Speaking at a rally in Caracas earlier today, Juan Guaido said that he had instructed his ambassador in the United States, Carlos Vecchio, to meet with the head of the United States Southern Command in order to forge “a collaborative relationship”.
Given the high tension in the country, Guaido’s comments are likely to be seen by Venezuelans–as well as the Maduro regime–as taking a step closer to the possibility of a military intervention in Venezuela.
Guaido made the comment while speaking to supporters at the Alfredo Sadel plaza in Caracas. He said:
I’ve instructed our ambassador in the United States, Carlos Vecchio, to meet immediately with the United States Southern Command with the goal of establishing a direct relationship involving the matter of cooperation.
Guaido’s announcement follows a tweet by the U.S. Southern Command on May 9th regarding Venezuela. Below, the tweet:
The U.S. Southern Command is a of the Department of Defense that is tasked with operations in Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean.
Below, an image from the rally at which Guaido spoke today:
Guaido: China Talking to Contact Group
During the same speech, Guaido said that Beijing has been talking to the International Contact Group on Venezuela, a European-led coalition of governments that are promoting a peaceful, negotiated transfer of power in Venezuela.
According to Guaido, the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs has let his team know that China has been speaking to the Contact Group about joining its efforts.
If accurate, the news would constitute an important shift in favour of the opposition on the international scene, as China has traditionally backed the Maduro government.
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