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Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)
The [[2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis]] concerning who is the legitimate [[President of Venezuela]] has been underway since 10 January 2019, when the opposition-majority [[National Assembly (Venezuela)|National Assembly]] declared that incumbent [[Nicolás Maduro]]'s [[2018 Venezuelan presidential election|2018 reelection]] was invalid and the body declared its president, [[Juan Guaidó]], to be [[acting president]] of the nation.
Maduro's government states that the crisis is a "[[coup d'état]] led by the [[United States]] to topple him and control [[Oil reserves in Venezuela|the country's oil reserves]]."<ref></ref><ref></ref> Guaidó denies the coup allegations, saying peaceful volunteers back his movement.<ref name= ReadyDie>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> As of March 2019, Guaidó has been [[Responses to the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis#RecognitionMG|recognized as the interim president of Venezuela]] by 54 countries,<ref name= Diseases>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> "including the US and most Latin American and European countries".<ref name=HowNation>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Several top military figures recognized Guaidó, and hundreds of military personnel have defected to Colombia, but top military command has not broken ranks with Maduro as of mid-April 2019.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Following the 23 January events, some Venezuelan diplomats in the United States supported Guaidó; the majority returned to Venezuela on Maduro's orders.<ref name=":23"/>
<!---->
==Background==
[[File:Vladimir Padrino López (2018-04-03) 1.jpg|thumb|Defense Minister [[Vladimir Padrino López]] declared the armed forces would not recognize Juan Guaidó]]
At the time of [[Second inauguration of Nicolás Maduro|Maduro's second inauguration]] on 10 January 2019, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that US intelligence had allegedly learned that Minister of Defense, [[Vladimir Padrino López]], had requested that Maduro step down, threatening to resign if Maduro did not.<ref name=PadrinoResign>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> On 15 January 2019, Padrino López swore loyalty to Maduro, stating that members of the [[National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela]] (FANB) "are willing to die to defend that Constitution, those people, those institutions and you as supreme magistrate, president of Venezuela".<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
It was also reported that though the top military swore allegiance to Maduro, many had spoken to exiled and defected soldiers to express their wish to not suppress any uprising that could oust Maduro, secretly supporting Guaidó.<ref></ref> The National Assembly offered [[amnesty]] for military defectors.<ref name="nasdaq">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> On 11 January, plans to offer incentives for the armed forces to disavow Maduro were revealed.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Venezuelan political experts, like [[David Smilde]] from the [[Washington Office on Latin America]], suggested that this action would enrage Maduro, who already called the National Assembly traitors for not attending his inauguration, and who might arrest or attack more of its members. A friend of Guaidó, in response, said that they were aware of the risks but believed it needed to be done to allow democracy to reappear in Venezuela.<ref name=":6">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Following the National Assembly declaration of Guaidó as acting president, the ''Miami Herald'' reported that the Maduro regime feared a military uprising and defections, had made many arrests, and Padrino López ordered a counterintelligence effort to locate conspiracists or possible defectors.<ref name="MHMilitary">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> According to ''France 24'', Maduro declared "military deserters who fled to Colombia have become mercenaries" as part of a US-backed coup.<ref name="France24TrumpDuque">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> ''CBS News'' reported that rank-and-file troops, who made about US$6 per month, were "hungry and pushed to a tipping point".<ref name="GNHungry">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Guaidó declared that the opposition had held secret meetings with military officials to discuss the [[2019 Venezuelan Amnesty Law|Amnesty Law]]. An opposition representative stated that the meetings were focused on army officers, who were amenable to the idea and "expressed concern about the Trump administration's past threats of military intervention in Venezuela and [...] that the armed forces would be outgunned in any fight". Analysts warned that the meetings could potentially only win partial support and divide the military, which could lead to a civil war or coup.<ref name=NYT31>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Maduro's government stated that the positions against him were the "result of imperialism perpetrated by the United States and allies" that put Venezuela "at the centre of a world war".<ref name="auto1">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
