the War on Maduro has hit a new level of Surrealism, updated

...for Feb. 23, the date when the alt-troika of tyrrany: Guaido, Trump, and Abrams named as cruch time: 'let the aid caravans in...or risk invasion or what have you'. (see the end of the comments for updates.)

First up: ‘Sir Richard Branson’s Venezuelan-Border PR Stunt’, Joyce Nelson Feb. 19, counterpunch

“On February 15th Sir Richard Branson (whose net worth is estimated at about $4 billion) announced plans for a “Venezuela Aid Live” concert to be held on February 22 in the Colombian city of Cucuta and also live-streamed on the Internet, to raise $100 million for food aid.

Founder of the Virgin Group (400+ companies), Sir Branson is setting up the concert “at the request of” Juan Guaido (who declared himself interim president on Jan. 23) “and jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez to draw attention to the crisis in Venezuela. ‘Our goal is to raise $100 million dollars in 60 days and reopen Venezuela’s border so humanitarian aid can finally reach those millions who need it the most,’ said Branson.”

Juan Guaido has frequently pledged that the aid piling up in Colombia, Brazil and Curacao will enter Venezuela on Feb. 23. So Sir Branson’s concert is scheduled the day before Guaido’s deadline. Guaido has frequently taunted the Venezuelan military, trying to entice them into abandoning President Nicolas Maduro and opening a Trojan Horse aid corridor (operated by the U.S. and Guaido) that would allow direct foreign intervention in Venezuela.”

And given that the scurrilous, Eliott Abrams, appointed by ‘point man’ on VZ, Maduro knows full well what will likely really be on those planes.

But let’s check with Southern Command on Twitter Feb. 16: You can tell there are no rifles, rocket-launchers, just yanno: humanitarian aid can’t you?

CNN on the border (“A US military plane with humanitarian aid for Venezuela has landed in Colombia amid political crisis. (A previous tweet incorrectly stated the plane landed in Venezuela. It has been removed”) (Oopsie) had reported by way of the Southern Command twit account that:

“In addition to Colombia, the government of the Netherlands announced Wednesday that the Caribbean island of Curaçao would also be used as a “hub” to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid bound for Venezuela “in close coordination” with Guaido and the US. Both the US and Dutch militaries have used facilities on Curaçao.”

Back to Joyce Nelson:

“At the Saturday news conference in Cucuta, a representative for Juan Guaido told Reuters that “millions of Venezuelans” will be traveling to Cucuta by Feb. 23 to “safeguard arriving aid”. He said: “We are going to have the accompaniment of people, of hundreds of thousands, of millions of Venezuelans that our president, Juan Guaido, has called upon, who we have asked to go to the border dressed in white as a sign of peace.”

Rumor has it that Daddy Warbucks Billionaire Branson will air freight 10,000 white doves with olive branches in their beaks to be released at the same time.

Nelson then spends a lot of ink unmasking Leopoldo Lopez, who’d been jailed in 2015 for inciting the attempted coup and related violence against Maduro, but was release to house arrest by the Supreme Court as a ‘humanitarian gesture,’ citing unexplained health issues.’  She reports that Lopez is also the Chairman of the Board for Empresas Polar, the private company that controls the majority of the flour production and distribution in Venezuela, as in: why the long breadlines, Leopoldo?

But of course Lopez is free to communicate with the likes of Branson and Guaido, and just as likely Elliott Abrams.  Nelson writes that as of Feb. 15, the musicians slated to perform are: Peter Gabriel, Nacho, Alejandro Sanz, Carolos Vives and Juanes, Luis Fonsi, and Miguel Bose.

Here’s the list of groups who’ve been invited, and I sure hope Maná stays away.

Roger Waters is not amused: ‘Nothing to do with aid or democracy’: Roger Waters slams ‘humanitarian’ concert for Venezuela’ Rt.com, 20 Feb, 2019

“Pink Floyd ex-frontman Roger Waters is slamming Virgin tycoon Richard Branson’s aid concert for Venezuela as a sham, warning fans and performers not to be “led down a garden path that ends in regime change.”

Branson’s “Venezuela Aid Live” concert “has nothing to do with the needs of the Venezuelan people, it has nothing to do with democracy, it has nothing to do with freedom, and it has nothing to do with aid,” Waters declared in a video released on Tuesday.

