Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced that state security forces have arrested 13 and killed eight “terrorist mercenaries”, in what he claims was a failed attempt to kill him. He placed the blame squarely on the United States and Colombia, with two of those arrested being American mercenaries. The maritime invasion, which originated in Colombia, took place in the state of La Guaira, near the capital city, Caracas.
In response to the attack, the head of Venezuela’s Strategic Command Operations of the Armed Forces (CEOFANB), Remigio Ceballos, said that he will launch a renewed operation to monitor the country by land, sea, and air to protect Venezuela’s sovereignty from the threat of mercenaries, paramilitaries, and “any other threat”.
The president of the National Constituent Assembly of Venezuela, Diosdado Cabello, claimed that one of the detainees confessed to having previously worked for the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), an agency that was expelled from Venezuela in 2005. He added that the two Americans arrested are “middlemen” who “work with the security advisory” of President Donald Trump.
Communication Minister Jorge Rodriguez said that opposition leader Juan Guaidó hired mercenaries to overthrow Maduro. He offered the contract Guaidó signed with US private security company Silvercorp as proof of his complicity. These claims are corroborated by the fact that the CEO of Silvercorp, Jordan Goudreau, an ex-Green beret, confirmed that he was working to “liberate” Venezuela with the two Americans who were arrested, and indeed claimed responsibility for “Operation Gideon”. The two US citizens that were arrested are Luke Denman and Airan Berry, both of whom are former U.S. special forces soldiers.
Goudreau claims that he signed a $212 million contract with Guaidó to “capture–but not kill” Maduro. However, he alleges that Guaidó had only sent him US$50,000 through political consultant Juan Jose Rendon.
Guaidó, who is recognized by almost 60 countries–including the US–as the interim president, counters that the incident was a “set up” orchestrated by the regime, and insists that he has no relationship with “any company in the security and defense branch”.
US President Donald Trump denied the involvement of the US government. The state department put out a statement saying that Maduro is running a “major disinformation campaign”, adding that it will be “looking closely into the role of […] the very large Cuban intelligence apparatus in Venezuela”. Curiously, however, in early April, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a cash reward of $55 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Maduro and four of his aides for narco-trafficking. One of those arrested was a former DEA agent.
Colombia, too, says that claims of its complicity by the Venezuelan government are “an unfounded accusation”.
Maduro and his allies argue that the Trump administration, aided by Guaidó and Colombia, seeks to end Venezuela’s socialist government in order to exploit its vast underground oil reserves. However, critics of Maduro’s regime argue that these self-aggrandizing shows of power merely serve to detract from the deteriorating situation in the country and to justify indiscriminate repression against political opposition.
Maduro has overseen a protracted economic crisis, wherein five million people have emigrated due to severe food and medicinal shortages, a lack of healthcare, limited drinking water, and a corrupt electoral system that saw Maduro maintain his incumbency in 2018 after banning popular opposition leaders from running.
Maduro’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, said that Venezuela has arrested a total of 114 people in connection to the failed invasion and is searching for 92 others.
Venezuela Thwarts Attempted Coup, Alleges US Involvement
Maduro claims that the US and Colombia conspired with Juan Guaidó to overthrow him.
May 6, 2020
IMAGE SOURCE: AFPVenezuelan President Nicolás Maduro