Sticky open thread on Venezuela

‘Straight out of the Otpor playbook’: Venezuelan opposition gears up to fight soldiers with roses

https://www.rt.com/news/452262-venezuela-protest-roses-propaganda/

“Journalist Dan Cohen reported seeing truckloads of roses approaching the border on the Colombian side, where they will be handed out to protesters marching across the bridge to Venezuela.

“Straight out of the Gene Sharp/Otpor playbook,” noted independent journalist Max Blumenthal, referencing Sharp, author of several texts on media-friendly, non-violent revolution, and Otpor!, an American-sponsored anti-government protest group active in Serbia around the turn of the century.

Optics are important, and a coup attempt is an ugly thing. Perhaps a staged recreation of the iconic ‘Flower Power’ photograph is just what Guaido and his backers in Washington need.”

Further details and video of the 3 traitors:

Horrifying VIDEOS show RAMMING at Simon Bolivar bridge in Venezuela

https://www.rt.com/news/452260-venezuela-bridge-ramming-video/

“Footage of the incident released by AFP shows two armored vehicles speeding towards the camera and a crowd of people running away to avoid being hit. The front vehicle then rams into the metal barrier. In the aftermath several people appear to be hurt, including a young woman covered in blood with an injury on her forehead.

There was much anger and confusion among the people endangered by the reckless driving.”

Breaking:

Venezuela’s Maduro says breaks relations with Colombia, expels employees from Colombian embassy

https://www.rt.com/news/452266-venezuelas-maduro-breaks-columbia/

“Venezuela breaks relations with its neighbor Colombia and expels all diplomats from its embassy, President Nicolas Maduro declared during a rally in Caracas.”

Things are now beginning to heat up.

From the RT Spanish minuto a minuto section.
https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/306445-minuto-minuto-tension-frontera-venezuela-convoy-humanitario

Maduro made a blistering speech to the crowds gathered in Caracas. I will defend this land to my death, he says. “I will not break!”

He also broke all diplomatic relations with Colombia and told Colombian Diplomatic Staff to get out within 24 hours.

Also, no attempts to ‘humanitarian aid’ from Brazil is being reported.
No han entrado cargamentos por Brasil
Por la frontera de Brasil con Venezuela no ha ingresado ningún cargamento de “ayuda humanitaria”, constató el corresponsal de Telesur en Brasil, André Vieira.

So, now to what seems to be filtering out (and I don’t know if it is rumor at the moment but it is a plausible tactic), is that they will attempt to ‘enter’ the aid by either surrounding the trucks with walking civilians or civilians will start physically carrying the boxes across the border. A plane load of roses (yellow roses) is being distributed to the civilian ‘walkers’.

I am not sure of this – but saw pics of the roses. So, anyone in the tropics will know .. roses don’t grow here.

quote from Sputnik article

“The Bolivarian government is informing the population that, due to the grave and illegal threats from the government of Colombia to Venezuela’s peace and sovereignty, it was decided to fully temporarily close the bridges of Simon Bolivar, Santander and Union,” Delcy Rodriguez wrote on Twitter on Friday.

So the Gweedo truck on fire is on a closed bridge.

The last few from RT Spanish minuto a minuto

22:33 GMT
Bolton threatens the Venezuelan Army

US National Security Adviser John Bolton once again threatened Venezuela and the members of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) with more “sanctions” for preventing the passage of “humanitarian aid” ”

“The Venezuelan Army has a choice: embrace democracy, protect civilians and allow humanitarian aid, or face even more sanctions and isolation,” the official wrote on Twitter.

Venezuela’s military has a choice: Embrace democracy, protect civilians, and allow in humanitarian aid; or face even more sanctions and isolation. https://t.co/KNdncJbPDH- John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) February 23, 2019

22:14 GMT
Group of people try to cross the Simón Bolívar International Bridge, which unites Colombia and Venezuela

A group of people on the Colombian side try to cross the Simón Bolívar International Bridge, which joins the borders of Venezuela and Colombia, despite the cordon of the Venezuelan security forces.

