Tillerson raises prospect of Venezuelan military ouster of Maduro

The revolt against Maduro’s regime is entering its fourth week (on Feb 10, 2019), with the Venezuelan strongman showing no sign of relinquishing power despite a startling and largely unforeseen challenge from a previously obscure opposition leader called Juan Guaidó.
Donald Trump’s top Latin America adviser has claimed “there is not a single scenario” in which Nicolás Maduro and his “cronies” are able to retain power in Venezuela. “The question is no longer if Maduro accepts this or not, it’s how long it will take him to accept it”, Mauricio Claver-Carone said.

In this context, it is interesting to remember that one year ago, in February 2018, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson raised the prospect that the Venezuelan military could decide to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

In a speech at the University of Texas ahead of five-nation Latin America tour, Tillerson insisted the Trump administration was not advocating “regime change” in Venezuela but said it would be “easiest” if Maduro chose to leave power on his own.
He predicted there would be “change” in Venezuela and said the United States wanted it to be a peaceful one.

“In the history of Venezuela and in fact the history in other Latin America and South American countries, often times, it is the military that handles that. When things are so bad that the military leadership realizes that it just can’t serve the citizens anymore, they will manage a peaceful transition,” Tillerson said. Then he added: “Whether that will be the case here or not, I do not know.”

“Maduro should get back to his constitution and follow it,” Tillerson said, adding that “if the heat gets too hot for him, I am sure that he’s got some friends over in Cuba that could give him a nice hacienda on the beach.”

yogaesoteric

February 11, 2019