discovered that allegiance may not be absolute.

CARACAS, Venezuela—“There are things I would say if I had more freedom, if I were outside of the country. But I am not, so I will not answer your question.”

I had just asked Gilberto, one of the most senior colectivo commanders in Caracas, what he thought of Nicolás Maduro’s leadership and future, and I'm taken aback by the almost reckless honesty of his non-answer.

We are 20 minutes into this, perhaps my most unexpected interview during my four week stint in Venezuela, and I can feel myself holding my breath on every question, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It feels absurd, to say the least, that I am sitting here speaking to the head of a colectivo syndicate days after I was brutally attacked by colectivos near the Colombian border. Having traveled from Caracas to Tachira State to report on the attempt by the opposition to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid into Venezuela, my team of two security personnel and myself were attacked by colectivos, the paramilitary group once armed and funded by the late Hugo Chávez. We were forced down on the ground with guns pointed to our heads.

It was without a doubt one of the more traumatic experiences of my life and, after being robbed of everything from cameras to ibuprofen, I returned to Caracas seeking to meet a colectivo in order to confront not only the people who had caused me this harm but also the institution of the colectivos that had come to impact Venezuela and its people in a fundamental way over the past two decades.

The Arrangements
Armed members of a pro-Maduro militia attempt to disperse opposition demonstrators in San Antonio del Tachira, Venezuela on February 23, 2019
Amid Venezuela Violence, Maduro’s Men Put a Gun to My Head
Venezuelans Want Aid, Not Troops, From Trump
Socialists Should Take a Stand on Venezuela: Maduro Must Go

One doesn't just meet a colectivo, but rather goes through many layers of contacts and channels in order to get a “maybe” that might become a “yes.” In my case, there were three degrees of separation between me and the colectivo, and after finding the right fixer and conferring with my security detail I set out to interview Gilberto carrying a list of question and very little else.

“We are being watched right now, and it is better to assume that they know everything than to hang your hopes on some idea of anonymity.”

Linda is my fixer’s contact and she carries herself with a layer of toughness that I sense is a cover for something much more vulnerable and insecure, despite the many tattoos and the language, every sentence out of her mouth sprinkled with profanity. We meet at the main town square in the neighborhood where the colectivos have their base and, as I would later realize, an intricate and substantial security apparatus.

Linda has met with this commander before and, as she herself puts it, developed a level of trust, and without her saying it I understand that she is jeopardizing more than trust by bringing me, a stranger, straight into the lions' den.

“Just be calm, he may try to intimidate you but that's just a test. Stay calm and don't push him if he refuses to answer a question. Remember, he’s the boss.”

That is quite the understatement. Gilberto runs the colectivos as a military leader and is ultimately responsible for each member and the communities they control. Not unlike the mob bosses of old, the colectivos mix violence with community organizing and engage in an intricate protection scheme where every level of Venezuelan society is either profiting from or suffering under their rule.

Knowing that I in the past week have made waves throughout Venezuela by speaking up against the colectivos and, for the four weeks prior, been doing almost everything the Maduro dictatorship cracks down upon, it is not without dread I book this interview. Inside, I am wondering if these colectivos know who I am or if I am walking into a trap that I myself have laid, and even though I keep these thoughts to myself my nerves are clearly on display as I try to light a cigarette while we wait for the call that will tell us that the colectivos are on their way to pick us up.

“No, no, no, nunca.”

I hear my security guy José raise his voice, something the tranquil man rarely does.

When he comes over to me he informs me that the colectivos have told him that Linda and I must come alone, without backup or security, as a sign of good will.

José is clearly rattled but, with a calm I do not really possess I tell him that I assume the risk and that we will be fine, and back before he knows it.

José knows me by now and he can tell that I'm far from at ease, so he snaps out of his worry and starts giving me instructions in his characteristic monotone.

Don't react if he puts a gun on you.

Don't have your phone out.

Be respectful.

Don't go with him to a 2nd location.

