Maduro on the Ropes: Four European Countries Issue Ultimatum for New Elections in Venezuela
Pompeo: Time for the world community to “pick a side”
Earlier this week, Mary wrote about the chaos in Venezuela as Juan Guaido Proclaims Himself Interim President, [and the] Military Backs Maduro. At that point, the U.S. and Canada recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s leader.
Since then, Britain, Germany, France, and Spain said that Venezuela must agree to hold elections or they will recognize Guaido as the country’s leader. These countries have given Venezuela eight days to call the elections.
Venezuela’s embattled President Nicolas Maduro rejected an international ultimatum to call elections within eight days and said opposition leader Juan Guaido had violated the country’s constitution by declaring himself leader.
Maduro, in an interview with CNN Turk aired on Sunday, also said he was open to dialogue and that meeting U.S. President Donald Trump was improbable but not impossible. The broadcaster dubbed the interview from Spanish into Turkish.
. . . . Britain, Germany, France and Spain all said they would recognize Guaido if Maduro failed to call fresh elections within eight days, an ultimatum Russia said was “absurd” and the Venezuelan foreign minister called “childlike.”
Washington, Canada most Latin American nations and many European states have labeled Maduro’s second-term election win last May fraudulent.
Maduro retains the loyalty of the armed forces, though Venezuela’s top military envoy to the United States on Saturday defected to Guaido.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had voiced his support for Maduro in a phone call on Thursday.
On Saturday, U. S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the UN Security Council that their countries need to “pick a side.”
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told countries at the United Nations on Saturday to “pick a side” on Venezuela, urging them to back Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido and calling for free and fair elections as soon as possible.
Pompeo was addressing the 15-member U.N. Security Council, which met at his request after Washington and a string of countries in the region recognized Guaido as head of state and urged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down.
“Now it is time for every other nation to pick a side … Either you stand with the forces of freedom, or you’re in league with Maduro and his mayhem,” Pompeo told the council. “We call on all members of the Security Council to support Venezuela’s democratic transition and interim President Guaido’s role.”
On Sunday, National security adviser John Bolton warned against “Any violence and intimidation against U.S. diplomatic personnel, Venezuela’s democratic leader, Juan Guiado, or the National Assembly itself” and stated that such violence and intimidation would be “be met with a significant response.”
Cuba’s support and control over Maduro’s security and paramilitary forces are well known. 1/2
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) January 27, 2019
Any violence and intimidation against U.S. diplomatic personnel, Venezuela’s democratic leader, Juan Guiado, or the National Assembly itself would represent a grave assault on the rule of law and will be met with a significant response. 2/2
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) January 27, 2019
National security adviser John Bolton on Sunday warned of a “significant response” to any violence or intimidation against U.S. diplomats in Venezuela or the country’s current government.
“Any violence and intimidation against U.S. diplomatic personnel, Venezuela’s democratic leader, Juan Guiado [sic], or the National Assembly itself would represent a grave assault on the rule of law and will be met with a significant response,” Bolton tweeted.
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Comments
Germany? Der Krauts don’t seem bothered by Iran’s phoney baloney elections, but Merkel’s Teutons find Venezuela’s phoney baloney elections worrisome?
Whatev’s : /
That traitor obama, lovin’ it up with Chavez – and Maduro:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/5177236/Barack-Obama-shakes-hands-with-Hugo-Chavez.html
Does anyone take Europeans’ opinions seriously anymore?
No, not even other Europeans
The bus driver versus The Bolton.
Prediction: Bolton wrenches the wheels off that bus.
Britain, Germany, France and Spain all said they would recognize Guaido if Maduro failed to call fresh elections within eight days
This is a strange, maybe even incoherent position.
If Guaido’s actions are legal and legit, and Maduro’s are not, Europe should recognize Guaido immediately.
If Maduro’s position is legal and legit, and Guaido’s is not, there is no justification for trying to force a new election.
Closer to home, there are obvious disadvantages to Pompeo and Bolton making noises. Maduro needs an external enemy to blame for Venezuela’s wretched condition; otherwise he has to take the blame himself. Handing him an excuse to claim that the squeeze on the country is the fault of those pestilential Yanquis just makes life easy for him.
Here’s a contrarian view. If other countries can declare Venezuela’s election null and void and Maduro illegitimate can’t they do the same thing about Trump’s election? The Left has brayed for two years about how Putin stole the election for Trump and also how he did not get the majority of the popular vote. Since when the results of national elections arbitrated by international bodies? IMHO this is a very dangerous precedent.
This isn’t going to go well…
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-27/election-meddler-wasserman-schultz-now-fixing-democracy-venezuela
So our own communists are already organizing to salvage whatever they can to make sure communism isn’t completely extinguished. I expect to soon hear that “Communism didn’t fail. It was mismanaged and corrupted. We need TRUE communism this time. Join us in our fight! We are winning in America!”
The Zero Hedge article is interesting and very predictable for Zero Hedge. Nevertheless it illustrates the danger of direct American intervention.
My proposed solution is simpler: we should have refugee camps in Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador for the Venezuelan babies, mothers, and elders. These can be run by the blue helmets and would provide security, clean water, food and shelter.
All military-aged, physically-fit men and women refugees coming out of Venezuela would be given a rifle and a knapsack full of ammo and MREs, and told to go back to fight for their country. I’d have started this the moment we started seeing significant numbers of refugees.
This is my default position for most refugee situations in the world. You don’t like your country? Don’t leave, stay and fix it. If a revolution is required, start one. If a dictator needs to be deposed, topple him. Don’t leave and then plead for entry into America; we’re a little busy right now. Go fix your own problems. Show us what you’re made of.
Unfortunately, the military-age men would need the guns to protect their family FROM the blue helmets
Demand that Maduro and his staff as well as military leadership surrender, in place. Surround the like ATF did at Waco. If, in three days, they do not surrender, go Waco and wipe them out. Condemn the earth they lived upon.
Susequently, conduct such trials as were convened at Nuremburg. Repatriate Venezuelas wealth with Venezuela, install an interim government for the purpose of holding legitimate elections within 90 days.
Forbid Sean Penn of any of the Kennedys from ever visiting Venezuela or transacting any financial transaction with Venezuela.
Then, blame it all on Hillary and confiscate the entirety of Clinton foundation wealth for the satisfaction of various bond holders around the world, sort of global initiative.
Instead of talking about the failure of socialism, we are now talking about the legitimacy of the election. The failure of socialism necessitated a crooked election; that should be the message.