The musician and political activist tore into the western media narrative depicting Venezuela as the victim of a humanitarian crisis created by socialism. “There is no civil war, no mayhem, no murder, no apparent dictatorship, no mass imprisonment of opposition, no suppression of the press” under President Nicolas Maduro, he said, citing friends “on the ground” in Caracas who could confirm this.

Waters reserved special scorn for Branson himself, “with his bleeding heart worn openly upon his Virgin Airways t-shirt,” claiming the magnate has bought into US propaganda. A spokesperson for Branson told the National Post that the US was “not involved in any aspect of this” and that the concert was “not a political statement.” 

Waters finished his speech with a warning to friend and fellow musician Peter Gabriel not to fall for the US line, reminding him how US-backed regime changes have turned out in the past.

“Do we really want Venezuela to turn into another Iraq or Syria or Libya? I don’t, and neither do the Venezuelan people.”

Reuters is reporting:

“Venezuelan Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez said on Monday that the government was also planning concerts on Feb. 22 and 23, on the Simon Bolivar bridge connecting the country with Cucuta, with the slogan “nothing for war, hands off Venezuela”.

The government would also hand out food to poor residents of Cucuta this weekend, he said in televised statements – a “cynical” move, according to opposition leader Juan Guaido, given shortages of food in Venezuela.”

No news yet on the VZ bands, but I sure do hope a lot of them are salsa bands like this one covering Santana’s Oye Como VA!.  Okay, it gets a bit jumbled toward the end, but at least you can dance to it, como no?

Let’s rewind to Feb. 18: Venezuela kicks out ‘interventionist’ team of European MPs coming to meet with Guaido’, Rt

“A six-member European delegation that sought to meet with self-proclaimed Venezuelan ‘interim president’ Juan Guaido is being expelled from Venezuela after being accused by Caracas of coming with “conspiratorial purposes.”

European MPs arrived in Venezuela on Sunday and were supposed to stay until Tuesday to carry out a series of meetings, including with Guaido, the leader of the opposition recognized by a number of European governments as the legitimate leader of Venezuela.

These plans, however, went awry shortly after they landed, when the MPs received a cold welcome from the Venezuelan authorities, who are now deporting them back to Europe, according to delegation member Esteban González Pons.

Pons tweeted that upon arrival their passports were seized and deportation procedures was launched. The politician, who hails from Spain’s liberal conservative Peoples’ Party, said that he was part of the “first international delegation invited by president Guaido.”

And from telesurenglish Feb. 19, ‘Venezuelan Military Head ‘Amazed’ by Trump ‘Celebrating Terrorism’ (with video)

“The Venenzuelan Armed Forces contested Trump’s Tuesday speech at Miami’s Florida International University where Trump reaffirmed his administration’s support for Juan Guaido who declared himself interim president of Venezuela Jan. 23. The U.S. head of state went on to attack socialism in Latin America.

“A new day is coming to Latin America. … The end of socialism has arrived in our hemisphere and in all parts of the world, not only in Venezuela but also in Nicaragua  and Cuba,” Trump said Tuesday during his 35-minute speech at the campus.

In direct response, Padrino said during his speech from Caracas, “Donald Trump believes he can order around Venezuelan soldiers, but his political advisors should check their facts because to be a commander of the FANB (Bolivarian National Armed Forces), he must be Venezuelan by birth, be of this country.”

“Congress already rejected Trump’s proposal to intervene militarily in Venezuela, however the president has continued his attempts to violate international law and to send unsolicited “humanitarian aid” to the “poor Venezuelan boys and girls,” which he once again proposed Tuesday in Miami.

For his part, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro once again criticized the humanitarian aid that many are calling a ‘Trojan Horse’ to intervene in Venezuela.

“What is it that Trump loves from Venezuela? Oil, coltan, diamonds … The (international) humanitarian aid is a show. (U.S. sanctions) rob us of US$30 billion and they offer us US$20 million in rotten food,” Maduro said during a Monday televised response just after Trump concluded his Florida speech.”

Now the only reference to ‘Congress already rejected Trump’s proposal to intervene militarily in Venezuela’ was this quote from Eliot Engel at global research:

US Congress Rejects Trump’s Warmongering, Won’t Support Military Intervention in Venezuela; Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Eliot Engel made the comments at the opening of a hearing on Venezuela”, and it links back to Telesur.