21:35 GMT
Colombia orders return of its diplomats, after total rupture of relations of Venezuela

The Colombian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “in order to preserve the life and integrity” of diplomatic personnel in Venezuela, “it will arrange its trip to Colombia as soon as possible.”

Press release. Statements by Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo regarding the statements of Nicolás Madurohttps: //t.co/QTdFR91VF7pic.twitter.com/XI3cbwQhuw- Chancellery Colombia (@CancilleriaCol) February 23, 2019

21:27 GMT
Violent acts are recorded from the Venezuelan side of the Tienditas bridge

There are incidents of violence on the Venezuelan side of the Tienditas bridge, located in the municipality of Ureña, Táchira state. There are armed civilians who are facing the Venezuelan security forces.

A ship with “aid” from Puerto Rico was not allowed into Venezuela.

So it is 8.30pm in Venezuela now and RT reports that Colombia ordered the return of trucks with “humanitarian aid” heading to Venezuela.

With no more diplomatic relations, it changes things somewhat I would think.

Maduro in a kind of a mocking tone, challenged Guiadó to come fight it out at the ballot box.

One can almost sarcastically craft a headline: “Guiadó misses his first election promise to bring US Aid into Venezuela.”

So far stone throwing, one real violent incident, no aid trucks into Venezuela on the 23rd, somehow the hegemon is still issuing threats only.and I would think overall – Advantage Maduro. Tomorrow a concert in Caracas.

Not too bad. I can vision Bolton’s mustache quivering.

Summary of the day time events on the Venezuelan border today.

Venezuela crisis: Border clashes, ‘masked thugs’, torched ‘aid’ & fake Red Cross

https://www.rt.com/news/452275-venezuela-crisis-border-tensions/

Eva Golinger

https://mobile.twitter.com/evagolinger/status/1099387601944018946

“According to many media reports in Venezuela, no humanitarian shipments made it across the Venezuelan border yet, despite claims made by opposition. Lots of false news and videos circulating, beware. The goal is to provoke violent confrontation as a means to justify intervention.”

Cut’n’Paste from SyrianPerspective (We are all Venezuelans now!):

“Canthama #287537

First major PR day for the coup in Venezuela ended up in total fiasco:

1) 24 supposed military defected to Guaidó at the border with Colombia, initially presented as Military Officers and latter shared they were 19 militias and 5 low ranking from different areas of the Venezuelan Armed Forces. Guaidó was filmed receiving those traitors as if the army was defecting in drove.
2) Guaidó was caught lying life on CNN when he sent a tweet celebrating the one truck that crossed the border from Brazil to Venezuela, and the CNN guy was watching the truck just in front of him far from Venezuela and the 2nd one broken on the road far from there as well. That was a very bad publicity.
3) No truck crossed any border today.
4) Guaidó’s gang burned two truck inside Colombia and filmed as if Venezuelan armed forces had done it, that was so amateur that they could film the border with Venezuela 200 meters away from where they were. Pathetic and very poorly executed.
5) Last but least, the early morning concert was another fiasco, some 5,000 people on the side of Colombia watching that show while on the Venezuelan side of the border with a lot of people, at least 10-15X the amount on the other side of the border, the picture captured by a drone is telling.

Of course the global MSM will put it as a major victory for Guaidó and how bad is Maduro…blah blah, but on the ground, today, it has shown that it ain’t be easy to implement its criminal regime change in Venezuela.

Welcome to Latin America, the US will have a hard time to implement any of its sh•t here.”

[PS Canthama’s “sh.t” word reminds me of a remark attributed to President Putin:

“How does a POTU$A play chess? Like a pigeon: pecks around knocking over the pieces, struts around sh.tting all over the board then declares victory then flies off — to repeat the performance somewhere else.”]

