CARACAS, Venezuela (ViaNews) – Recent leaks were published on the September 8 edition of the New York Times regarding Trump´s administration supporting the military coup against Nicolas Maduro´s government. The paper assured “several meetings” took place in Europe (starting in fall 2017) between Venezuelan ex-military commanders and U.S. diplomats willing to oust President Maduro.
“Stay out of Venezuela, Mr. Trump”
Three days after releasing the leak, The New York Times published its main editorial piece, signed by The Editorial Board, with the above-said title and a corresponding first sentence:
“America shouldn’t be in the coup business. Period.”
Although the Times clearly specifies they are not “for” Maduro´s Government, they appeal to history to support their point, against military intervention:
“For much of the past century, the United States compiled a sordid history in Latin America, using force and cunning to install and support military regimes and other brutal thugs with little interest in democracy. Gunboat diplomacy in the early 20th century saw American Marines invading Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and elsewhere to set up governments of Washington’s choosing”.
A Venezuelan leak
Meanwhile, four days after the Times editorial, the TV journalist and former Chavez´s Vice-president, José Vicente Rangel, announced in his Sunday TV program that he had got word of a US Department of State mission working with Venezuelan authorities in Caracas, preparing a “highest level bilateral meeting” for the very near future.
Out of sync, OAS Secretary: “Military intervention is an option”
The Organization of American States secretary Luis Almagro arrived on September 14 to the Venezuelan-Colombian border (from the Colombian side) to observe the Venezuelans entering Colombia, “searching better living conditions”.
Cited by DW he said that “about military intervention to oust Nicolás Maduro, we shall not discard any option”.
His comment was apparently out of sync. Immediately, 11 nations from the Lima Group of 14 countries, formed in 2017 to “help” Venezuela in its crisis “rejects any declaration that favors the use of force to solve the crisis”. Venezuelan diplomatic sources said they will denounce Almagro to the UN and other international forums.
The economy has also its own “crosshairs”
Venezuela is reportedly under great pressure of economic warfare imposed by Donald Trump´s government as stated by the White House in may 18th citing Mr. Trump:
“Today, I have taken action to prevent the Maduro regime from conducting “fire sales,” liquidating Venezuela’s critical assets—assets the country will need to rebuild its economy. <...> I have signed an Executive Order to prevent the Maduro regime from selling or collateralizing certain Venezuelan financial assets, and to prohibit the regime from earning money from the sale of certain entities of the Venezuelan government”.
This economic warfare was allegedly aided by media and social media messages offering great jobs in neighboring countries, created a stigma against Venezuela which triggered emigration of Venezuelans to other countries. Maduro´s opponents called it a “humanitarian crisis” which needed help from the US and other countries, help which might lead to an invasion, as Caracas asserted.
Many of those emigrants when arriving at their destinations found the real truth and declared having been fooled by propaganda, asking the Government to repatriate them, which was done by land and air bridges provided by a “Return to homeland program”.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Maduro announced a new economic reality, pointing to the abolition of the US Dollar influence. The convertibility of the Venezuelan Bolivar has been established, and gasoline and other products prices, which were smuggled into Colombia, are being domestically revaluated to international levels, thus stopping the impelling force which eased the illegal traffic.
Users will be directly subsidized by a newly established online system, centered on a personal card called “Carnet de la Patria”. Gold backed certificates are being issued by Central Bank, and freely sold to guarantee a protection against inflationary forces.
The sun rises from the east
Earlier the same week, on September 13, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had departed for Beijing. After meeting with China´s President Xi Jinping, it confirmed the issuance of new loans, cooperation in military and civil programs, and the presence of Venezuelan exporters at the November 5-10 China International Import Expo where China is willing to buy non-traditional Venezuelan exports.
Venezuela Culture minister, Ernesto Villegas Poljak, said on television yesterday, that the program “Culture for Export” designed with Foreign Commerce minister, Yomana Koteich, will support cultural efforts willing to be exported.
Editorial, musical, television and film industries will investigate and try to develop exporting power.