I had been aware of the growing number of signatures to this ‘Dear Colleague’ letter to Pompeo: ‘Support a Peaceful Political Solution to Avoid a Violent Conflict that Venezuelans Oppose’ which of course contains this by now boilerplate formulae of condemnation of Maduro, then boilerplate virtue-signaling:

“The letter condemns the Maduro government’s anti-democratic actions, human rights abuses and destructive economic policies, while expressing concerns that the Trump Administration’s misguided policy could make the situation even worse for the Venezuelan people.” and “The Trump Administration has also threatened military action, which would be illegal under domestic and international law without Congressional and United Nations approval.”

Are all the names on the right sidebar signatories?  I sure can’t tell.  Guess they would have objected to Obomba’s R2Ps and other wars of choice, right?  Would they mind if other nations and coalitions took military actions against Maduro?

In his ‘Trump declares global war on socialism’, 19 February 2019 wsws.org, Bill

Van Auken writes about DT’s speech in Florida:

“Mimicking the fascist dictators, the president’s hysterical antisocialism was combined with imperialist warmongering. Trump delivered an ultimatum to the Venezuelan military to either capitulate to US regime-change or be slaughtered. He made it clear that Washington views the coup against the government of Nicolas Maduro as only the first step in a hemisphere-wide war to overthrow the governments of Nicaragua and Cuba and eradicate the growing influence of the United States’ geopolitical rivals—China and Russia—in Latin America.”

“Trump’s speech, replete with vows of a global crusade against “communism and socialism,” reflected growing fears within the US ruling oligarchy—not of the insipid politics of the likes of Bernie Sanders or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—but rather of a dangerous challenge from below to their power and wealth. This ruling layer is rattled by a steady growth of strikes, including those breaking out in opposition to the existing unions, as well a widespread radicalization of both workers and youth. Recent polls have increasingly expressed the preference of the younger generation for socialism over capitalism. This fear among America’s billionaires and multimillionaires provides a core constituency for the fascistic agenda being promulgated by Donald Trump.”

‘Trump’s Venezuela gamble is turning out to be a beaten docket’, Finian Cunningham, Feb. 19, RT.com

“US President Donald Trump was asked by reporters at the weekend if he had a “plan B” for Venezuela if President Nicolas Maduro does not stand down soon, as Washington is demanding. With his typical bluster, Trump said he had several backup options.

But, despite his bravado, it looks like Trump’s bet on effecting regime change in Venezuela is a losing venture. The US seems to be increasingly desperate to salvage its plan to topple the government in Caracas.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who has been doing much of the bidding for Trump’s White House on Venezuela, flew down to the border crossing with Colombia where US military transport planes have been delivering food and medical aid.

The PR stunt resembled scenes from another US-backed regime change operation in Ukraine back in 2014, when the late Senator John McCain and State Department official Victoria Nuland handed out cookies to protesters.

Rubio was dangling food aid cargoes like a bribe. Speaking in Spanish, he cloyingly attempted emotional blackmail, directing his remarks at the Venezuelan military for allegedly denying food and other essentials to their “families.” Rubio also claimed if Venezuelan soldiers prevented distribution of aid supplies they would be liable to be prosecuted for “crimes against humanity.”

Fat fooking laugh, he writes (or close to that).

“But what Washington – through its arrogance and ignorance – did not count on was the resilience of the Venezuelan people. Many of them do not support a treasonous, marginal opposition which is evidently taking marching orders from “Yankee imperialists.” Washington also did not anticipate that the country’s military is professional and committed to defending the nation’s sovereignty. The Trump White House seems to think everyone can be bought for a price.

Significantly, too, Washington’s hegemonic conceit has totally misread today’s global politics. Russia, China, Mexico, Iran, Cuba, Turkey – and most other nations– have refused to kowtow to Washington’s dictate for regime change in Venezuela. The preponderant majority of nations continue to recognize President Maduro and his government as the legitimate authorities.”

“Meanwhile, Venezuela is also exposing the rogue states and instigators of international conflict – primarily Washington.”

