President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela was the subject of a reported assassination attempt yesterday. He alleged US involvement indirectly but details remain incomplete.
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Assassination Attempt on Maduro?
Yesterday, Venezuela premier Nicolas Maduro was presiding over a military demonstration when an explosion could be heard. Reports have stated that there were drones involved as well though they were disabled prior to reaching Maduro. The explosion was thought to be a car bomb initially, but reports suggested later that a building nearby was pouring out smoke and that the explosion was likely the result of a bomb in a nearby building.
Protection services rushed to Maduro, placing protective shields (they appeared to be Kevlar sheets) around him until he could be removed from the scene. While Maduro came away unharmed, military members in attendance were hurt and one killed in the attack.
Here is a video of the event from CNN:
Accusations Made
Following the incident, Maduro was able to determine the source within three hours. Maduro proclaimed that a combination of Colombian sources and those from the US state of Florida were responsible for the attack. While I have no information to the contrary, it strikes me as overwhelmingly fast to reach such a specific conclusion.
Maduro was a little restrained in his determination of cause, falling short of accusing the US government directly. The Colombian officials were not spared. Maduro specifically called out Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos blaming him for undermining Venezuela’s democracy.
This probably won’t help US-Venezuelan relations and may make Venezuela tourist visas even harder to obtain.
US Response?
While he left US President Donald Trump out of the official planning of the attack and assassination attempt, he called on the President directly to address terrorists in his own country who he claims orchestrated the attempt. Typically, in this sort of situation, I would have expected Maduro to suggest the CIA was involved in some way, but Maduro instead suggested that it was the result of Venezuelan expatriates in the sunshine state that coordinated activities.
President Donald Trump was silent on about the event on Twitter, his preferred medium for speaking out on issues. Instead, he addressed concerns on tariffs with China, offered to “meet or not meet” with Iran, covered a campaign event in Ohio for which he appeared and this morning has addressed fake news regarding the ongoing Mueller investigation. Trump has neither confirmed nor denied any involvement of any US party for the attack, he hasn’t yet acknowledged it has taken place.
In recent weeks, following the controversial election that kept Maduro in power, the US Administration has returned to financial sanctions to force change. Vice President Pence has also voiced his concern over the election process and human rights violations alleged in the South American country.
What Does This Mean for Venezuela?
Tourism to the South American country has been ill-advised for some time. I don’t believe that things will improve for some time even if there is a change from Maduro. It’s a shame that both Matthew and I (who have a great desire to see Venezuela) will have to table the matter even longer as the political situation continues to deteriorate.
While I would never support the assassination of a sitting president, it is clear by opposition forces that they will do what they feel is necessary to depose Maduro. Since taking office, the Venezuelan Bolivar has experienced the highest inflation rates in the world. When I was considering going to Venezuela 16 months ago, the price of a café con leche coffee (the metric Bloomberg has installed to measure true inflation of a basic good) has soared from 1,800 Bolivars ($.50) to 2 million.
Some are now trading in eggs due to their tangible value and portability instead of bills at all. Millions of Venezuelans have fled to nearby Colombia which is now bursting at the seams. Nothing in Venezuela is certain at the moment and if Maduro were to be deposed, either by force or stepping down from his role, the power vacuum would create a less stable environment initially. When Venezuela will return to the economic power they once were, holding the world’s largest crude reserves, is anyone’s guess.
Who do you think could be responsible for the attack on Maduro? What will it take for him to step down? Would a replacement of leadership solve the problems of the country?
Why are you linking to fake news CNN? Makes me wonder about your credibility and judgement.
The DailyMail has the best video but was not easily linked.
Hi kyle – if ur a fan of geopolitics in region highky suggest reading “confessions of an economic hitman” – or having it read to u on audible! Its fun read, and i dont necessarily buy 100% of it, but def think that more than half is true, which is pretty eye opening… or at least was for me!
Added to the cart, thanks!
I thought u were a travel writer?? What is up with this nonsense article ??your liberal left sided D.C. Side is showing too much!!
Matthew (who lived in DC) did not write this post, I (Kyle Stewart) did. I have no Washington leanings and I don’t think it was written from a liberal nor conservative perspective.
Dotti, I just want to also add that this article was not written by me. But I also don’t see any bias on Kyle’s part.
STC are you suggesting this reporting bu CNN is fake? Me me wonder about the state of your mental health. If you follow the modern history of Venezuelan politics your will find our current administration acts very similar to venezuela. Very scary!
Please elaborate, Bg. Name one instance. Please.
It’s quite the opposite in fact. It’s liberals like you that want to take us down the path of Venezuela. This is the end result of policies pushed by your extreme left wing, like your new little darling Brooklynite.
And by the way, Maduro: If the US wanted to off you, you would be dead by now. Rule #1 of the socialist playbook is to blame all your problems on some boogieman (like the USA).
If anyone is going to plunge our country into Venezuelan-style anarchy, it’s your little darling President–orange-faced, small-handed, borderline retarded, disdainful of the law and the common man. Scream on about the “horrors” of socialism–no one is listening anymore.
wow, the right-wing crazies that are desperate to destroy the fabric of our society are out in force in these comments @Dottic @stc etc
I guess you didn’t notice that they story is about what happens when left wing crazies are in power.
Methinks had this been real threat by the US, and not a set up by mr ripe (señor Maduro translated) to help rally his starving folks around him, it would have been a predator drone and not the dwerpy one used. US is always such a convenient punching bag.
While the drone used was not listed, I too doubt that it was something of a militant variety. That, however, has me concerned that others might use drones to attack civilian targets in the future.
If the US wanted this guy dead hw would already be for many years. This was probably plotted by his own people so he can be on the news.
I also doubt the US had any involvement, the veracity of the attempt as it has been conveyed by Venezuelan authorities is also in doubt.
Maduro and his predecessor Chavez have always blamed the US for any problems instead of their idiotic socialist policies that turned the once thriving country into the “third world shit-hole” it is today.
Trust me when I say, if the US was involved, Maduro would no longer be with us. This sounds like an attack by a desperate, starving populace trying to return some semblance of normalcy to their once great country using some DJI drones and a couple hand grenades. Too bad they missed.
“This probably won’t help US-Venezuelan relations and may make Venezuela tourist visas even harder to obtain.”
-guessing this was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, Venezuela is not currently any place a tourist should visit, when the prevailing trade goes not even to a hard currency but to the very basic commodity of eggs, it tells you just how desperate an economy has become. Here in Florida there have been widespread reports that people in Venezuela are killing and eating Flamingos, something that would have been unthinkable a short time ago.
I discount reports that the US government had anything to do with this attack. To what end? I think that the stories of the ex-pat Venezuelan community in Florida being behind this attack is a greater possibility, they are also perhaps among the very few that still have or desire access to this desperate country.
I think Maduro staged this attack, just like Erdogan staged his own “coup” in Turkey…
Anyone denying even the possibility of US involvement is delusional. In fact, most rational people would assume it , given the long and remarkably ugly pattern of covert and direct interference in the affairs of others. It’s always deny, deny, deny…until the truth outs, even years or decades later. Obama wouldn’t have done it but with Whacko Trump and his band of Dr Strangelove clones, anything is possible.