Trump recognizes Venezuela opposition leader Juan Guaid as interim president

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: NBC News

Trump recognizes Venezuela opposition leader Juan Guaid as interim president

Jan. 23, 2019, 1:30 PM EST
By Carmen Sesin

President Donald Trump officially recognized Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaid as interim president after Guaid declared himself the country's leader amid cheers from thousands who were protesting in the streets.

"In its role as the only legitimate branch of government duly elected by the Venezuelan people, the National Assembly invoked the country's constitution to declare Nicols Maduro illegitimate, and the office of the presidency therefore vacant," said Trump in a statement. "The people of Venezuela have courageously spoken out against Maduro and his regime and demanded freedom and the rule of law."
....

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/trump-recognizes-venezuela-opposition-leader-juan-guaido-interim-president-n961771

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Hat tip, the White House. See? I said you had to pay attention to these things.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-donald-j-trump-recognizing-venezuelan-national-assembly-president-juan-guaido-interim-president-venezuela/

STATEMENTS & RELEASES

Statement from President Donald J. Trump Recognizing Venezuelan National Assembly President Juan Guaido as the Interim President of Venezuela

FOREIGN POLICY Issued on: January 23, 2019

Today, I am officially recognizing the President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the Interim President of Venezuela. In its role as the only legitimate branch of government duly elected by the Venezuelan people, the National Assembly invoked the country's constitution to declare Nicolas Maduro illegitimate, and the office of the presidency therefore vacant. The people of Venezuela have courageously spoken out against Maduro and his regime and demanded freedom and the rule of law.

I will continue to use the full weight of United States economic and diplomatic power to press for the restoration of Venezuelan democracy. We encourage other Western Hemisphere governments to recognize National Assembly President Guaido as the Interim President of Venezuela, and we will work constructively with them in support of his efforts to restore constitutional legitimacy. We continue to hold the illegitimate Maduro regime directly responsible for any threats it may pose to the safety of the Venezuelan people. As Interim President Guaido noted yesterday: "Violence is the usurper's weapon; we only have one clear action: to remain united and firm for a democratic and free Venezuela."

[Recursion]

1. Brazil recognized him as well (nt)

[Amishman]

2. Yup, this might be so easy even Trump can get it right

Maduro has proven to be oppressive and a poor steward of the Venezuelan people. With the issues with the last election, he lacks democratic legitimacy. Time for him to go and for Venezuela to heal.

[juxtaposed]

3. Tme for Venezuela to deport Juan Guaid and his cast of characters.

[EX500rider]

14. You mean time to suppress and jail the opposition? Like they have been doing?

How democratic of you.

[Recursion]

8. This is way too soon

Don't (publicly) support the usurper until he has usurped.

[oldsoftie]

10. I believe Canada and Columbia has as well. Maybe even more by now.

[Farmer-Rick]

21. He's funded by US tax dollars and is a Trump Puppet.

[Recursion]

22. Eh, it's not that simple

Volundad Popular is a member of the Socialist International and was always anti-authoritarian rather than reactionary. Guaidó Márquez himself has support from the Latin American left and center; the right is leery of him but will take him over Maduro, for now. The US hawks with a dog in the race still have crazy fever dreams of Carmona or one of his creatures (which Guaidó Márquez is not) coming back.

[Farmer-Rick]

24. I have a hard time believing he is NOT taking money from the US And doing their bidding

It's like the Russians in the US. They fund the NRA, Trump and other GOP Senators, House Members and the RepubliCON party. But they spread a liberal message on Russian TV, facebook and other media outlets but with an eye for disruption and creating infighting among liberals. Carmona maybe their golden boy but there is so much US money floating around in Venezuelan politics (Not Just legal Tax appropriations) you can't trust the opposition. Remember how Trump was suppose to be a populace? Yeah right like Hitler was a populace.

Yeah some of the Latin American left and center are in bed with the same US factions paying off opposition parties in Venezuela. Name a US conservative that doesn't have a money trail that leads to Putin. The same thing is going on in Venezuela. And as a general principal, if you are against what Traitor Trump is doing, you are almost always on the side of the angels.

[Recursion]

26. Well, Venezuelan resistance doesn't have to fit into your neat Northern categories

They're not doing this for you, nor to piss you off

[Farmer-Rick]

4. So who voted him in? Not a single ballot was cast for this opposition protester

He declared himself president and Traitor Trump declares himself king. Neither of them are what they declare themselves to be.