I’ll close (finally!) with this from nowaronvenezuela.org: ‘An international call for coordinated actions to oppose U.S. war on Venezuela has been issued for the weekend of Saturday, February 23 – the 1 month anniversary of the U.S. attempted right-wing coup on Venezuela.’  It contains a list and map of participating global and US cities.

(cross-posted from Café Babylon)

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Cassiodorus's picture

Jeez.

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"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

wendy davis's picture

@Cassiodorus

edjumicate him, and he'll back out? i confess that i knew his name, not his music, though. i sense you like him.

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Cassiodorus's picture

@wendy davis when he gave up on Genesis and started doing solo work. His first and third albums, both untitled, are examples of good Peter Gabriel. They were cutesy in an '80s way, and back when I was an undergraduate at UCSC I ate this up. Also "Us" released in 1992 when I started as a doctoral student. Yeah and Gabriel discovered Youssou N'Dour for the world of commercial music, and no doubt corrupted him so that he thought he could make Senegalese music sell if he imitated Peter Gabriel in his productions.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that he's another "Leopoldo Lopez leftist."

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"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

wendy davis's picture

@Cassiodorus

although i dunno if i'll check them out esp. if you're not surprised that just a 'humanitarian activist (wiki) would dig leopoldo lopez. we live it the sticks, no public radio within distance, so we just kinda winged it on buying new music.

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wendy davis's picture

has Landed!

(retweeted by @Southcom):

Tweet below it:

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detroitmechworks's picture

Complete with the collateral Damage. (H/T to Douglas Adams.)

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

wendy davis's picture

@detroitmechworks

adams, lol. good un, DMW.

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earthling1's picture

@detroitmechworks
35th and Yamhill @ 3 pm on the 23rd. DMW.
I plan on being a warm body there.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

wendy davis's picture

@earthling1

and esp. for reminding me that i'd tho't to remind folks to check: nowaronvenezuela.org: ‘An international call for coordinated actions to oppose U.S. war on Venezuela has been issued for the weekend of Saturday, February 23 - the 1 month anniversary of the U.S. attempted right-wing coup on Venezuela.’ It contains a list and map of participating global nations and US cities....just in case.

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Maduro should just kill Guaido. End of story. Venezuelans would sleep better with one less fascist.

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travelerxxx's picture

@Battle of Blair Mountain

I understand the sentiment, but offing Guaido would just invite US warplanes, drones, and paid mercenaries. They're coming anyway, but at least it gives the people of Venezuela a little more time before war comes to their nation. Trump and his whole sick war-lusting crew would just love to see Guaido killed. In fact, if it happens, my first inclination would be that he was murdered by our own CIA. Bet on that.

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wendy davis's picture

@travelerxxx

a putin burger? (where are those lovely roses, anyhoo?) we seem to be on the same wavelength, only i'd forgotten to say that guaido would become a martyr to the cause, as well, as many color revolutions find useful.

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travelerxxx's picture

@wendy davis

Yes, even though Trump threatened the Venezuelan military's families (the guy's worse than some Mafia don - hell, they wouldn't even do that), the people that ought to be worried are those in Guaido's family.

I mean, Guaido has probably been CIA since his school days, but then Oswald probably was, too...

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wendy davis's picture

@travelerxxx

threatened the military as *well* as their families. no wonder mob boss pompeo had (mistakenly?) called him 'guido'. but yes, it's not hard to imagine the cia taking out guaido's family as a false flag casus belli.

how're ya doin', buster keaton?

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travelerxxx's picture

@wendy davis

I'm doing fine. Off to Louisiana for one last week of work for the Man. Retirement time for me starting next Thursday. Maybe I can participate more here at c99 after that. Hope so...

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wendy davis's picture

@travelerxxx

this earlier. often i keep a tab open for too long, then a comment isn't marked New when i come back. well, travel safely, and it will be good if you can participate more after your work for the man is over. ; )

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wendy davis's picture

@Battle of Blair Mountain

that he and others haven't engaged in such thought crimes. but i reckon that if he dies in anything close to suspicious circumstances, even in a false flag op, the US, non-alba states, including colombia (now in Nato), would figure they have evidence for casus belli to obliterate mauro and his 'henchmen'. don't you think? there are no rules any longer.

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wendy davis's picture

tonight's closing song is:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7APmRkatEU]

g'night; we'll see what tomorrow brings.

