Six on Venezuela: U.S. working on options to pressure Cuba and Russia out of Venezuela; Once Again, Mainstream Media Get It W
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"The European Union and the [self-appointed] Lima Group -- comprising Canada and 12 Latin American countries -- are pushing hard for talks between the opposition and the Maduro government. Members of both sides are now in Norway to explore a dialogue, and Canada is trying to get Cuba at the table.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States was “working with the Cubans” to find a solution to the crisis. The United States is focused on exerting pressure on the island’s government to reassess its support for Maduro, the official suggested.
The State Department official said the administration will continue making the case to its allies of the need to put pressure on Cuba, which is believed to be providing security and counterintelligence support to Maduro. Cuba’s economy heavily relies on subsidized Venezuelan oil, through an agreement struck by Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez when they were leaders.
“U.S. unilateral pressure will not be sufficient, but we are working very closely with our allies,” the official said about Cuba. “We need to focus much more on Cuba’s sponsorship of the Maduro regime,” the official said.
“We see Cuban military officers in Sebin (Venezuelan intelligence police), in the presidential guard, and we know they’re having a direct role in the intimidation of the players that were directly involved in these conversations” leading to the failed uprising. “It’s very challenging to decide to flip sides if you know you’re under Cuban surveillance.”
The Trump administration has already imposed more sanctions on Cuba. It tightened restrictions on travel and remittances to slash financial resources going to the Cuban military, and imposed sanctions on companies and vessels involved in carrying Venezuelan oil to the island."
"Many in the crowd said it was one of the largest and most vibrant demonstrations in support of the Maduro government, echoing marches from the era of his popular predecessor, Hugo Chávez. This point is key: If this march was any measure, the continuing push to overthrow Maduro has had the opposite effect, consolidating his base despite internal divisions and criticism of his government.
“Guaidó’s stupidity is Chavismo’s best ally, because it has unified people in support of Maduro,” said Gilberto Giménez, the president of the small, pro-Maduro Electoral People’s Movement party.
This is a far cry from the image that continues to be pushed by Washington and the opposition, as well as on social media and the international press. On Wednesday night, just two hours after the end of the Maduro rally, Guaidó told Fox News’ Trish Regan that Maduro’s government was crumbling.
“Today, between 91 and 95 percent of our population wants change. Today Maduro is very weak. He doesn’t even have the support of the armed forces,” Guaidó claimed. This illusion, like his Tuesday morning tweet, has helped distort the reality of events here for the foreign media.
Just one hour after Guaidó’s message, the Venezuelan defense minister tweeted that the military remained loyal to Maduro. The street protesters’ battles outside Carlota made clear that Guaidó did not hold that base and that he had no military support beyond a few dozen soldiers. Yet international outlets continued to report that a widespread military uprising was underway. In a story published that evening, which has now been revised, the BBC asked whether Guaidó controlled a substantial portion of the Venezuelan armed forces.
Venezuelans know the power of media. The pretext for the 2002 coup against Chávez was based on images recorded and manipulated by an opposition media outlet to show metropolitan police firing on unarmed protesters. It was a lie, as uncovered in several investigations, including the documentary Llaguno Bridge: Keys to a Massacre, which I narrated and translated into English 15 years ago."
"John Bolton, President Trump’s national security advisor, is leading the United States in a dangerous direction.
In February, it was Bolton who reportedly pressed Trump to take an uncompromising line on denuclearization with North Korea’s Kim Jung Un, leading to a fruitless summit and an escalation of tensions. More recently, Bolton has taunted the Iranian regime, including issuing a dire warning last week of impending U.S. military action. And, closer to home, he has become the point person for the administration’s efforts to oust Nicolás Maduro’s government in Venezuela
While these may seem like disconnected responses to pressing global events, they are not. Rather, they reflect Bolton’s longstanding grudges against North Korea, Iran and Cuba (Maduro’s patron), and his deeply held beliefs regarding the futility of diplomacy, the benefits of regime change, and the wisdom of military action.
Bolton — an unrepentant champion of the disastrous Iraq war — has never met a rogue state he didn’t want to isolate, topple and attack — and North Korea has long been at the top of his hit list."
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U.S. rules out negotiation with Venezuela’s Maduro as opposition seeks military cooperation
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