Reaction to sanders promoting the regime changer’s nonsense.

Et tu, Bernie? Sanders shamed for joining US hawks in Venezuela regime change push

https://www.rt.com/usa/452276-bernie-sanders-venezuela-regime-change/

“Bernie, are you f-ing kidding me! if you buy the Trump, Bolton, Abrams, Rubio line, “humanitarian intervention” and collude in the destruction of Venezuela, you cannot be credible candidate for President of the USA. Or, maybe you can, maybe you’re the perfect stooge for the 1 %.
— Roger Waters (@rogerwaters) February 23, 2019”

“A sad commentary on US politics that the country’s most prominent self-proclaimed socialist feels compelled to feed into an interventionist narrative crafted by the Trump administration.

— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) February 23, 2019”

Details on burning aid truck false flag
https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuela-Denounces-2nd-False-Flag-Operation-at-Colombia-Border-20190223-0024.html

Source:
http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/L7170.htm

below is the translation of the referenced site … mod

LAW No 7.170, OF DECEMBER 14, 1983 – Defines crimes against national security, political and social order, establishes its process and judgment and gives other measures.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL, I hereby announce that the NATIONAL CONGRESS decrees and I sanction the following Law:
TITLE I – General Provisions
Art. 1 – This Law provides for crimes that harm or expose the danger of injury:
I – territorial integrity and national sovereignty;
Il – the representative and democratic regime, the Federation and the Rule of Law;
Ill – the person of the heads of the Powers of the Union.
Art. 2º – When the fact is also predicted as a crime in the Penal Code, Military Penal Code or special laws, the following shall be taken into account for the application of this Law:
I – the motivation and objectives of the agent;
II – the actual or potential injury to the legal assets mentioned in the previous article.
[…]
TITLE II – Crimes and Punishments
Art. 8 – Enter into understanding or negotiation with a foreign government or group, or its agents, to provoke war or acts of hostility against Brazil.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 3 to 15 years.
Sole paragraph – In the event of war or the acts of hostility being unleashed, the penalty shall increase to double.
Art. 9 – Try to submit the national territory, or part of it, to the dominion or sovereignty of another country.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 4 to 20 years.
Sole Paragraph – If this results in serious bodily injury, the penalty shall be increased up to one-third; if it results death is increased by half.
Art. 10 – Enlist individuals from another country to invade the national territory.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 3 to 10 years.
Sole paragraph – In the event of an invasion, the penalty increases to double.
Art. 11 – Try to dismember part of the national territory to constitute an independent country.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 4 to 12 years.
Art. 12 – Import or introduce, in the national territory, in any form, without authorization from the competent federal authority, military equipment or military equipment deprived of the Armed Forces.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 3 to 10 years.
Sole Paragraph – The same penalty applies to anyone who, without legal authorization, manufactures, sells, transports, receives, hides, stores or distributes the weapons or military material referred to in this article.
Article 13 – To communicate, deliver or permit the communication, or delivery, to a foreign government or group, or organization or group of illegal existence, of data, documents or copies of documents, plans, codes, figures or subjects that, in the interest of the Brazilian State, are classified as confidential.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 3 to 15 years.
Sole paragraph – The same penalty shall apply to:
I – in order to carry out the acts provided for in this article, maintain or participate in espionage services;
II – with the same objective, performs aerial photography or remote sensing, in any part of the national territory;
III – hides or helps a spy, knowing it, to subtract it from the action of public authority;
IV – obtains or reveals, for purposes of espionage, drawings, projects, photographs, news or information regarding techniques, technologies, components, equipment, installations or automated data processing systems, in use or in development in the country, which, considered essential for their defense, security or economy, should remain a secret.
[…]
Art. 15 – To practice sabotage against military installations, means of communication, means and means of transport, shipyards, ports, airports, factories, plants, dam, warehouses and other similar facilities.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 3 to 10 years.
Paragraph 1 – If the fact results:
(a) serious bodily injury, the penalty shall be increased by half;