==Defectors==
===Key officials===
[[File:Hugo-Carvajal-Barrios.jpg|thumb|Hugo Carvajal in 2016, sanctioned by the U.S. in 2008]]
Signs of impending crisis showed when a [[Supreme Court of Venezuela|Supreme Court]] Justice and Electoral Justice seen as close to Maduro defected to the United States just a few days before the 10 January 2019 [[second inauguration of Nicolás Maduro]]. The justice, , said that [[Nicolás Maduro]] was "incompetent" and "illegitimate".<ref name=":0"></ref><ref name=":1">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)<br />* Venezuela News|website=Aljazeera.com|access-date=11 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110232447/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/peru-paraguay-recall-diplomats-maduro-inauguration-190110180310100.html|archive-date=10 January 2019|dead-url=no}}</ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> According to ''The New York Times'', he "called the May presidential election unfair and described Maduro's rule as 'a dictatorship.' He also accused Maduro of frequently taking direct orders from Cuban officials."<ref name= PadrinoResign/>
[[Hugo Carvajal]], the head of [[Dirección de Inteligencia Militar|Venezuela's military intelligence]] for ten years during Hugo Chávez's presidency and "one of the government's most prominent figures",<ref name=CarvajalNYT>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2) Also [https://nyti.ms/2v4HjRW available online.]</ref> publicly broke with Maduro in mid-February and endorsed Guaidó as acting president.<ref name=CarvajalWSJ>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2) Also available [https://on.wsj.com/2P8UIkV online.]</ref> Serving as a National Assembly deputy for the [[United Socialist Party of Venezuela]], ''The Wall Street Journal'' said the retired general is considered a pro-Maduro legislator.<ref name=CarvajalWSJ/> In a video released online on 21 February,<ref name=CarvajalNYT/> he called for Venezuelan military forces to break ranks and to allow the entry of [[2019 shipping of humanitarian aid to Venezuela|humanitarian aid to Venezuela]].<ref name=CarvajalWSJ/> Directed to soldiers he said, "we do not have the technical capacity to confront any enemy ... he who says otherwise lies."<ref name=CarvajalWSJ/> Directed to Maduro, he said, "You have killed hundreds of young people in the streets for trying to claim the rights you stole. This without even counting the dead for lack of medicines and security."<ref name=CarvajalNYT/>
In an interview with ''The New York Times'', Carvajal said Maduro was a "dictator with a corrupt inner circle that has engaged in drug trafficking and courted the militant group Hezbollah".<ref name=CarvajalNYT/> US investigators accused Carvajal as being one of those responsible for drug trafficking in Venezuela;<ref name=CarvajalNYT/> he said Maduro himself helped corrupt top government figures manage drug trafficking in Venezuela.<ref name=CarvajalNYT/> Carvajal also questioned the status of Venezuela's sovereignty, alleging that Cubans control the Maduro government.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> In March 2019, he said that Maduro orders the "spontaneous protests" in his favor abroad, and his partners finance them.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Maduro expelled Carvajal from the Armed Forces on 4 April, degraded his Major General status, and accused him of treason.<ref name=Expulsaron13>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Carvajal was arrested in Spain on 12 April 2019 based on an arrest warrant from the United States for 2011 drug trafficking charges; the U.S. asked Spain to extradite Carvajal.<ref name=IntChiefArrested>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
=== Military high command ===
The [[Venezuelan Air Force]]'s head of strategic planning, [[divisional general]] Francisco Esteban Yánez Rodríguez, recognized Guaidó as interim president on 2 February 2019, stating: "Today, with patriotic and democratic pride, I inform you that I do not recognize the irritating and dictatorial authority of Mr. Nicolás Maduro and I recognize Deputy Juan Guaidó as the Interim President of Venezuela, for which I worthily place myself at your service". He stated that 90% of the armed forces would back Guaidó if needed.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref></ref>
Air Force general Víctor Romero Meléndez supported Guaidó and called upon the Armed Forces to "support the people and the constitution".<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Retired air force [[major general]] Jorge Oropeza recognized Guaidó as interim president.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Major General Alexis López Ramírez, who resigned his command of Venezuela's National Defense Council in 2017,<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> recognized Guaidó as president on 23 February 2019.<ref name= GeneralAlexis>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> López Ramírez demanded respect for Venezuela's constitution, criticized the presence of Cubans in Venezuela's military, and said that command of the armed forces had been usurped by police and politicians from the [[United Socialist Party of Venezuela]].<ref name= GeneralAlexis/>