He pauses and ends with a nerve chillingly transparent “you’ll be fine, mija, tranquilo,” and I leave my most trusted companion behind as I walk down the road toward the unknown.



Gilberto

Linda and I are ushered inside a garage-style building by two young men wearing the typical colectivo jackets, in a dark camouflage with the specific colectivo branch name on the sleeve. They are smiling but distant and, once we get inside, I am surprised by the juxtaposition between the almost rural office location and the high-tech security screens that are covering two of the walls inside the humble shack.

Gilberto greets Linda with warmth and then nods at me, pointing to a chair in front of his desk, and when I sit down I am hyper aware of my surroundings, like an animal that prepares to be attacked.

“Don’t be scared, but I will take something out now,” Gilberto says and produces a compact Uzi from behind his desk. I laugh nervously because what he just said is absurd, considering what is now in front of me, but I manage to crack a joke about the Middle East that apparently is to Gilberto's liking. I relax into the chair, just a little, and reading the room I make the judgment call to forgo the list and the video and instead start a conversation.

I ask him to explain what the colectivos are and what, in his opinion, their role is in today's Venezuela, and Gilberto gives me what I read as a standard answer about fighting for the people and protecting society from corruption, criminals and infiltrators.

I try to decipher his face, deciding if I can push just a little, and when our eyes meet I decide to go for it, telling him that most of the people I have met are afraid of the colectivos, and terrorized by their presence.

Do they have reason to be afraid, I ask, and if so, why?

“Of course we need to inspire respect and, to some extent, fear. We are a clandestine force whose job it is to clean up Venezuela, how could we possibly do that if people doubted our ability to enforce, to police and to do what is necessary when no one else can or will?”

“It would be one thing to fight the Americans but our own people, in a civil war, that is a whole other matter.”
— Colectivo Commander Gilberto

It strikes me as an honest answer, surprisingly so, and inadvertently I raise an eyebrow when he says it, making the colectivo commander smile and nod approvingly.

“Imagine the FAES before there was a FAES [Special Action Forces of the Venezuelan National Police]. We go into areas where no one else will go and we take care of criminals that everyone else fears too much to confront. That is what the colectivos are and why we are needed.”

So, what is your name, Gilberto asks, all of a sudden, and for a split second I consider lying to him in an attempt to avoid a nasty and possibly dangerous confrontation. But my gut tells me not to, that this man already knew who I was and what I had done long before I walked through that door and that the only viable way forward in this curious relationship is to show this colectivo commander the respect of not lying to his face.

“Annika.”

And which country are you from again, he adds, now almost jokingly, an almost comical moment were it not for that chill down my spine.

“Suecia.” Sweden.

We look at each other for barely two seconds but those seconds contain more truths than many entire conversations.

“Ok,” Gilberto says and smiles, “That's nice.”

And we both know. We say nothing but we know and all of a sudden a strange trust has been established between us. I passed the test by both recognizing that it occurred and speaking the truth when tempted to lie and from now on, the mood has quite clearly shifted. My leg that was trembling for the better part of 15 minutes relaxes along with the rest of me and from now on Gilberto and I chat, while his soldiers watch with careful curiosity.

I want to know how he feels about a possible international intervention in the Venezuelan crisis and whose side the colectivos would fight on in a war.


“We are always on the people’s side, so it would be one thing to fight the Americans but our own people, in a civil war, that is a whole other matter.”

What does that mean, though, I push, where do your loyalties lie, and Gilberto shifts a bit in his chair before answering

“Mira, look, the colectivos do not belong to a political party. We believe in Chávez revolution but we are not political, we are a military group, fighting for the good of Venezuela.”

It's not a satisfactory answer so I shift methods, saying that I will list things I believe and that way Gilberto can give me a yes or no or nothing at all.

“The colectivos will outlive Maduro.”

“Yes.”

“Whoever the leader of Venezuela is in a few months time, they will have to either negotiate or go to war with the colectivos.”

“Yes.”

“You use deadly violence against civilians to control the population under orders of Maduro.”