b) damage, destruction or neutralization of means of defense or security; total or partial cessation of public activity or services deemed essential for the defense, security or economy of the country, the penalty increases up to double;
c) death, the penalty increases up to triple.
§ 2 – The preparatory acts of sabotage are punished with the penalty of this article reduced by two thirds, if the fact does not constitute a more serious crime.
Art. 16 – To integrate or maintain an association, party, committee, class entity or group that has as its objective the change of the current regime or the rule of law, by violent means or with the use of serious threat.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 1 to 5 years.
Art. 17 – To try to change, with employment of violence or serious threat, the order, the current regime or the Rule of Law.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 3 to 15 years.
Sole paragraph.- If this results in serious bodily injury, the penalty shall be increased by half; if death results, it increases to double.
Art. 18 – To try to prevent, with the use of violence or serious threat, the free exercise of any of the Powers of the Union or of the States.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 2 to 6 years.
Art. 19 – Seize or exercise control of an aircraft, a vessel or a vehicle of collective transportation, employing violence or serious threat to the crew or passengers.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 2 to 10 years.
Sole paragraph – If it results in serious bodily injury, the penalty increases up to double; if death results, it increases to three times.
Article 20 – Devastation, looting, extortion, robbery, hijacking, keeping in private jail, burning, predation, explosion, personal assault or acts of terrorism, political nonconformity or obtaining funds for the maintenance of clandestine political organizations or subversive.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 3 to 10 years.
Sole paragraph – If it results in serious bodily injury, the penalty increases up to double; if death results, it increases to three times.
Art. 21 – To reveal secrecy obtained by reason of position, job or public function, in relation to plans, actions or military or police operations against rebels, insurgents or revolutionaries.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 2 to 10 years.
Art. 22 – To make, in public, propaganda:
I – violent or illegal processes to change the political or social order;
II – of racial discrimination, of struggle for violence among social classes, of religious persecution;
III – of war;
IV – of any of the crimes foreseen in this Law.
Penalty: detention, from 1 to 4 years.
Paragraph 1 – The penalty is increased by a third when the advertisement is made in the workplace or by radio or television.
Paragraph 2 – Subject to the same penalty who distributes or redistributes:
a) funds intended to carry out the advertisement referred to in this article;
b) ostensibly or clandestinely bulletins or pamphlets containing the same advertisement.
Paragraph 3 – It is not criminal propaganda to expose, criticize or debate any doctrines.
Article 23 – Inciting:
I – the subversion of the political or social order;
II – the animosity between the Armed Forces or between them and the social classes or the institutions
civilians;
III – to struggle with violence among social classes;
IV – to practice any of the crimes provided for in this Law.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 1 to 4 years.
Art. 24 – Constitute, integrate or maintain illegal organization of a military type, of any armed or non-armed nature or form, with or without uniforms, with a combative purpose.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 2 to 8 years.
Art. 25 – Actually operate, even under false name or simulated form, political party or association dissolved by force of legal provision or judicial decision.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 1 to 5 years.
Art. 26 – Calumniate or defame the President of the Republic, the Federal Senate, the Chamber of Deputies or the Federal Supreme Court, impute to them a fact defined as offense or offense to reputation.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 1 to 4 years.
Sole Paragraph – In the same penalty, who, knowing the illegality of the imputation, propagates it or divulges it.
Art. 27 – Offending the bodily integrity or health of any of the authorities mentioned in the previous article.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 1 to 3 years.
§ 1 – If the injury is serious, the sentence of imprisonment of 3 to 15 years applies.
Paragraph 2 – If the injury results in death and the circumstances show that this result can be attributed as a fault to the agent, the penalty is increased up to a third.
Art. 28 – To attempt against the personal freedom of any of the authorities referred to in art. 26.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 4 to 12 years.
Art. 29 – Kill any of the authorities referred to in art. 26.
Penalty: imprisonment, from 15 to 30 years.
[…]
Brasília, on December 14, 1983; 162nd of Independence and 95th of the Republic.
JOãO FIGUEIREDO
Ibrahim Abi-Ackel
Danilo Venturini