Traitor Trump really wants another Pinochet so bad he gets a ....... He wants to be as horrible as Kissinger and Nixon. He really likes provoking and destabilizing. I wonder what Putin gets out of this? Less competition for oil sales? A Russian mobster appointed to sell off Venezuela oil fields....to Putin?

So when Guaido rounds up all the liberals and murders them like Pinochet, like Putin, will Traitor Trump applaud?

[Igel]

7. He's head of the National Assembly.

Which is who the constitution says is in charge in the absence of an elected president.

It's like if Trump and Pence died in an air crash, Pelosi--for whom nobody cast a single ballot (in a presidential race)--would take over.

The US is following the following fascist countries, apparently, in recognizing Guaido:
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Argentina
Peru
Colombia
Paraguay
Ecuador
Guatemala
Costa Rica
Honduras
Panama

Mexico and Bolivia support Maduro. A number of countries are quiet. Some, like Guyana, out of fear, given Maduro's imperialist irredentist saber-rattling.

I seem to know more than you, and I have very little idea what Guaido's views are, to be honest.

[Amishman]

9. This! Guaido is the most legitimate leader they have

Maduro's recent election was manipulated and the opposition suppressed. There is an excellent argument that Venezuela does not have an elected President as there was not a true free election. Power should go to the head of the Assembly until a new proper election can be held. Which is what he appears to be going for as he has referred to himself as an interim president

Given the obvious parallels I would have expected DU to be enthusiastically supporting Guaido.

[oldsoftie]

11. Still a lot of Maduro apologists here.

Yes, my count is low, but ive been reading for years!

[Farmer-Rick]

17. Still a lot of Trump support and anti-socialists

If Trump is for it and supports this man, then you can bet your bottom dollar this guy is on the side of the devil.

[myohmy2]

23. +1

...

[GatoGordo]

29. Would you like to point out some Socialist wins?

Socialism only exists in a democracy because Capitalism sustains it.

[oldsoftie]

30. You'd rather have Maduro than the Constitutionally legitimate person because trump recognizes him?

Several other countries across the world have also recognized him. Even Kosovo

[Farmer-Rick]

20. You do realize our TAX dollars support Guaido political activities.

Yeah especially since Trump and the RepubliCONS so enthusiastically support him and fund his political activities.

Do you really love this Trump Puppet?

[Amishman]

25. He seems to be the best hope of ending Maduro's oppression

And the best path back to true democracy and prosperity, so yes. The situation is Venezuela is desperate, can't be too picky given the awful current state of the country. Wait much longer and the economic damage will be even worse. They are dependent on their oil industry and from what I am reading the military officers out in charge of oil production are rapidly destroying what remained of their production capability through incompetence.

Not to mention the humanitarian aspect. Widespread starvation and 100+ dead at the hands of Maduro's troop in crackdowns on protestors/opposition

[Farmer-Rick]

19. Well, you should look them up because your tax dollars fund his political activities.

[EX500rider]

15. "So when Guaido rounds up all the liberals and murders them..."

He's a member of the Popular Will Party:
Popular Will (Spanish: Voluntad Popular; VP) is a centrist social-democratic political party.
The party was formed in reaction to alleged infringements of individual freedom and human rights on the part of the socialist government of the Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez and his successor, Nicolás Maduro. The party attempts to bring together Venezuelans of various backgrounds who consider “chavismo” oppressive and authoritarian. Popular Will self-identifies itself as “a pluralist and democratic movement” that is committed to “progress,” which it defines as the realization of “the social, economic, political, and human rights of every Venezuelan.”
The party’s "fundamental pillars" are progress, democracy, and social action.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_Will
That sounds like Pinochet to you?

[Farmer-Rick]

18. Yeah and RepubliCONS claim they are NOT racists and support women.

They are a right wing party that surprisingly supports LBGT rights...at least for now. They want free trade and globalization and are funded by the US government. So of course Trump wants them to take over Venezuela and their oil...so would Exxon and the Koch brothers.

The party currently holds 14 out of 167 seats in the Venezuelan National Assembly, the country's parliament, and is a member of the Democratic Unity Roundtable, the electoral coalition that currently holds a supermajority in the National Assembly. (SO NO they themselves do not hold any majority because 14 out of 167 is not a majority. )

"The US has continued its longstanding practice of funding programs that it often claims are aimed at promoting fair elections and human rights, but also strengthen Venezuelan opposition groups—and this money may be influencing the ongoing protests that have helped put the country in a political crisis.

