Giving 55-year-old Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro an ultimatum, the European Union now recognizes 35-year-old National Assembly leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president. EU officials gave Maduro until Midnight, Feb. 4 to call new presidential elections or face the consequence of de-legitimizing his government. Most Western governments believe the April 2018 election was rigged, handing Maduro a new six-year term in office. Setting up a confrontation with Russia and China, the EU backed 72-year-old President Donald Trump’s position of recognizing Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president. Russia and China have loaned Maduro and his predecessor the late Hugo Chavez billions to build out Venezuela’s oil infrastructure now holding the larges oil reserves on the planet. Trump has imposed draconic economic sanctions, preventing Maduro from selling oil to the U.S.
Russia sent about 400 paramilitary contractors to help Venezuela stave off a potential Western-backed coup, like the one that happened Feb. 22, 2014 when Kremlin-backed puppet Viktor Yanukovych was drive from Kiev, Ukraine. Yevgeny Shabyaev, leader of the local Cossack’s mercenary army, acknowledged the presence of some 400 paramilitary contractors. Vice President Mike Pence warned Maduro not to intimidate or incarcerate Guaido, insisting all options, including military force, were on the table. “If by tonight [Feb 3] Mr. Maduro does not commit to organizing presidential elections, we will consider Mr. Guaido is legitimate to organize them in his place and we will consider [him] the interim president of Venezuela until legitimate elections,” said France’s EU minister Nathalie Loiseau. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said his government would join the EU recognizing Guaido.
EU officials know that Moscow and Beijing back Maduro’s sovereignty, demanding that the U.S. and its allies stop pressuring Maduro to resign. “Venezuelans have suffered too long from the mismanagement and disregard of the rule of law by the Maduro regime,” said Kurz, joining the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands and Belgium in recognizing Guaido as interim president. Venezuela’s military still backs Maduro, making Maduro’s resignation more difficult. Trump and Pence have said that all options are on the table, including using military force to remove Maduro from power. Guaido has argued that the Venezuelan constitution provides for the head of parliament to serve as interim president after the president vacates his office. So far, three’s no indication that Maduro has vacated his officer, or, for that matter, has any intention of leaving.
Trump told Maduro Jan. 25 “all options were on the table,” urging Maduro to step down as president. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the U.S. of “gunboat diplomacy,” urging the U.S. to not meddle with Venezuela’s sovereignty. Russian President Vladimir Putin told the U.S. the same thing before he invaded Crimea March 1, 2014, after the Kremlin accused the U.S. of staging a coup in Kiev. Like Kiev, the popular uprising in Caracas has little to do with the U.S., with thousands of Venezuelan citizens protesting hyperinflation, currency devaluation and widespread shortages of essential commodities, especially food. Canada and several South American governments, including Brazil, Columbia and Chile, followed the U.S. in recognizing Guaido as interim Venezuelan president. Only Russia, China, Cuba and Turkey back the Maduro government’s sovereignty.
Guaido contends that last year’s election of Maduro was fraudulent, invalidated the Supreme Court’s endorsement. Since the election, Maduro considers the presidency vacant since it was fraudulently staged. Maduro backs parliamentary elections, to get rid of Guaido, someone that threatens his autocratic rule. “They want to bring forward elections, let’s have election,” said Maduro, but only parliamentary elections, not a presidential one. Maduro claims to sovereignty based on fraudulent elections, something Guraido doesn’t accept. With Venezuela’s unable to get food and medical supplies, Guaido wants the U.S. flotilla to get to Caracas before too many citizens starve to death or die from medication shortages. Maduro looks to Russian and China to stop what looks like a pro-Western coup, looking to get rid of Maduro. Guaido believes Venezuela has only one option left: Getting rid of Maduro.
Trump means business when he says that if Maduro tries to mess with Guaido, he’ll send the U.S. military to evict Maduro from power. Unlike Maduro, Guaido promises democratic reforms in Venezuela, rejecting the authoritarian socialist ways of Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the international community to let Venezuela solve its own problems “without destructive meddling from beyond its borders,” reported Russia’s Interfax state news agency. Street protests in Caracas prove that rank-and-file citizens are fed up with Maduro’s rule. Russia, not the U.S., has been meddling in Venezuela’s sovereignty, seeking to repay its sovereign debt, especially the billions in petroleum infrastructure loans from Russia and China. With the EU giving its ultimatum, Maduro has no choice but step down or recognize Guaido as interim president.