twitterfeed Mark Sleboda has good points on “OPLAN V” > https://twitter.com/MarkSleboda1

for example> https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/1099508116541059073

saying: “US Senator Chris Murphy: Trump trying to trigger 1947 Rio treaty to launch a war on Venezuela without Senate approval by provoking (or faking) a Venezuelan attack on Colombia?”

Highly recommended:

“On the eve of another US war for oil, Abby Martin debunks the most repeated myths about Venezuela.
She uncovers how US sanctions are crimes against humanity with UN investigator and human rights Rapporteur Alfred De Zayas.”

https://www.globalresearch.ca/video-an-ocean-of-lies-on-venezuela/5669354

The video is about 39 minutes long and perhaps the best spent 39 minutes of your day.

Maybe I am naive but what about letting those trucks go through but request a cargo manifest from the shipper then within the border zone offload and inspect cargo in detail and if there is anything other than humanitarian aid make a big public stunt out of it to benefit Maduro’s case.
Red Cross should also be questioned about validity of their insignia on those trucks.

Martin Sieff at Strategic-Culture.org:
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2019/02/24/charging-into-venezuela-disastrous-overstretch-for-us.html

First two grafs:

” Are Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton and (farcically titled) Special Envoy for Restoring Democracy to Venezuela Elliott Abrams agents of influence for Russia and China? The idea has a lot more going for it than most of the ridiculous paranoia sweeping Washington over the past years.

If Russia and China really wanted to subvert the national security of the United States, they would seek to plunge Washington into a completely new, open-ended war with no practical resolution in sight on another continent far away from either of them where the United States itself had absolutely no major strategic interests at all, apart from fantasies of domination and greed.”

I respect Sieff. I think he is pretty experienced, has been on the scene for a long time.

Katherine

Well, well, the Neo-con capacity for causing chaos remains unmatched. They still have a stranglehold on the zombified public in the West (even though one could argue to a far less extent that was the case prior to the Iraq War) propped up by the MSM propaganda machine, an army of their faithful politicians, intellectuals, and Hollywood goons.
The big difference is that the Neo-cons and their masters have lost the ability to control the chaos they unleash, as well as the ability to decisively influence the political process both during and after the conflicts they cause.
We have seen it happen in Syria, the war caused by the Neo-cons, the Israelis and the Wahhabi crazies around the Persian Gulf. Russia, Iran, and Turkey are now controlling the dialogue and are in a position to influence the post-War fate of Syria, to the exclusion of the USA and its impotent EU vassals.
This is the good news for us who oppose the Neo-cons and their masters and hope for the future. Sadly, not enough to save the people of Venezuela from chaos the Neo-cons are preparing to unleash upon them.

We’ll see how the situation will develop.

A well done refresher from Indian source, clicked on last night but still on topic :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9a9w6VmfKs
The “humanitarian” narrative is recontextualised with a historical depth, and from a point of view that I will say “non-aligned”.

Tangentially, this video, “The Spider’s web”, might help explain the corruption and deception behind Venezuela’s gold ‘confiscated ‘ by the UK and the latter’s offshore secrecy ‘vapour’ accounts in various islands of the former British Empire.

It’s a long video but well worth the time plus it gets better and better as it goes along:

https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2019/02/21/spiders-web-britains-second-empire.html

Video within above link. Watch it before it gets censored:
https://youtu.be/np_ylvc8Zj8

Background – George Galloway’s article on the seizure:
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/450061-venezuela-gold-bank-england/

https://sputniknews.com/latam/201901261071839254-uk-venezuela-gold/