The re-election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States has many in Venezuela extremely concerned. From assassinations, terror campaigns, sanctions and coups, the first Trump administration tried everything short of a full-scale invasion of the country. With a cabinet full of hawks, MintPress assesses the potential for a future U.S. intervention in Venezuela.
Part 2 - Our Man in Caracas
Another hare-brained scheme the Trump administration launched was the construction and recognition of a parallel government in Venezuela led by Guaidó, a previously largely unknown character, even inside Venezuela.
Intelligence agencies in Washington had been grooming Guaidó since his days as a student leader, flying him around the world for training and meetings with top Western officials. To the surprise of almost everybody in Venezuela, Guaidó proclaimed himself the rightful president of the country despite never even standing for the position. And while the United States and a number of right-wing Latin American nations quickly recognized him, he was never able to build a popular support base inside the country. Indeed, Guaidó was so unpopular that he could not go out in public without being accosted or harassed by ordinary citizens.
Intelligence agencies in Washington had been grooming Guaidó since his days as a student leader, flying him around the world for training and meetings with top Western officials. To the surprise of almost everybody in Venezuela, Guaidó proclaimed himself the rightful president of the country despite never even standing for the position. And while the United States and a number of right-wing Latin American nations quickly recognized him, he was never able to build a popular support base inside the country. Indeed, Guaidó was so unpopular that he could not go out in public without being accosted or harassed by ordinary citizens.
In Washington, however, he was met with a hero’s welcome, receiving a standing ovation as Trump’s guest of honor at his State of the Union speech. In public, Trump described him as a freedom fighter and “the true and legitimate president” of Venezuela. Behind closed doors, however, the 45th president considered Guaidó a weak and incompetent politician and took to calling him “the Beto O’Rourke of Venezuela.” In contrast, he saw Maduro as a strong leader who had the backing of the military, and while Guaidó visited the Oval Office to plead with Trump to launch an invasion, Trump ignored him and seemed more interested in flirting with Guaidó’s wife.
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