...

"Mira, listen, let me explain something to you.”

Gilberto sighs while I hold my breath, thinking I may have overstayed my welcome.

“We weed out bad elements. Criminals, violent people, drug runners and destructive forces in society. We protect the community, we don’t terrorize it.”

I'm quiet, because I'm not entirely sure how vehemently I dare disagree, and Gilberto immediately picks up on my hesitation.

“Tell me something. If I take you with me out on one of our operations, or perhaps a big demonstration, and I ensure your safety and protect your life with my own, what would you think of me?”

“I would trust you.”

It's an immediate, honest answer, perhaps too honest for my own comfort.

“Exactly,” Gilberto says and leans back in his chair.

I'm not exactly sure what was established just then, but I do feel as if we touched upon some shades of gray that had previously gone undiscovered.
The Nuances of Fear

The colectivos can be both culprit and savior in this story, in this society, as it is one with far too much crime, corruption and hardship to be subject to logic or simplicity.

If someone saved my life I would trust him, regardless of his other failings or facets, and if I were a Venezuelan living in the poorest barrios of the country, completely at the mercy of powers much greater than me, I would probably cling to comforts and safety wherever they came from and whatever was asked in return.

The important thing to remember is that, despite their sometimes ruffian style and appearance, the colectivos are not a gang, but a paramilitary entity that is paid for and supported by the Maduro government. Their actions are not erratic and their hierarchy not arbitrary, and when they strike they do so with strategy in mind, rather than short-term plans.

Gilberto tells me that the colectivos are everywhere, in every layer of society, and that that's part of the reason why they have achieved such longevity and power.

“Wherever you would swear there isn't any colectivos, I guarantee you there will be colectivos. We are present in the courts, the legislature, the schools and the corner shops. Absolutely everywhere.”

Gilberto goes on to say that the colectivos don't just ride around exacting their own brand of justice, but that they also run community centers, sports clubs and provide food and other forms of aid to the needy in their communities. And if someone infiltrates the area, even if it’s other colectivo fractions, he makes sure the outsiders are shown the proverbial door.

I feel as if it is time, so I go for it, and tell him briefly that I was robbed by colectivos near the border and ask if they also are part of his organization or if they are guerrilla, a more heavily armed entity with ties to the Colombian Farc.

“They are colectivos,” he says without elaborating, and the issue is left hanging as I hurry to move out of what I feel may be dangerous territory.

We engage in some small talk and every once in a while I have to remind myself that this man is the leader of a violent criminal entity, because in all honesty, I am finding myself liking Gilberto and being almost too relaxed in what are objectively tense circumstances.

I look around the room and see clues to his personal life. A wife and children, a plaque for having completed a course in martial arts and two heart-shaped frames with his parents’ faces smiling back at us.

“Why did you let me in here?” I ask him, almost without thinking.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the colectivos seem to treat journalists like enemies of the state, so why would you let an enemy inside your sanctum.”

Gilberto seems to think about it and then tells me that he tried it once and realized that if he can make journalists understand that there are not one kind of colectivos, but that the issue is more complicated than that, he could accomplish something good and bridge a gap between the people and the colectivos.

“Some colectivos are bad, they use too much violence or maybe they steal, but most of us take our mission very seriously. We are protectors of the state, not thugs and criminals.”

I know one of the journalists who first interviewed Gilberto and he is currently in jail for the crime of investigative journalism and I wonder how Gilberto really feels about the increaslingly totalitarian state that feeds him, given that Maduro at this point gives fewer interviews than the leader of his clandestine paramilitary group.

“I won't speak about him or comment on this leadership, I will only comment on my own.”

Part of the mask is back again, the one that was there initially, but I feel as if I am getting to the heart of it all, just as my time is about to run out.

“I love this country, and as a colectivo I am willing to bleed and even die for it. If we are attacked, we will fight and we will win, but we do not seek conflict with the opposition, the journalists, or the public.”