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wendy davis's picture

@crbngville

why ya been gone? pleased to meet you, and thanks for the link.

i'll add: ‘Venezuela: Massive Bolivarian March For Peace And Sovereignty’, telesur english

"Diosdado Cabello, president of the Venezuelan National Constituent Assembly (ANC) headed a new episode of the massive March for Peace that filled the streets of Ciudad Bolivar, in the Bolivar state that borders with Brasil and Guyana. (with a breathtaking photo of crowds on the bridge)

"Venezuela is a country of warriors that will stand against anybody," stated Cabello, form the Angostura Bridge on the border with Brazil. The Chavista leader called upon the Bolivarian people to defend the homeland against the foreign attacks that Venezuela is living.

Cabello, who is also the first Vice President of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), denounced that "what is behind the alleged 'humanitarian aid' is a big business," that is being led by the Venezuelan right-wing for their own profit.

In this massive mobilization, tens of thousands gathered to defend peace and to reject the interventionist intentions in which the United States and its allies are backing a coup d'etat. The Bolivar state is a geopolitical strategic territory in Venezuela because it borders with Guyana and with Brazil.

"The Bolivar state could be an entry point in which the opposition members could try to enter the alleged "humanitarian aid," sent by the U.S. and managed by right-wing forces in Venezuela.

However, Diosdado Cabello highlighted that the 70 tones of "humanitarian aid," can't be compared with the over six million families that are beneficiaries of the Local Committees of Supply and Production (Clap), provided by the Bolivarian government."

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@wendy davis
200,000 People!
And what's with the stages at the 'Aid' concert being a hundred feet from the 'crowd'?
Do they think brown people will rub off or something?

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Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .

Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .

If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march

The Aspie Corner's picture

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Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.

Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.

wendy davis's picture

@The Aspie Corner

(well, save for the fact that we're Not all Patriots, meaning er...: me); and thank you. nicolás may not know the term 'hybrid warfare', but he knows it when he and his nation are under its gun.

i'll add:

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wendy davis's picture

english's ‘Venezuela Advances Investigation Against Guaido’, feb. 20, this news:

"The Venezuelan government announced Wednesday that Russia will provide the country with 300 tons of high-cost medicine that the Venezuelan state has “paid with our hands, with dignity," Maduro said."

i poked about and some news agencies have it, as well as noting that russian news agencies are adding that russia is also sending (i assume in tankers) the chemical that VZ crude oil requires to thin it for market. iirc, some of the sanctions they're under makes it impossible to score the chemical.

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The Aspie Corner's picture

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Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.

Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.

wendy davis's picture

@The Aspie Corner

sorry to be so long. phones died yesterday, today the wifi. dude came and fixed them, at least temporarily. i cruised around, have lots to add. but this one, file under: They Don't Miss a Trick.

'Venezuela crisis threatens disease epidemic across continent - experts
‘Collapse of Venezuela’s healthcare system could fuel spread of malaria and other diseases across region
the grauniad, feb. 21

“Experts have warned of an epidemic of diseases such as malaria and dengue on an unprecedented scale in Latin America following the collapse of the healthcare system in Venezuela.

Continent-wide public health gains of the last 18 years could be undone if Venezuela does not accept help to control the spreading outbreaks of malaria, Zika, dengue and other illnesses that are afflicting its people, experts have warned in a report published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.

“These diseases have already extended into neighbouring Brazil and Colombia, and with increasing air travel and human migration, most of the Latin American and Caribbean region (as well as some US cities hosting the Venezuelan diaspora, including Miami and Houston) is at heightened risk for disease re-emergence,” says the paper.

“He said that the figures were probably an underestimate because the Venezuelan government had shut down the institution responsible for collecting data for the World Health Organization.

“Venezuelan clinicians involved in this study have also been threatened with jail, while laboratories have been robbed by militias, hard drives removed from computers, microscopes and other medical equipment smashed,” he said.”

meanwhile: ‘Venezuela Announces Arrival of 7.5 Tons of Medicine’, telesur feb. 21

“Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Moros announced on Thursday the arrival of medical aid, arriving from Russia for the strengthening of the public health system.”

"Fortunately we have good friends in the world and we have the support of the United Nations, the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization," he said.
President Maduro explained that some of the medicines that arrived in the country are: paracetamol, ampicillin, diazepam, digoxin, dopamine, sodium chloride solution, gentamicin, hydrocortisone, lidocaine, penicillin, salbutamol, among others.

