Venezuelan opposition seeks US-backed military aid.
“Maria Corina Machado,” the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, who is advancing the project of increasing domestic pressure and inciting public opinion against the government in Caracas in line with the intensification of US military pressure against her country, released an audio file on social media, addressing army and police officers: “The position that each of you takes will forever determine your life. History, the law, and the Venezuelan people will be your judges. You know very well how and when to take this step, because everything around you will be clear. Be a hero, not a criminal. Be a source of pride for your family, not a source of shame.” Machado, who supports US military intervention in her country and has repeatedly defined patriotism in the rebellion against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, addressed the military: “Be part of the bright future of Venezuela, not the ruins that tyranny has destroyed. Join us on the coming day. Venezuela and your brothers and sisters are waiting for you.”
“Decide today to stand with Venezuela for freedom at the right time,” the Nobel Peace Prize laureate said. “What is going to happen is already happening. That decisive moment is imminent.”
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has previously called Machado an “evil sorcerer”; he criticized the opposition member’s approach, criticizing “any threat of aggression or war against Venezuela.”
Machado has repeatedly called for more US sanctions against his country, saying that “the freedom of Venezuela is the security of the United States.”
As US warships loomed off the coast of Venezuela, he said, “Nicolas Maduro is the head of the Tren de Aragua gang, and Donald Trump knows it.” He added, “We need international support to overthrow the regime; although it is an internal matter, we are consolidating these alliances, and the United States will enforce the law.”