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Sunday, May 5, 2019
On Sunday, the Venezuela pro-Democratic opposition leader Juan Guaidó announced he was considering requesting military intervention from the United States as current Socialist President Nicolás Maduro retained military backing. Protestors and security forces fought over the weekend utilizing bottles, tear gas, Molotov cocktails, heavy objects like bricks or stones, Rubber bullets, and armored vehicle with reports of live ammunition being fired.
Guaidó’s pro-Democratic party gained majority control over the National Assembly when he declared he was the intrim-president under the Constitution stating the previous presidential election of Maduro was fraudulent. Senior military officials and the military at large remains loyal to Maduro as Guaidó’s weekend push over television and radio to end Maduro’s administration calling the action the final stages of Operation Liberty.
The international community have placed support behind each leader with Russia and China predominately backing Maduro while the US with 50 others countries backing Guaidó. US President Donald Trump has not explicitly pledged any military assistance action inside Venezuela, but has assembled needed humanitarian aid along the boarder with other countries following suite. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the international support of Maduro during ABC News’ This Week broadcast on Sunday saying, “It’s very clear, we want the Russians out, we want the Iranians out, we want the Cubans out.”
Pompeo further explained, “We have a full range of options that we’re preparing for … diplomatic options, political options, options with our allies and then ultimately a set of options that would involve use of U.S. military,” however after a failed clandestine operation on Wednesday and overstating the military control this weekend, using US forces is not popular even inside Venezuela. The violence has not ceased with Pompeo estimating the fighting would continue for another 2-4 weeks.
According to the non-partisan Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict reports dozens of injuries and the death of Jurubith Rausseo, 27-year-old of Altamira, with a gunshot to his chest. Political detention watch organization Foro Penal reports approximately 25 other individuals were arrested. During one confrontation caught on video shows an armored vehicle jumping the median driving over a number of protestors. Pictures and videos show militia dressed in military combat uniforms with hoods riding motorcycles shooting tear gas or live ammunition into pockets of protestors.