As reported on tonight’s news, the US’s John Bolton publicly agrees with Russia: Maduro should not flee Venezuela as the coup proceeds and chaos reigns.
WT ACTUAL F?!?!!!
Are we to believe he is critical for the peaceful transfer of power in Venezuela? Is The Donald’s administration now an official organ of Vladimir Putin’s government? Does our government even attempt to have coherent policy about anything?
I’m telling you- it’s an unpublished sign of the apocalypse.
I do think that Maduro has abused so much his power that he should go, at the same time though, I do not trust at all the American crowd that is goading Venezuelans to revolt.
Having said that, do you have a cite where Bolton is in agreement with Putin about Maduro?
No- it seems simply (and improbably) that their views coincide. Which is weird enough in itself…
Cite about Bolton?
I know Rubio is cheering the coup on. Seems like the GOP should get on the same page.
Ok, then please a cite that tells you that their views coincide. A quick search tells me that Bolton is on the record telling others to get rid of Maduro, not keeping him there.
Is the idea “Maduro should let himself be captured” or what is the actual intention?
Mike Pompeo was on the news circuit today stating that Maduro was minutes away from leaving and should have done so. He also blamed the Russians for changing his mind. FWIW
As far as I know, the Russians want Maduoro to stay in power, while Bolton wants him to stay and be tried for crimes.
Without a cite, the OP is useless.
This:
http://https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/30/us-declares-support-for-venezuela-coup-attempt
Perhaps I mis-interpret, but the comment (actually by Pompeo) was given acouple of paragraphs into the article.Pompeo states Maduro understands what would happen if he got on the plane to Havana- Maduro" knows US’s expectations". Pompeo did not explain this opaque remark.
Apologies to all on the mis-attribution. It was not Bolton. But it was this administration.
Why not encourage Maduro to get out??
I would guess that Secretary Pompeo would like to see Maduro arrested and tried for his crimes.
If Maduro does not fall, and the latest is that this is not turning as Bolton and others expected, there is still a lot of WTF moments alright. Looking at the cite, Bolton, pointing at three military or civil powerful Venezuelans that allegedly did report to the USA that they would support the ousting of Maduro, looks dumb. That is not a way to help a revolt take place, more likely one would see those guys being removed or neutralized before they had the time to help with the change in power.
Also: that Putin has better intelligence in place than the sorry “best people” that Trump makes a habit of putting in key positions, and it is worse when one remembers about how those “best people” were fooled by the right wing media of the USA and the rightists of Latin American countries then.
What’s significant, though not necessarily surprising, is that Russia might have better intelligence in place and a better appraisal for what’s actually happening. Pompeo and Bolton are cheer leading, but it’s not clear what they’re contributing beyond that.
I’m less familiar with Latin America than other parts of the world, but my sense is that there’s a point at which, whatever feelings that opponents of intervention might have, people will eventually tire of the current situation and support a regime change. But that doesn’t mean that they’ll have a more favorable view of the US; it’s entirely possible that they’ll be even more distrustful and suspicious not only of the US but whoever takes over in places of Maduro and embraces the US (Guaido). Outside of Venezuela, I’m sure there are people who despise the Maduro regime, but again, they probably see US involvement for what it is, which is a pattern of interventionist behavior that goes back to the 19th Century.
I’ve come to that conclusion as well: Russia is in a no-lose situation here because if Maduro stays, Russia gains a client state and if he falls, Venezuela will still be destabilized for the foreseeable future, especially if the US intervenes, which is also good for Russia.
Why is a destabilized Venezuela a win for Russia? And “gains a client state” is kind of weird since they’ve had some cozy relations already under Chavez.
Increased oil prices?
It is a very bad situation. Maduro fleeing the country is a less ghastly prospect than outright civil war. Civil war with American military intervention is just about the most ghastly outcome.
'Course, it might move Il Douche to some gratitude that so many American soldiers have an excellent command of Spanish. So, there’s that…
I can’t see a short term bump in oil as a “win” in the face of losing a big name ally in South America. Venezuela’s oil production is already kind of in the crapper anyway, so while I’m no expert in the oil industry, I don’t know how much this turmoil will effect oil prices once emotions simmer down.
It’s not so much about a short term bump in oil prices as it is about longer term access to the oil in Venezuela.
If their is direct involvement of the US Military, then there is the prospect of the United States fighting a war against a bunch of Spanish speaking folks while they have a down right xenophobic to Hispanics administration in the US.
As far as pressure on enemy fissures is concerned, does not get better than this. Probably salivating at SVR and GRU HQ.