Note: I will be traveling over the next little while and may be unable to dedicate much time to the daily updates.
Juan Guaido held a press conference this afternoon, his first since the chaotic events of April 30.
During the press conference, Guaido assured Venezuelans that despite the failure of the military to abandon Maduro so far, the tipping point was coming closer. He said:
High and mid-rank officers have spoken out. There’s discontent in the military family….
Guaido also clarified that through his repeated calls on the military to abandon Maduro, he is not asking that the military align itself with him personally or even with the opposition more generally. Guaido said:
… we’re not asking for a coup d’etat, [we’re asking] that they defend the constitution…. We’re not asking the military to join my side. we’re asking [the military] to join the people, their country, the constitution.
Guaido also attempted to spin the events of April 30 as positive, and downplayed reports that he had been forced to put into motion a plan to remove Maduro from power prematurely. He said:
With regards to whether what happened on April 30 was [premature]: on the contrary. It’s taken too long, given the discontent in the National Bolivarian Armed Forces.
Guaido Calls for Marches to Military Bases Tomorrow
During the press conference, Guaido called on Venezuelans to march to the nearest military installation to deliver a document to soldiers imploring them to uphold the constitution and stop supporting the Maduro regime.
While making the announcement, Guaido stressed the peaceful nature of the event, and “deeply” lamented the deaths of four protesters this week.Guaido said:
Tomorrow at 10:00 AM we will [march] in peace without falling into violence… walking up to a [police line] is not the same as trying to cross it; it’s about talking to those there to invite them to join our struggle, because there are many [soldiers and police] of every rank who want to join [us] and they want change.
US, Russia Talk Venezuela
United States President Donald Trump tweeted this afternoon that he had spoken to his Russian homologue about the situation in Venezuela:
Questions/Comments? E-mail me: invenezuelablog@gmail.com
In Venezuela 