Venezuela: What activists need to know about the US-led coup

[Judi Lynn]

Venezuela: What activists need to know about the US-led coup
By Margaret Flowers

Two things stand out about the U.S. coup in Venezuela. First, it is unusually open. Typically, the U.S. tries to hide its coups. Second, the coup is built on a series of obvious falsehoods, yet the bi-partisans in Washington, with a few exceptions, keep repeating them.

First, we will correct the falsehoods so readers are all working from the same facts. Second, we will describe how this coup is being defeated. It will be another major embarrassment for the Trump administration and U.S. foreign policy.

It is important to understand Venezuela has become a geopolitical conflict as Russia and China are closely allied with Venezuela. China and Russia coming into the backyard of the U.S. challenges the antiquated Monroe Doctrine. In addition, Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world and the second largest gold reserves, as well as diamonds and other minerals such as coltan (needed for electronic devices).

Correcting the Record

There are a series of false statements repeated by DC officials and corporate media to justify the coup that are so obvious, it is hard to believe they are not intentional. In his two-paragraph comment on the coup, even Senator Bernie Sanders repeated them.

More:
https://www.opednews.com/articles/Venezuela-What-activists-by-Margaret-Flowers-Venezuela-Oppositions-Terrorism_Venezuelan-Coup-190130-611.html

[DetlefK]

1. You cannot be fucking serious!

1.
The article cites multiple articles from Telesur as source. And guess what? Telesur is a chavist propaganda-network.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telesur_(TV_channel)#Political_bias

2.
The numbers provided by venezuelan election-officials are not trustworthy: They manipulated the election-machines that were used in the 2017 constituent assembly election. So why should we trust them with the 2018 election?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Venezuelan_Constituent_Assembly_election

3.

Venezuela has one of the best electoral systems in the world. Voter fraud is not possible as identification and fingerprints are required for each voter.

That's funny. I have read of a certain way of election-fraud the regime uses in Venezuela: You show your papers and get an empty ballot and a ballot that has been filled out to vote for Maduro. You put the pre-filled ballot in the box and fill out the empty one. You hand the new Maduro-ballot back to the people bribing you and in return you get your bribe.

4.
The article does not mention Venezuela's lack of fiancial reserves, rendering them totally helpless to economic crisis. The article also does not mention Venezuela's lack of investment in infrastructure-maintenance, which causes the infrastructure to collapse right now.

5.
England's refusal to return Venezuela's gold becomes understandable once you realize how many of Venezuela's governmental elite are moving their private assets to other countries and that the regime is cooperating with drug-running militias from Colombia.

6.
The opposition is violent? So... when the regime shoots at protesters with live ammo or when colectivos attack protesters with machetes, that's the fault of the opposition?
https://www.democraticunderground.org/110864613

7.
The article also somehow forgets to mention that Maduro has stacked the Supreme Court with more seats, filled those new seats with judges loyal to him, and then this regime-controlled Supreme Court began attacking the legitimacy of the opposition-controlled parliament.
Yes, what the parliament is doing is illegal! Because Maduro has taken over the Supreme Court in a coup!

8.
The article also somehow forgets to mention that the regime-controlled constituent assembly should be writing a new constitution. Instead it is instead serving de-facto a parliament parallel to the real one, passing bills and conducting oversight.

[Judi Lynn]

2. I encourage anyone with questions about articles to start searching from as many sources

as you can find and keep on searching, comparing, contrasting, weighing what you have read, and, when possible, talking to people who know more about the subject, remembering to sense what kind of person you're talking to, where his/her principles lie, and if you believe that person to be a person of conscience.

In time, when you realize you have started from nothing, the picture will come together for you.

Putting things together after a lot of thought is the part you have to do for yourself. It's the only way you will know if you can trust what you have gathered.

There are a lot of voices insisting the others are wrong. Only you can decide what the truth is, after study.

[GatoGordo]

5. Any source that includes

TeleSur, VenezuelaAnalysis, ColombiaReports or any of the remaining state controlled mouthpieces for Chavismo don't be held in any regard.

Aporrea.org is interesting though. Half the writers are doubling down on the stupid while the other half have thrown Bolivarian Socialism under the bus.

[HopeAgain]

3. Huh?

Do you not admit Maduro has repeatedly jailed political opponents. What about the giant anti-Maduro demonstrations? I'm uncomfortable intervening in another Country's affairs, but pro-Maduro propaganda is bullshit.

[GatoGordo]

4. Curiously the forums most prolific spammers

Have been exceedingly quiet about Venezuela until recently, now that Chavismo's house of cards has come crashing down.

[EX500rider]

6. US lead coup...lol

Actually if the last election was illegitimate (and it was) the Venz constitution calls for the Speaker (Juan Guaidó) to assume power till new elections are held, that is not really a coup now is it?