Attack in Venezuela: Liberals took up arms

28.06.2017

In Venezuela, an attempted coup took place, police officer Oscar Perez and several accomplices captured a helicopter at one of the army bases in the capital of the country – Caracas city and attacked from the air the buildings of the Supreme Court of the country and the Interior Ministry. Small arms and grenades from Colombia were used. The insurgents published a video message in which they urged President Nicolas Maduro to resign.

American Footprint

The Venezuelan authorities said the rebels are linked to former Interior Minister Miguel Rodriguez, who is suspected of collaborating with the CIA. The leader of the conspirators Oscar Perez was suspected of having ties to the US Embassy in Venezuela. The USA, Colombia and Spain are actively providing financial and diplomatic support to protesting oppositionists who are demanding the same thing as insurgents and meanwhile went on to marauding and police attacks using Molotov cocktails.
The political crisis in Venezuela is developing against the background of the economic crisis. It is caused by low oil prices, which in the monocultural economy of Venezuela, led to a sharp decline in social payments. The government of Nicholas Maduro does not cope with the challenges that aggravate the subversive activities of the United States - Venezuela delivers its oil to the United States and purchases most of the products from there, most of the trading networks belong to the opponents of the government, who are accused of creating a trade deficit situation. The absence of a bright charisma, characteristic of Maduro's predecessor Hugo Chavez, also complicates the communication of authorities with the population.

The danger of a coup

On June 30 elections to the Constitutional Assembly should be held, which should change the country's constitution. The opposition and the parliament it controls are against it. In the unfolded political confrontation between the parliament and the president, the Supreme Court took the side of the president, who attempted in April 2017 to dissolve the parliament, and the prosecutor-general and, as experts say, part of the siloviki and the ruling united socialist party, to the side of the opposition.
Although the danger of a classic Latin American military coup in Venezuela is small, there is a serious threat of a coup by the Ukrainian scenario, when the main role will be played by betrayal at the top and the power bloc, coupled with the actions of street opposition fighters. This probability is especially great, Maduro will give in to international persuasion to sit down at the negotiating table with the opposition without any preconditions.