I really want to tell him what happened to me, about the violence and humiliation of that day, and demand to know in what way the actions of those colectivos constituted national protection. But I don’t, because I am scared, and that itself is an answer to some of my questions.
Recalculating

I like Gilbert, but I fear him. There is a level of understanding between us, but my head is pounding with the stats of the mayhem that the colectivos leave in their wake. I’m not at all sure I got what I came here for.

“I will try and get you your things back.”

Gilbert tells me this with a serious face and a tone that implies that he will make it happen.

“If these colectivos that took your things belong to my fraction, they will face consequences. They are under orders not to steal, and if I find out who they were I will make sure you get your things back and that they are punished for what they did.”

I’m completely dumbstruck by his words and, before even reflecting, I say, “Thank you.”
“The society he believes he is protecting with this violent militia is one that does not include Maduro.”

It’s the second time in a week that I thank a colectivo. The first was when I was let go after having been held at gunpoint for half an hour, cold steel against my neck and images of my family flashing before me. When the man in the mask finally released me, counting down from five while shooting in the air, I said "Gracias” and ran to save my life.

More than anything else, those words stuck with me after the attack, because they represented utter humiliation. The colectivos had held me captive, stolen everything I owned and put a gun to the back of my neck and I showed them gratitude for not taking the only thing I could not get back. I was not sure I would ever forgive myself for showing such weakness and yet here I was again, thanking a colectivo for showing me kindness when he was ultimately in control.

It’s like Gilberto had said. If he takes me under his wing, shows me the face of danger and guarantees my safety, I will trust him. We become bound together by these actions, his and mine, and what remains between us is an odd mix of dependence, hardship and complicated human psychology.
A Revolution Defiled

We agree to meet again in a few weeks, as I accept his offer to go on a raid to see the inner workings of the colectivos. When I had met Linda on that square almost two hours ago I would have thought I would be running from this compound, thankful to be alive and ready to return home, but instead I linger, filled with new questions and emotional turmoil, knowing that I had only peeked at the intricacies of this deeply fractured society.

Gilberto and I do agree on one thing, and that is that he is not a thug. Had he been, this would all have been so much easier and my story on the colectivos would be written as an up and down hero vs. villain narrative.

But, as I have realized over the past four weeks, Venezuela has many colors but none of them are black and white. Gilberto clearly detests Maduro, and the society he believes he is protecting with this violent militia is one that does not include Maduro or the rest of the government he views as having defiled the Chávez revolution.

The colectivos, among other paramilitary groups working in Venezuela, are biding their time during this crisis, waiting for Maduro to be cast out and make room for other powers. In the larger story of this broken country, Guaidó and Maduro are temporary players whereas the colectivos seem to be here to stay.

We are escorted back and when I get to the car my most trusted companion jumps out of it, unable to hide his relief.

“It’s been two hours, Annika. I told myself I would give it another 30 minutes and then I would go break down every door to come look for you. I can’t believe you talked me into this.”

I hug José, hard, as much for my own sake as for his and offer him a cigarette for the nerves.

“So, what did you think of him?” he asks me as we share our vice, and he looks me in the eye to determine if I’m really as okay as I claim to be.

“I liked him. God help me, but I liked him.”

I’m expecting José to fly off the handle, but he doesn’t. Instead he nods as if I am finally understanding something he has been trying to explain.

“Some are good, some are bad, and most of them are both.”

I nod as if I get it but I don’t, not really, and as we get into the car I keep wondering if I did my job, if I managed to get answers or simply overplayed my hand.

A few days ago I was face down on the ground while a colectivo held a gun to my head and today I sat next to one of my own volition, and left after shaking his hand. I leave the colectivo-controlled town confused, not knowing if I won or lost. Perhaps my experience is emblematic of this country; there are no absolutes, no black and white, just people moving on a scale through shades of gray and methods of survival.

[Firestarter]

Even if I succeed in showing that all of the publicity from North America and West Europe has been boosting the popularity of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela for years, most people won’t believe that this is an intentional strategy.
I really don´t think that making Guaido into a “Yankee puppet” in the eyes of Venezuelans will make him popular...


