Venezuela news: State uses tear gas on protestors as Pompeo threatens US military action
Protestors have taken to the streets in Venezuela in competing demonstrations as the battle for power continues in Caracas and beyond.
Opposition leader Juan Guaido has declared himself the legitimate leader of the country, backed by the US and dozens of other nations, after accusing President Nicolas Maduro of fraudulently keeping his place in office. He has called for mass protests.
He too has called for his “working class supporters” to take to the streets on Wednesday, which is International Workers’ Day.
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that the US will take military action in Venezuela “if required” but would prefer a peaceful solution to the crisis.
The Pentagon on Wednesday appeared to downplay any active planning to directly intervene in Venezuela to topple President Nicolas Maduro, telling Congress it had not been given orders to prepare for war and stressing support for diplomacy.
Asked whether the US military had been given instructions to prepare for a military conflict, perhaps by prepositioning troops, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Kathryn Wheelbarger said: “We of course always review available options and plan for contingencies.”
“But in this case we have not been given (the) sort of orders that you’re discussing, no,” Ms Wheelbarger told the House Armed Services Committee.
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Hello and welcome to out coverage of the situation in Venezuela. Thousands are expected to take to the streets today as opposition leader Juan Guaido tries to continue what has been labelled as "operation freedom" to remove President Nicolas Maduro
Mr Guaido has pushed for an end to Mr Maduro's presidency, calling himself the legitimate leader of the nation after Mr Maduro kept control of power in the most recent elections. The results were widely denounced as illegitimate with Mr Maduro accused of corruption and vote rigging.
Mr Guiado has been backed by the US and a host of other nations, with Washington quick to point the finger at Cuba for backing Mr Maduro.
President Donald Trump's administration has cooled relations with Cuba since coming into office, with national security advisor John Bolton labelling them part of a "troika of tyranny" in Central and South America, alongside Caracas and Nicaragua.
Mr Trump threatened Cuba with a full embargo yesterday:
Mr Maduro has also called for his "working class supporters" to take to the streets on Wednesday, which is International Workers' Day - leading to the possibility of clashes between the opposing sides.
Many of the military's leadership have appeared on television in support of Mr Maduro, suggesting that Mr Guaido's pre-dawn announcement of military support was not as strong as he claimed.
The fact that the two sides appear at an impasses, with calls for supporters to take to the streets in a show of power means that Mr Guaido's push for control has not been as strong or as quick as he would have liked.
Leopoldo Lopez, Mr Guaido's political mentor and the nation's most-prominent opposition activist, stood alongside him after being released by military factions supporting the uprising.
Detained in 2014 for leading a previous round of anti-government unrest, Mr Lopez later took refuge in the Spanish embassy in Caracas, Madrid confirmed.
Both Mr Guaido and Mr Lopez face arrest and jail if the uprising is fully forced down by the forces of Mr Maduro.
They will need the continued support of nations like the US, with Mr Bolton making clear yesterday that Washington could continue to offer what it could.
The unrest in Venezuela, which comes amid economic turmoil that has left millions without basic supplies and thousands fleeing over the border into Colombia can be traced back years.
Donald Trump's national security advisor John Bolton has been tweeting again this morning. The reference to "foreign security forces" is likely a reference to both Cuba and Russia.
Russia is one of Venezuela's largest international backers. It has sent aid to the country and Rosneft, the Russian oil giant, has poured millions of pounds worth of investment into the country's oil sector.
US Secretary of state Mike Pompeo suggested yesterday during an interview with CNN that Mr Maduro had been ready to board a plane to Cuba yesterday morning - but was talked out of it by Moscow. Mr Maduro later denied the suggestion.
As part of such an "information war," the Russian Embassy in London has tweeted remarks blaming the "radical" opposition for "resorting to violence".
Yesterday, amid protesters throwing stones and other projectiles at government-supporting soldiers a military vehicle ran into a group of demonstrators.
Back in Washington, Mike Pompeo has said that the United States was prepared to take military action to stem the ongoing turmoil in Venezuela.
“Military action is possible. If that's what's required, that's what the United States will do,” Mr Pompeo told Fox Business Network, but added that the United States would prefer a peaceful transition of power in Venezuela.
The US, and President Trump, have threatened such action before - but it gains a new dimension given the White House's support of the opposition's actions
The US has been tweeting out parts of that Fox Business interview in Spanish, presumably for consumption in South America.
Excuse my Spanish, but a rough translation is: "'Nerves of steel" have not been shown much today. While Juan Guiadó is talking to the people of Venezuela, in the streets, shaking hands and gathering people to support him, Nicholas Maduro has been hiding "– Secretary Pompeo tells @BretBaier of Fox News
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an order prohibiting U.S. air operators from flying below 26,000 feet in Venezuela's airspace until further notice, citing "increasing political instability and tensions".
The FAA notice said any air operators currently in Venezuela, which would include private jets, should depart within 48 hours.
