February 7, 2019
The recent blockage the bridge at the Colombian border to prevent humanitarian relief supplies from entering Venezuela is further evidence that that Nicholas Maduro has no intention to resign the presidency of Venezuela. Pursuant to the Venezuelan constitution, Juan Guaido has become the legitimate president as recognized by the US, Canada, all of the major countries of South America and many others.
The Venezuelan military is still largely controlled by Maduro, and they are being deployed to intimidate supporters of Juan Guaido.
In a yet unconfirmed report noted by The Economist[1], the Russians recently sent 400 para-military personnel to Venezuela.. The mission of this goon squad is to protect Maduro from enemies within, which is now performed by Cuban security specialists. These are all classic moves from the “Dictator’s Playbook” as used by Russia, Turkey Cuba, Syria and others. With their support Madoro is copying the survival plan used by Bashar Al-Assad in Syria.
To counter these actions, we suggest that Colombia, Brazil and Argentina, together with the US and Canada, immediately dispatch appropriate naval ships, such as amphibious support vessels, to operate offshore Venezuela. The mere presence of these vessels would give strong incentives for Venezuelan military personnel to abandon Maduro and pledge support to the new Guido government.
The operation of any vessel in international waters is often done to confirm freedom of the seas. It is not an act of war, but it would confirm the Allies capability to do so. This proposed deployment should be implemented as soon as possible.
Byron K. Varme
Executive Director