President Maduro called upon Colombian President Ivan Duque to "stop serving the dark interests of Donald Trump," stating that their objective is to create a war between Venezuela and Colombia. "The economic blockade and the persecution that Donald Trump has against Venezuela requires us to improve. That is the challenge!" He stressed."

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The Aspie Corner's picture

@wendy davis And since you mentioned Haiti earlier, this might also interest you:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tak6Kb0qVlk]

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Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.

Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.

wendy davis's picture

@The Aspie Corner

different day, eh? ♪♪ and so on and so on, and shoobbie-doobie-doo...ooooh, sha sha!♪♪

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wendy davis's picture

‘Venezuela closes border with Brazil, may do the same at Colombia border – Maduro’, RT.com, 21 Feb, 2019

“Starting Thursday evening, Venezuela is closing its border with Brazil, President Nicolas Maduro has announced. He added the same measure may apply to the border with Colombia, though he does not want to order it.
The Venezuelan military was ordered to enforce the travel ban in airspace and on the sea until further notice, Maduro said during a televised address from a military headquarters.

Earlier on Thursday Guaido said he will personally go to the border with Colombia to get the shipment from the US, urging drivers to go with him and defy the border guards ordered to prevent the delivery.
Maduro’s government is suspicious of the US stated plan to provide humanitarian assistance to Venezuelan opposition. US envoy for Venezuela Elliott Abrams has a record of using humanitarian convoys to smuggle arms to Latin American countries targeted for regime change by Washington, and Caracas says he is now trying to follow the same script in Venezuela."

telesur has the video w/ english captions but maduro didn't say how they were closing it, but did warn ivan duqué that any violence at that border would be down to him.

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wendy davis's picture

on twitter.

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wendy davis's picture

Venezuelan border guards open fire on indigenous border community – reports, RT.com, 22 Feb, 2019 (the photo is from Reuters)

“A group of opposition deputies called the shooting “a brutal military crackdown on indigenous communities” who were trying to open the border to allow aid convoys from Brazil to pass. Images shared on social media show the indigenous community blocking military vehicles from accessing the area.”, etc.

that’s correct, aaron; thanks

US Plans to Deliver Arms to Venezuelan Opposition, Russia Warns’, telesur feb. 22

“The Russian government warned Friday that the United States and its allies from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of planning to deliver arms to the Venezuelan opposition.

"We have evidence that U.S. companies and their NATO allies are working on the issue of acquiring a large batch of weapons and ammunition in an Eastern European country for their subsequent transfer to Venezuelan opposition forces," the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said.

"The batch will reportedly include heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, portable missile launchers and ammunition for light weapons and artillery systems. So this is what they mean when they talk about delivering humanitarian aid." (RT has it that she’d added: “The cargo is set to arrive in Venezuela in early March through a neighboring country on aircraft flown by an international shipping company,” she said.”

"Apparently, in a provocative frenzy, our U.S. colleagues, who are now preparing an outrageous and obvious provocation on the Colombia-Venezuela border, were too enthusiastic and decided to participate in hints and propagations of fake news in the Security Council," the Russian diplomat said.
The Russian Spokeswoman also warned of the seriousness of the incidents that the U.S. government could trigger as it tries to destabilize President Maduro.

"The development of events in Venezuela has come to a critical point... On Feb. 23, a dangerous large-scale provocation is set to take place, instigated by the Washington-led crossing of the Venezuelan border with a so-called humanitarian convoy, which may lead to clashes between supporters and opponents, forming a convenient pretext for military action to remove the current legitimate president from government", Zakharova said."

CIA/special ops false flags, same shit, different day.

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wendy davis's picture

but here are a few new items:

Venezuela Foils Staged Attack at Border with Colombia’, feb. 23, telesur engish
“A group of right-wing terrorists Saturday took over multiple tanks that belong to the Venezuelan armed forces and rammed into border barriers at the Venezuelan-Colombian border in a staged operation ordered by right-wing opposition members in Colombia.
teleSUR correspondent in Venezuela said that Venezuelan immigration Police were securing the border point and that members of the Venezuelan army were deployed at the scene. "Three soldiers were moved to Colombian territory, but not all the armed forces of Venezuela."