The New York Times has actually reported that the threats from the US “simply feed Mr. Maduro’s conspiracy theories, undermine attempts to isolate the regime, and hamper efforts to support the Venezuelan people”!

For many Venezuelan officials and their families the tourist attractions in the USA — like Miami, New York and Disney World – are a popular holiday destination.
In 2017, the Trump administration announced a travel ban on Venezuela. That the travel restrictions only applied to a tiny fraction of Venezuelans, shows that this won’t really have much influence on national security.
It seems unlikely that the travel restrictions would stop making the US a popular holiday destination for the elite of Venezuela.

Also interesting is that the US accused Venezuelan diplomats of running a scheme to sell passports to people in the Middle East (Arabs?) with “ties to terrorism”: http://web.archive.org/web/20171101000000*/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/10/opinion/venezuela-trump-travel-ban.html


Family of Maduro cronies are living abroad, like for example in Miami and Madrid...
Of course big words won’t really change this...

Trump’s team has claimed that military leaders who don´t endorse Juan Guaido as interim president have to leave the US.
Officials “forgot” to specify the timeframe in which the US and its allies will start deporting the families of Maduro loyalists: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/p...litary-leaders

[devil21]

Large-scale power outages reported across entire country of Venezuela, due to two hydropower stations failing at the same time.

https://apnews.com/6ba2f69b77e2457da64593a7b8eced16


Also, this video of a clearly irritated and frustrated State Dept spokesman is worth watching just for the lolz.

https://twitter.com/walid970721/stat...27421506048001

[goldenequity]

If you read the above post on the Collectivo interview w/ 'Gilbert'...
you have a grasp of the fiercely patriotic intents of the embedded 'Chavez militias' throughout the country.
Galloway warns the salivating US neocons and references/addresses that and more in this March 4 dialog..


as part of the economic warfare against Venezuela @29:30 she talks about the ongoing internal sabotage
(this broadcast of course predates current dam incident)
@40:00 impassioned Venezuelan presents the Socialistic ideals and 'Worldview' behind their votes and choices.

https://twitter.com/walid970721/stat...27421506048001

[Firestarter]

Also interesting is that the US accused Venezuelan diplomats of running a scheme to sell passports to people in the Middle East (Arabs?) with “ties to terrorism”: http://web.archive.org/web/201711010...ravel-ban.html

Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered because she threatened to expose the links between Henley & Partners, SCL Group, British Royals, and passports for sale in Malta. There is actually a link to Venezuela.

Joseph Muscat became PM of Malta in March 2013. Within months Muscat announced that Henley and Partners would run a citizenship by investment (CBI) program for Malta, which provided citizenship in the EU. Passports would cost €650,000, with another €150,000 to be invested in government bonds for 5 years.

Chairman of Henley & Partners, Christian Kälin, introduced Muscat to the Iranian born Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad.
In 2003, Ali Sadr won asylum in the US based on claims he'd been tortured in Iran. In 2009, he lost his staying permit.
Sadr then took a job with his father, Mohammad Sadr Hashemi Nejad (reportedly Iran's richest man). The job involved the family's Stratus Group construction business and a $475 million project in Venezuela.

In 2009, Ali Sadr obtained a St Kitts and Nevis passport by paying $250,000 to the citizenship-by-investment program that was run by Henley and Partners.
In 2010, Sadr used his St Kitts passport to set up companies in Dubai, Turkey and Switzerland, with Swiss bank accounts, and laundered $115 million in Venezuelan payments through them.

In 2014, Ali Sadr also founded the Pilatus Bank in Malta he also got a top securities license.
Kälin invited Sadr to his 20th wedding anniversary in Switzerland, while Muscat attended Sadr's own wedding in northern Italy in 2015.
On 20 March 2018, FBI agents arrested the 38-year-old Iranian born Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad at Washington Dulles International Airport and charged him with breaching US banking sanctions on Iran.