On 18 March, Army general Carlos Rotondaro, who had been under sanctions by the United States since 2018, defected to Colombia and recognized Guaidó as Venezuela's president.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Rotondaro is a former Health Minister and former president of Venezuelan Social Security ( – IVSS); in an 18 March interview with NTN24, he fingered ex-Minister of Health Luis López as the person who had medicines withheld from patients,<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> referring to a ''The New York Times'' interview of Cuban medical professionals published on the same day.Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>}} On 4 April 2019, Maduro expelled him from the Armed Forces and degraded his rank.<ref name=Expulsaron13/>
===Other military===
[[File:Venezuelan National Guard desertion 23 February 2019.webm|thumb|Venezuelan National Guardsmen defecting into Colombia]]
In early 2019, a group of Venezuelan ex-army and police officers in Peru announced support for Guaidó, disclaiming Maduro.<ref></ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Multiple groups of similarly retired or displaced soldiers said that they would return to fight Maduro if needed.<ref name=NYT31>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Early on [[2019 Venezuelan protests#21-22 January|21 January]], at least 27 soldiers of the [[Venezuelan National Guard]] stationed near [[Miraflores Palace]] [[Mutiny|mutinied]] against Maduro. ''The Guardian'' reported that they kidnapped four security staff and stole weaponry from a post in Petare, and posted videos on social media promising the military would fight against the government. Rioting and arson took place in the area and tear gas was used on civilian protestors. After overnight fighting, the soldiers were taken by authorities.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref></ref> Five were injured<ref></ref> and one person died in the mutiny: a civilian woman who was confused for a protester was killed by members of a [[Colectivo (Venezuela)|''colectivo'']].<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> The [[BBC]] compared the mutiny to the [[El Junquito raid]] a year earlier, which resulted in the death of rebel leader [[Óscar Alberto Pérez|Óscar Pérez]].<ref></ref>
On 17 February, five military personnel and snipers were arrested by the [[Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence]] in Ureña, Táchira state, after publishing a video in which they declared support for Guaidó.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
=== Diplomatic and political ===
Following the 23 January events, some Venezuelan diplomats in the United States supported Guaidó; the majority returned to Venezuela on Maduro's orders.<ref name=":23">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Venezuela's ambassador in Iraq, [[Jonathan Velasco]], recognized Guaidó, indicating that the National Assembly is the only government branch "associated with ethics, legitimacy and legality" and responsible for filling the "power vacuum created by the violation of the constitution".<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
The Consul general of Venezuela in Houston recognized Guaidó, saying "I am at your service and at your disposal to serve my country."<ref name=":23" />
Although consular officers destroyed thousands of documents from the ambassador's office and both the administration and consular section, nine officials decided to stay.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
The top Venezuelan consular officer in [[Miami]] supported Guaidó, stating "it [follows] my democratic principles and values" and urging other diplomats to "embrace the Constitution" and join Guaidó in trying to force new elections.<ref></ref> Two consular officials in Chicago recognized Guaidó, saying they wanted to be "associated with democratic principles and values".<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
The top Venezuelan military representative to the United States, Colonel José Luis Silva, recognized Guaidó as his president.<ref></ref>
== Notes ==
== References ==
[[Category:2019 in politics]]
[[Category:2019 in Venezuela]]
[[Category:Crisis in Venezuela]]
[[Category:Political history of Venezuela]]
[[Category:2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis]]
Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)
The [[2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis]] concerning who is the legitimate [[President of Venezuela]] has been underway since 10 January 2019, when the opposition-majority [[National Assembly (Venezuela)|National Assembly]] declared that incumbent [[Nicolás Maduro]]'s [[2018 Venezuelan presidential election|2018 reelection]] was invalid and the body declared its president, [[Juan Guaidó]], to be [[acting president]] of the nation.
