EFE, via 14ymedio, Buenos Aires, 2 March 2019 — The head of the Venezuelan Parliament, Juan Guaidó, said Friday in Buenos Aires that 80% of the armed forces of his country “are in favor of a change,” but he accused Cuba of terrorizing the military so they won’t show their support.
“If there is an interference in Venezuela it is Cuba over Venezuela, where they manage a part of the intelligence and counterintelligence apparatus, especially dedicated to terrorizing, mainly, the military so that they do not speak openly,” Guaidó said at a press conference after meeting in the Argentine capital with President Mauricio Macri.
Guaidó, who is recognized as interim president of Venezuela by some 50 governments, arrived in Argentina from Asunción, where he was received by the Paraguayan president, Mario Abdo Benítez.
Guaidó was also in Brazil on Thursday with its president, Jair Bolsonaro, on Saturday he was in Ecuador and, according to some media, on Sunday he might visit Peru.
“I dare to say that 80% of the armed forces are in favor of a change, and now 160 high-ranking military officers have been imprisoned since 2018,” the leader of parliament recalled.
He added, “for the first time in many years” the political leadership is speaking “clearly and directly” to the armed forces. “Establishing trust between the political sectors takes time, imagine establishing trust with the military,” whom “they persecute and torture,” he said.
Guaidó noted that his interim government has offered amnesty and guarantees to the military to support a transition and withdraw their trust from president Nicolás Maduro.
“We are in that process, but we must continue to press, we must continue to look for methods of communication,” he added and reflected: “Imagine for one second a Maduro without arms.”
On a possible military intervention in the country to expel Maduro from power, the self-proclaimed president reiterated that “the option is peace,” although he insisted that now there is no peace in Venezuela.
“We have to take a lot of responsibility with respect to this. We understand that force is a final option that nobody wants, we are working for a transition for a free Venezuela,” he emphasized, noting that his plan is to achieve the “cessation of usurpation” of power by Nicolás Maduro to start a transitional government and call for free elections.
_________________________________
The 14ymedio team is committed to serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for joining us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time by becoming a member of 14ymedio. Together we can continue to transform journalism in Cuba.