In early 2015, Malta signed a controversial $1 billion gas supply contract with Azerbaijan. The FIAU traced $1.6 million into 17 Black's Noor Islamic Bank in Dubai from a Latvian bank. The payment came from a company in the Seychelles owned by an Azerbaijan national.
Maria Efimova said that in March 2016, $1.016 million was transferred to an Egrant account in Dubai from the Pilatus account of Al Sahra FZCO, a Dubai company belonging to the daughter of president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Leyla Aliyeva.

According to Efimova, the file for Egrant's Pilatus bank account contained 2 declarations of trust dated 20 August 2015, which said that Egrant's ultimate owner was the wife of Malta's PM, Michelle Muscat: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...=1#post6700088

[goldenequity]

Incident which happened at same time as the latest Venezuela power blackout:

https://twitter.com/ConflictsW/statu...29873165148161

https://twitter.com/TVVnoticias/stat...18621961523200

@SputnikInt
Cuban president calls massive blackout in #Venezuela result of 'terrorist attack'
https://sptnkne.ws/kTKe

https://twitter.com/netblocks/status...76126028673029

https://twitter.com/BootsRiley/statu...72954609364992

https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status...72530450771968
Fat Mike. sickening.

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/s...89821156839424

[UWDude]

Large-scale power outages reported across entire country of Venezuela, due to two hydropower stations failing at the same time.

https://apnews.com/6ba2f69b77e2457da64593a7b8eced16


Also, this video of a clearly irritated and frustrated State Dept spokesman is worth watching just for the lolz.

https://twitter.com/walid970721/stat...27421506048001

What a coincidence!

[goldenequity]

https://twitter.com/resist43v3r/stat...83319512064001

[goldenequity]

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/s...99399203180544

[goldenequity]

worth watching...
of note: Russia tracking US gun running op via eastern european mfr via 'airline' to move small arms shipment 'closer' to Venezuelan destination points

Vesti Special Report: Russia Plans on Opening Trade With Struggling Caribbean Basin Countries

[goldenequity]

Yes!!!
Eva Bartlett is off to Venezuela.

https://twitter.com/EvaKBartlett/sta...77370113380352






======

Brad Cabana
US covertly attacks Venezuela's electrical power system:
US Attack on Venezuelan Power Grid ‘First Act in the Next Play’ of Regime Change:
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201...-Act-New-Play/

https://twitter.com/pvillegas_tlSUR/...74692349210625

[juleswin]

Incident which happened at same time as the latest Venezuela power blackout:

https://twitter.com/ConflictsW/statu...29873165148161

https://twitter.com/TVVnoticias/stat...18621961523200

@SputnikInt
Cuban president calls massive blackout in #Venezuela result of 'terrorist attack'
https://sptnkne.ws/kTKe

https://twitter.com/netblocks/status...76126028673029

https://twitter.com/BootsRiley/statu...72954609364992

https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status...72530450771968
Fat Mike. sickening.

https://twitter.com/telesurenglish/s...89821156839424

Bolton should take it easy now, all these attacks is going to make Maduro very very popular

[goldenequity]

https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1104891609768968192




======

Terrorism.
Every world leader is watching 'what happens' and imagining their OWN country and infrastructure
if they would 'defy' these US 'Christian' thugs: Trump. Pence. Pompeo. Rubio.

https://twitter.com/resist43v3r/stat...92108446916609

https://twitter.com/hypnos900/status...82456204226560

https://twitter.com/hypnos900/status...86994030059521

[goldenequity]

https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/statu...45538934468610

Wow, Marco Rubio Is Dumb
https://splinternews.com/wow-marco-r...umb-1833189740





One problem: The “German Dam” in the tweet isn’t a dam at all, but rather the name of a journalist who is covering the outages, as pointed out by Germán Dam himself.


====

https://twitter.com/MaxBlumenthal/st...84010553049088

[goldenequity]

https://twitter.com/aldin_ww/status/1105184074375806982