Maduro's government states that the crisis is a "[[coup d'état]] led by the [[United States]] to topple him and control [[Oil reserves in Venezuela|the country's oil reserves]]."<ref></ref><ref></ref> Guaidó denies the coup allegations, saying peaceful volunteers back his movement.<ref name= ReadyDie>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> As of March 2019, Guaidó has been [[Responses to the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis#RecognitionMG|recognized as the interim president of Venezuela]] by 54 countries,<ref name= Diseases>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> "including the US and most Latin American and European countries".<ref name=HowNation>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Several top military figures recognized Guaidó, and hundreds of military personnel have defected to Colombia, but top military command has not broken ranks with Maduro as of mid-April 2019.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Following the 23 January events, some Venezuelan diplomats in the United States supported Guaidó; the majority returned to Venezuela on Maduro's orders.<ref name=":23"/>
<!---->
==Background==
[[File:Vladimir Padrino López (2018-04-03) 1.jpg|thumb|Defense Minister [[Vladimir Padrino López]] declared the armed forces would not recognize Juan Guaidó]]
At the time of [[Second inauguration of Nicolás Maduro|Maduro's second inauguration]] on 10 January 2019, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that US intelligence had allegedly learned that Minister of Defense, [[Vladimir Padrino López]], had requested that Maduro step down, threatening to resign if Maduro did not.<ref name=PadrinoResign>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> On 15 January 2019, Padrino López swore loyalty to Maduro, stating that members of the [[National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela]] (FANB) "are willing to die to defend that Constitution, those people, those institutions and you as supreme magistrate, president of Venezuela".<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
It was also reported that though the top military swore allegiance to Maduro, many had spoken to exiled and defected soldiers to express their wish to not suppress any uprising that could oust Maduro, secretly supporting Guaidó.<ref></ref> The National Assembly offered [[amnesty]] for military defectors.<ref name="nasdaq">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> On 11 January, plans to offer incentives for the armed forces to disavow Maduro were revealed.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Venezuelan political experts, like [[David Smilde]] from the [[Washington Office on Latin America]], suggested that this action would enrage Maduro, who already called the National Assembly traitors for not attending his inauguration, and who might arrest or attack more of its members. A friend of Guaidó, in response, said that they were aware of the risks but believed it needed to be done to allow democracy to reappear in Venezuela.<ref name=":6">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Following the National Assembly declaration of Guaidó as acting president, the ''Miami Herald'' reported that the Maduro regime feared a military uprising and defections, had made many arrests, and Padrino López ordered a counterintelligence effort to locate conspiracists or possible defectors.<ref name="MHMilitary">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> According to ''France 24'', Maduro declared "military deserters who fled to Colombia have become mercenaries" as part of a US-backed coup.<ref name="France24TrumpDuque">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> ''CBS News'' reported that rank-and-file troops, who made about US$6 per month, were "hungry and pushed to a tipping point".<ref name="GNHungry">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Guaidó declared that the opposition had held secret meetings with military officials to discuss the [[2019 Venezuelan Amnesty Law|Amnesty Law]]. An opposition representative stated that the meetings were focused on army officers, who were amenable to the idea and "expressed concern about the Trump administration's past threats of military intervention in Venezuela and [...] that the armed forces would be outgunned in any fight". Analysts warned that the meetings could potentially only win partial support and divide the military, which could lead to a civil war or coup.<ref name=NYT31>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Maduro's government stated that the positions against him were the "result of imperialism perpetrated by the United States and allies" that put Venezuela "at the centre of a world war".<ref name="auto1">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
==Defectors==