Maduro english on twitter had been laughing at how far the 'crowd' was from the stage.

Tensions flare at Venezuela-Colombia border amid aid row (WATCH LIVE)’, rt.com, feb 23

the global 'no war on venezuela' actions have begun; see them on twitter. from berlin:

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wendy davis's picture

the 'open and independent journalists at the guardian are live-blogging the day of threats to maduro and venezuela.

'Venezuela: national guard and protesters clash as border tensions rise – live
Trucks carrying aid crossed border but are on Brazilian side of a blockade
Members of the armed forces defect on the Simón Bolívar bridgeVenezuelan police fire teargas after clashes break out on border'

aside from "Opposition president Juan Guaido is aboard one of the trucks", i like this 'Maduro made us do it!' the best so far:

"Protesters along Venezuela’s border with Colombia have stolen a red city bus and set it on fire to express outrage over thwarted humanitarian aid deliveries, the Associated Press reports:

Flames from the bus blaze in the border town of Urena also caused nearby power lines to spark. Protests broke out early in the day as opposition leader Juan Guaidó vowed to move in emergency food and medicine from the United States over objections from President Nicolaás Maduro. But Guaidó and other opposition leaders showed no immediate signs of being able to get the aid from a warehouse in Cúcuta, Colombia to Venezuela.

a few more tweets from 'no war on venezuela':

gabriel

on edit: from café commenter unity4greece:

Peter Gabriel a No-Show at Richard Branson’s “Concert For Regime Change”
Adam Garrie, 2019-02-23, eurasiafuture.com
(too long to bring any key speculative outtakes, but this is great):

"And yet the hype surrounding a possible performance by Gabriel continued to make waves due to the fact that most non-Spanish speakers had never heard of most of the acts that Branson and Guaidó recruited.

The concert’s full Youtube video currently has 669,434 views as of 23 February at midday GMT. By contrast, a video of Queen’s full performance from Live Aid has nearly 21 million views, whilst a 2013 upload of Pink Floyd’s reunion at the 2005 Live 8 concert has over 5.3 million views."

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wendy davis's picture

whodda thunk?

'Bus On Fire At Venezuela Border Part Of False Flag Operation' telesur english, feb. 23, 2019

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wendy davis's picture

from the guardian's live-blog:

“After the failed attempt to breach government blockades, opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared the fight would continue, and said “we must keep all our options open for the liberation of our homeland”.

He will head to Bogotá for a meeting on Monday with US vice-president Mike Pence, and other regional leaders in the Lima Group.
Florida senator Marco Rubio responded to Guaidó’s comments, saying he had spoken to regional leaders and the actions of President Nicolás Maduro’s regime on Saturday had “opened the door to various potential multilateral actions not on the table just 24 hours ago”.

Although Guaidó did not secure the mass defections he had hoped for, at least 60 border guards deserted their posts and fled into Colombia, as other members of security forces loyal to Maduro used tear gas and rubber bullets to force back protesters and halt civilian convoys escorting aid supplies."

Venezuela Denounces 2nd False Flag Operation at Colombia Border’, telesur english, feb. 23

“According to witnesses, violent right-wing opposition members torched the trucks on the Colombian side with Molotov cocktails trying to incriminate Venezuelan security forces.
A new episode in the false flag operation being waged against the Venezuelan government to justify a foreign intervention, happened on the Francisco de Paula Santander International Bridge that links Venezuela and Colombia.

Two out of the four trucks with alleged "humanitarian aid" from USAID, which were trying to illegally enter Venezuela, were burned at the border between the two countries. The burning trucks were on the Colombian side of the Francisco de Paula Santander Bridge where Venezuelan opposition leaders have been leading protests."

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wendy davis's picture

of the war on maduro has come to an end. the humanitarian aid psyop was defeated, the military stayed strong, nicolas is still alive, and nothing much will (hopefully) happen until after the lima group meets w/ the opposition in bogata on monday. but i'll add a couple more things from the twittersphere, then add a closing song. thank you all for caring.

now all the while many, including nicolas maduro, had seen the western Empire's attacks on VZ as similar to the quagmire that became viet nam, i kept hearing this 1967 repurposed electric flag song with an opening from JBJ; let it bea second closing song:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq3NwCHm-4U]

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