Venezuelan coup attempt sputter

Guaido posted videos with a few Venezuelan soldiers, and they took control of a small area outside of an airbase. Thousands of protesters joined Guaido. 

Venezuelan coup attempt sputters as army remained loyal to Maduro.

 Maduro called for Venezuelans to take to the streets to show their support him and massive crowds turned out to protect the presidential palace. The coup was broken up with some violence from the government. 

Venezuelan government as a small coup attempt, self-declared “President” of Venezuela Juan Guaidó appeared in a video alongside uniformed men who he claimed were a number of military defectors, declaring this as the “final phase” of Nicolás Maduro’s presidency.

The Venezuelan military generals and the vast majority of the military have pledged their loyalty to Maduro, who urged them to have nerves of steel.

The counter-revolutionary “activist” backed by the US State Department Leopoldo Lopez was among the instigators of this “final phase” coup. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza claims that the U.S. likely paid a guard to let him out of house arrest to join the coup.

Arreaza assured the public that this coup attempt will be contained and thousands of pro-Maduro protesters have taken to the streets and have surrounded the presidential palace.

The government of Mexico has expressed concern over possible bloodshed, as live rounds were being used as well as tear gas. Mexico has not recognized Guaidó as the leader of Venezuela, but has offered to broker a peace process.

Bolivian President Evo Morales has expressed his disdain for the coup attempt. He released a statement via twitter:

We strongly condemn the coup attempt in Venezuela performed by the right wing, which is submissive to foreign interests. [We are] confident that the courageous Bolivarian Revolution headed by brother Nicolas Maduro, will prevail against this new attack by the empire.”

Only the beginning?

The Venezuelans leading the coup see it quite differently. They seem to acknowledge that their efforts won’t end with today’s brazen actions. In a statement earlier today, they doubled down on their mission towards a mixed military and civilian coup. However, they denied that their undertaking is a coup. Opposition leader Carlos Vecchio held a press conference earlier today:

This is only the beginning…This is an operation that is developing right now. We will see more events in the hours and the days to come.

This is a constitutional process led by the Venezuelan people under the leadership of a civilian — the interim president of Venezuela Juan Guaidó. He’s calling for the restoration of our Constitution and of course, the restoration of our democratic system…”

Venezuela is ready for a change. You must facilitate the transition in our country. You must allow the Venezuelan people to re-establish the democratic system. The time is now. Venezuela is ready for a change. Nobody is going to stop it.”

It’s quite astonishing that Vecchio would invoke the democratic process while leading a violent coup in support of a “president” who earned the title by standing at a podium and declaring himself president.
Russia calls upon United Nations

US has barred American pilots and low flying planes from going into Venezuela indefinitely following opposition leader Juan Guaido’s failed coup, citing “increasing political instability and tensions.”

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an “international security” notice barring all US pilots and US-registered aircraft from flying lower than 26,000ft (about 5 miles) over Venezuela, claiming the ongoing struggle between the US-backed opposition and President Nicolas Maduro’s government creates an “inadvertent risk to flight operations.” While it’s unclear how the situation in the air has changed, the order applies indefinitely going forward, “until further advised.”

American pilots and planes currently in Venezuela have been advised to get out within the next 48 hours and the order does not prohibit US aircraft from landing if they have authorization from “another agency of the United States government.” 

American Airlines already suspended its flights to Venezuela in March due to the political situation, and no other US airlines currently offer flights to Caracas.

The FAA warned pilots traversing Venezuelan airspace to “exercise caution” in February, explaining that due to the “heightened tensions,” Venezuelan air defense systems might fall into the hands of “potentially violent and unpredictable non-state actors” even if the Venezuelan military was not about to shoot down civilian planes.

The Trump administration has blamed Cuba and Russia for Guaido’s failure to wrest control of Venezuela from Maduro, and after Tuesday’s failed coup attempt, Trump threatened to punish Cuba with further sanctions and an embargo, even though Cuba has been subject to a near-total US embargo since 1962.