These programs have several names and objectives. Some have clearly benevolent goals; one is targeted at discouraging violence against women, for instance. But other US efforts in Venezuela are unabashedly political, such as a 2004 USAID program that, according to a Wikileaks cable, would spend $450,000 to “provide training to political parties on the design, planning, and execution of electoral campaigns.” The program would also create “campaign training schools” that would recruit campaign managers and emphasize “the development of viable campaign strategies and effectively communicating party platforms to voters.”

Interestingly, it's illegal for a US political party or candidate to accept funding from any “foreign national,” which includes individuals, corporations, and governments. Venezuela passed a similar law in 2010, but this is easily circumvented by channeling the money through NGOs."

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/av44kg/does-the-uss-funding-of-the-venezuelan-opposition-matter

So don't be fooled, this party is a front for Trump and the RepubliCONS. And is it a surprise they have been able to manipulate voters? They manipulated the US into voting for the Putin's puppet. It's all about the money....thanks to capitalism.

[GatoGordo]

28. Give all of apostates one example of a great Socialist win anywhere?

Cuba?

North Korea?

The notoriously neutral Swiss have recognized the AN leader as the new President of Venezuela.

[EX500rider]

32. Again: Popular Will a centrist social-democratic political party.

You have offered zero proof that it is otherwise.

[GatoGordo]

35. I have lived in Venezuela. I have family there

I cannot find a single mainstream "right-wing" political party anywhere. Even the vilified (by the Chavistas) "Adecos" and the COPEI parties were left or left leaning.

Where they crooked? Yes. Liars? Most definitely. But it took Chavez and the PSUV to take looting the national treasury to a whole new stratospheric level.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. Not that Maduro is a good guy, but what makes Guaido in any way shape or form legitimate?

What's next? Is he going to recognize pro-Russian separatists in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine as legitimate leaders as well?

[oldsoftie]

12. See post #7

[Tommy_Carcetti]

13. But has Maduro actually ceded or abandoned power?

If so, sure you can make an argument that Guaido is president, like it or not.

Much like how Yanukovich fled Ukraine following the Maidan protests.

But if not, it’s just wishful thinking and I don’t see how pretending someone is in charge if he’s not actually in charge is going to help. More likely it will just add to the chaos.

[oldsoftie]

16. Oh of course not. He'll stay as long as possible. Its his gravy train

But what if all the other countries started dealing with this new guy and ignoring Maduro?
I dont know.
But until the military sides with the people, this 2 decade disaster will continue.

[Recursion]

6. We're jumping the gun here IMO

Nobody's ducks are in a row right now

[Devil Child]

27. I thought the US stands against undemocratic coup actions?

Not surprised by this action but still disgusted. Maduro is Venezuelan's problem, not ours.

[oldsoftie]

31. Its not undemocratic. He's following the Constitution of VZ as the legitimate leader.

Maduro has not won a legal election, and this guy is the next in line to take over.

[EX500rider]

33. What was undemocratic was when Maduro lost control....

.....of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, Maduro set up a separate body, the constituent assembly, which is filled with his supporters. Kinda like if Trump set up his own congress stuffed with toadies and ignored the real one.

[GatoGordo]

36. But first they seated (unconstitutionally) a 100% Chavist Supreme Court, the TSJ

Who decided to take it upon themselves to render any law from that super-majority in the AN null. The TSJ unilaterally claimed the AN (National Assembly) in contempt because the PSUV (Chavez' party) accused 3 Amazonas AN members of bribery (never proven... not that that matters to them)

Maduro rules by decree. His TSJ rubber stamps all of his "new laws". And the Constitutional Assembly (assembled outside of the Constitution!), which is supposed to re-write the Constitution? NOTHING from them since being selected (by Chavismo). But they are quick to pass any law that Maduro wants passed.

Yes. Imagine trump with a whole omnipotent, unicameral congress of Ted Cruz types

[EX500rider]

34. Lets see, who came out in Maduro's corner for this:

Russia, N Korea, Turkey, China, etc.
Kinda tells you what side to be on right there.
Beside the US, seven South American nations, as well as Canada and the UK, have now backed this.

[GatoGordo]

37. Now Switzerland and Sweden

EU to make a decision this week

[ripcord]

38. I wonder who made this decision for Trump?

You know if it is the right call it was from someone else.