Why a Coup Is Unlikely in Venezuela
By KEN SILVERSTEIN
March 5, 2019
The Trump administration clearly wants one. But the people don't, and neither the military nor neighboring countries are interested in making one happen.
There’s no question that brutal U.S. economic sanctions, in addition to Maduro’s own corrupt and repressive policies, have created a lot of misery and discontent. People are tired and believe, understandably, that the United States will continue to starve the country—and them—until Maduro is gone.
Last week, brought to Caracas by the International Peoples’ Assembly, an anti-interventionist Latin American group holding a conference, I wandered away from the official events to walk through the impoverished barrios. “I want a coup,” said one young woman I spoke to, who works in the hospitality industry. “I am fed up.” She was the only person I met who openly supported a coup, and said so with no apparent fear of political consequences. (I walked around Caracas, day and night, openly stating my politics—no one, from the government nor the opposition, harassed me or was angered by me sharing my opinions.)
But while Maduro could hardly be called well-liked, Guaidó and the U.S.-dominated opposition are widely reviled and rejected. Very few Venezuelans want to go back to 1992, when the Army killed so many protestors, or to 1998, the year before Chavez was elected. Those who do are often members of the wealthy old order. Fittingly, one of the main opposition points is George Washington Plaza, a rich neighborhood sandwiched between the barrios of El Paraiso and La Vega.
https://newrepublic.com/article/153219/coup-unlikely-venezuela
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"But while Maduro could hardly be called well-liked, Guaidó and the U.S.-dominated opposition are widely reviled and rejected."
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It's one thing for chavismo to bus in thousands of state workers from all over the country under threat of losing their jobs and benefits (aka food) if they fail to attend a regime rally, quite another to have thousands show up for an opposition rally when the threat of violence by colectivos and the national guard is always present.
I therefore call bullshit on Mr. Silverstein's comment above. Let me be clear, millions here still embrace Hugo Chavez as a saint and savior. Millions also will be elated when the fat man is history.