===Key officials===
[[File:Hugo-Carvajal-Barrios.jpg|thumb|Hugo Carvajal in 2016, sanctioned by the U.S. in 2008]]
Signs of impending crisis showed when a [[Supreme Court of Venezuela|Supreme Court]] Justice and Electoral Justice seen as close to Maduro defected to the United States just a few days before the 10 January 2019 [[second inauguration of Nicolás Maduro]]. The justice, , said that [[Nicolás Maduro]] was "incompetent" and "illegitimate".<ref name=":0"></ref><ref name=":1">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)<br />* Venezuela News|website=Aljazeera.com|access-date=11 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110232447/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/peru-paraguay-recall-diplomats-maduro-inauguration-190110180310100.html|archive-date=10 January 2019|dead-url=no}}</ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> According to ''The New York Times'', he "called the May presidential election unfair and described Maduro's rule as 'a dictatorship.' He also accused Maduro of frequently taking direct orders from Cuban officials."<ref name= PadrinoResign/>
[[Hugo Carvajal]], the head of [[Dirección de Inteligencia Militar|Venezuela's military intelligence]] for ten years during Hugo Chávez's presidency and "one of the government's most prominent figures",<ref name=CarvajalNYT>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2) Also [https://nyti.ms/2v4HjRW available online.]</ref> publicly broke with Maduro in mid-February and endorsed Guaidó as acting president.<ref name=CarvajalWSJ>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2) Also available [https://on.wsj.com/2P8UIkV online.]</ref> Serving as a National Assembly deputy for the [[United Socialist Party of Venezuela]], ''The Wall Street Journal'' said the retired general is considered a pro-Maduro legislator.<ref name=CarvajalWSJ/> In a video released online on 21 February,<ref name=CarvajalNYT/> he called for Venezuelan military forces to break ranks and to allow the entry of [[2019 shipping of humanitarian aid to Venezuela|humanitarian aid to Venezuela]].<ref name=CarvajalWSJ/> Directed to soldiers he said, "we do not have the technical capacity to confront any enemy ... he who says otherwise lies."<ref name=CarvajalWSJ/> Directed to Maduro, he said, "You have killed hundreds of young people in the streets for trying to claim the rights you stole. This without even counting the dead for lack of medicines and security."<ref name=CarvajalNYT/>
In an interview with ''The New York Times'', Carvajal said Maduro was a "dictator with a corrupt inner circle that has engaged in drug trafficking and courted the militant group Hezbollah".<ref name=CarvajalNYT/> US investigators accused Carvajal as being one of those responsible for drug trafficking in Venezuela;<ref name=CarvajalNYT/> he said Maduro himself helped corrupt top government figures manage drug trafficking in Venezuela.<ref name=CarvajalNYT/> Carvajal also questioned the status of Venezuela's sovereignty, alleging that Cubans control the Maduro government.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> In March 2019, he said that Maduro orders the "spontaneous protests" in his favor abroad, and his partners finance them.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Maduro expelled Carvajal from the Armed Forces on 4 April, degraded his Major General status, and accused him of treason.<ref name=Expulsaron13>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Carvajal was arrested in Spain on 12 April 2019 based on an arrest warrant from the United States for 2011 drug trafficking charges; the U.S. asked Spain to extradite Carvajal.<ref name=IntChiefArrested>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
=== Military high command ===
The [[Venezuelan Air Force]]'s head of strategic planning, [[divisional general]] Francisco Esteban Yánez Rodríguez, recognized Guaidó as interim president on 2 February 2019, stating: "Today, with patriotic and democratic pride, I inform you that I do not recognize the irritating and dictatorial authority of Mr. Nicolás Maduro and I recognize Deputy Juan Guaidó as the Interim President of Venezuela, for which I worthily place myself at your service". He stated that 90% of the armed forces would back Guaidó if needed.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref></ref>
Air Force general Víctor Romero Meléndez supported Guaidó and called upon the Armed Forces to "support the people and the constitution".<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Retired air force [[major general]] Jorge Oropeza recognized Guaidó as interim president.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Major General Alexis López Ramírez, who resigned his command of Venezuela's National Defense Council in 2017,<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> recognized Guaidó as president on 23 February 2019.<ref name= GeneralAlexis>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> López Ramírez demanded respect for Venezuela's constitution, criticized the presence of Cubans in Venezuela's military, and said that command of the armed forces had been usurped by police and politicians from the [[United Socialist Party of Venezuela]].<ref name= GeneralAlexis/>
