Venezuelans headed to military bases around the country today to try to convince soldiers loyal to the Maduro government to abandon it by pleading with them in person. Today’s event echoes a similar one that happened at the end of January, when interim president Juan Guaido asked Venezuelans to go to their local military bases to hand soldiers there a copy of the Amnesty Law, which had just been passed by the National Assembly to act as an incentive for soldiers and other regime officials to switch sides in the conflict.
In the Caracas area, those participating in the event headed to four different locations: the Army Headquarters, the National Guard Headquarters, the Coche Command, and the Outpost on the Kilometer 12 of the El Junquito highway.
In an official statement to the armed forces, Guaido said that the army’s role in restoring democracy in Venezuela is “fundamental”, and that he still hopes that it will play a “positive and crucial role” in the country’s drive towards democracy.
Guaido’s full statement to the armed forces can be found here, in Spanish.
The video below shows a woman reading a prepared statement to a group of soldiers in El Paraiso, Caracas:
The images below show demonstrators at the Army Headquarters in Caracas:
Helicopter Crash Kills Seven Solders, Army Staff
An army helicopter crashed in the El Hatillo area of Caracas, killing all seven passengers. The passengers have been identified as:
- Major Alexis Alejandro Avila Guerrero
- Captain Carlos Ramirez Davila
- Major Jacinto Rengifo Rodriguez
- Lt. Col. Tomas Ortega Valero
- Captain Cesar Barreto
- Captain Felipe Amaya
- Lt. Col. Jose Betancourt
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