On 18 March, Army general Carlos Rotondaro, who had been under sanctions by the United States since 2018, defected to Colombia and recognized Guaidó as Venezuela's president.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Rotondaro is a former Health Minister and former president of Venezuelan Social Security ( – IVSS); in an 18 March interview with NTN24, he fingered ex-Minister of Health Luis López as the person who had medicines withheld from patients,<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> referring to a ''The New York Times'' interview of Cuban medical professionals published on the same day.Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>}} On 4 April 2019, Maduro expelled him from the Armed Forces and degraded his rank.<ref name=Expulsaron13/>
===Other military===
[[File:Venezuelan National Guard desertion 23 February 2019.webm|thumb|Venezuelan National Guardsmen defecting into Colombia]]
In early 2019, a group of Venezuelan ex-army and police officers in Peru announced support for Guaidó, disclaiming Maduro.<ref></ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Multiple groups of similarly retired or displaced soldiers said that they would return to fight Maduro if needed.<ref name=NYT31>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Early on [[2019 Venezuelan protests#21-22 January|21 January]], at least 27 soldiers of the [[Venezuelan National Guard]] stationed near [[Miraflores Palace]] [[Mutiny|mutinied]] against Maduro. ''The Guardian'' reported that they kidnapped four security staff and stole weaponry from a post in Petare, and posted videos on social media promising the military would fight against the government. Rioting and arson took place in the area and tear gas was used on civilian protestors. After overnight fighting, the soldiers were taken by authorities.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref></ref> Five were injured<ref></ref> and one person died in the mutiny: a civilian woman who was confused for a protester was killed by members of a [[Colectivo (Venezuela)|''colectivo'']].<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> The [[BBC]] compared the mutiny to the [[El Junquito raid]] a year earlier, which resulted in the death of rebel leader [[Óscar Alberto Pérez|Óscar Pérez]].<ref></ref>
On 17 February, five military personnel and snipers were arrested by the [[Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence]] in Ureña, Táchira state, after publishing a video in which they declared support for Guaidó.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
=== Diplomatic and political ===
Following the 23 January events, some Venezuelan diplomats in the United States supported Guaidó; the majority returned to Venezuela on Maduro's orders.<ref name=":23">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
Venezuela's ambassador in Iraq, [[Jonathan Velasco]], recognized Guaidó, indicating that the National Assembly is the only government branch "associated with ethics, legitimacy and legality" and responsible for filling the "power vacuum created by the violation of the constitution".<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
The Consul general of Venezuela in Houston recognized Guaidó, saying "I am at your service and at your disposal to serve my country."<ref name=":23" />
Although consular officers destroyed thousands of documents from the ambassador's office and both the administration and consular section, nine officials decided to stay.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
The top Venezuelan consular officer in [[Miami]] supported Guaidó, stating "it [follows] my democratic principles and values" and urging other diplomats to "embrace the Constitution" and join Guaidó in trying to force new elections.<ref></ref> Two consular officials in Chicago recognized Guaidó, saying they wanted to be "associated with democratic principles and values".<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
The top Venezuelan military representative to the United States, Colonel José Luis Silva, recognized Guaidó as his president.<ref></ref>
== Notes ==
== References ==
[[Category:2019 in politics]]
[[Category:2019 in Venezuela]]
[[Category:Crisis in Venezuela]]
[[Category:Political history of Venezuela]]
[[Category:2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis]]
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