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| Venezuela opposition leader claims coup is under way – live news | Venezuela opposition leader claims coup is under way – live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Joe Parkin Daniels, writes for the Guardian about military defectors who have shown support for Juan Guaidó today . | |
| On Tuesday morning, scores of Venezuelan military defectors loyal to Guaidó gathered at the Simón Bolívar border bridge outside Cúcuta, Colombia, to express support for the nascent uprising taking place in Caracas. | |
| The defectors were unarmed and chose not to wear uniforms “out of respect to Colombia” which is hosting them, one national guardsman said, asking not to be named due to the febrile nature of the situation. “We are awaiting orders from our president Juan Guaidó,” he said. | |
| However, with little clear command structure on the border, and the location of the gathering changed from the nearby Tienditas bridge complex at the last minute, the group had largely dissipated hours later. | |
| A steady trickle of Venezuelan military defectors have arrived to the Colombian border city of Cúcuta since February 23, when Guaidó attempted in vein to force US-sent humanitarian aid into Venezuela. Colombian authorities estimate that up to 1000 of Venezuela’s security forces have defected. | |
| Many defectors dreamed of crossing back into Venezuela as an army, assisting with overthrowing Maduro’s government, though reality soon bit. | |
| “For a while we felt abandoned,” said Frank Rengifo, formerly a sergeant in Venezuela’s national guard. “We were staying in hotels but nobody paid the bills,” he went on to say, accusing Guaidó’s emissaries of forgetting about them for a time. | |
| “Thankfully that was a month ago and it is better now,” he said. “We have better food and more of our families are here.” | |
| Others recently complained that not enough was being done to assist militarily with regime change in Caracas. | |
| The defectors had also planned a march to Bogotá to demand better services earlier this month, but later cancelled it, worried that it could affect their protected status. Many of the soldiers currently have asylum applications underway, with which UNHCR is assisting. | |
| Live footage on BBC World News shows hundreds of demonstrators in Caracas in confrontation with military vehicles on a large roadway outside the La Carolta air base. Behind the three military vehicles stands a line of military soldiers. | |
| One of the vehicles is firing a water cannon at protestors, who crowded around the vehicle. At one point the vehicle accelerated, then shuddered to a quick stop, appearing to hit protestors. | |
| Another armored vehicle appears to have ran directly over protestors at a different section of the roadway. A horrific video (at this link) shows a vehicle driving through a crowd of protestors, with at least one person still lying on the ground after it passes. | |
| #Venezuela National Guard vehicle runs over protesters in #Caracas, who were throwing stones and hitting vehicle with sticks - @ReutersTV | |
| Crowds of hundreds more people are wrapped around nearby roadways. | |
| Guaidó’s ambassador to the United States, Carlos Vecchio, just held a press conference in Washington DC. | Guaidó’s ambassador to the United States, Carlos Vecchio, just held a press conference in Washington DC. |
| “This is only the beginning,” Vecchio said. “This is an operation that is developing right now, you will see more events in the hours and days to come.” | “This is only the beginning,” Vecchio said. “This is an operation that is developing right now, you will see more events in the hours and days to come.” |
| He encouraged people to remain on the streets, demonstrating peacefully. | He encouraged people to remain on the streets, demonstrating peacefully. |
| “This is not a military coup, this is a constitutional crisis, lead by the Venezuelan people,” Vecchio said. | “This is not a military coup, this is a constitutional crisis, lead by the Venezuelan people,” Vecchio said. |
| He also had a message for Maduro: “Your time is over. Venezuela is ready for a change, you must facilitate a transition in our country. You must allow the Venezuelan people to reestablish a Democratic system… nobody is going to stop it.” | He also had a message for Maduro: “Your time is over. Venezuela is ready for a change, you must facilitate a transition in our country. You must allow the Venezuelan people to reestablish a Democratic system… nobody is going to stop it.” |
| Click here or below to see a gallery of the dramatic scenes unfolding in Caracas. | Click here or below to see a gallery of the dramatic scenes unfolding in Caracas. |
| Unrest in Caracas - in pictures | Unrest in Caracas - in pictures |
| Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has tweeted support for the uprising, saying the Venezuelan people are “enslaved by a dictator.” | Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has tweeted support for the uprising, saying the Venezuelan people are “enslaved by a dictator.” |
| He said Brazil supports “freedom for our sister nation to finally become a true democracy.” | He said Brazil supports “freedom for our sister nation to finally become a true democracy.” |
| Brazil's leader tweets his solidarity with the Venezuelan people 'enslaved' by a dictator he says is supported by, among, others, the Workers' Party of Brazil - never one to miss a chance to criticise the domestic opposition in a massive international news story. https://t.co/6JHkGOGUxt | Brazil's leader tweets his solidarity with the Venezuelan people 'enslaved' by a dictator he says is supported by, among, others, the Workers' Party of Brazil - never one to miss a chance to criticise the domestic opposition in a massive international news story. https://t.co/6JHkGOGUxt |
| This video appears to show a National Guard armored military vehicle in the town of Puerto Ordaz turning away from protestors, who cheer with encouragement as the vehicle speeds away from the crowd. | This video appears to show a National Guard armored military vehicle in the town of Puerto Ordaz turning away from protestors, who cheer with encouragement as the vehicle speeds away from the crowd. |
| The GNB in Puerto Ordaz have refused to repress protestors and have voluntarily withdrawn#Venezuela pic.twitter.com/eUlv9GACKK | The GNB in Puerto Ordaz have refused to repress protestors and have voluntarily withdrawn#Venezuela pic.twitter.com/eUlv9GACKK |
| In Caracas, the scene looks much different with the National Guard chasing away protestors. | In Caracas, the scene looks much different with the National Guard chasing away protestors. |
| #AHORAFuerte arremetida de la Guardia Chavista contra quienes nos encontrábamos en la autopista Francisco Fajardo, #Caracas. pic.twitter.com/c4vRl65jnp | #AHORAFuerte arremetida de la Guardia Chavista contra quienes nos encontrábamos en la autopista Francisco Fajardo, #Caracas. pic.twitter.com/c4vRl65jnp |
| Venezuela’s foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, has accused Donald Trump’s adminstration of sparking the conflict in Venezuela. | Venezuela’s foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, has accused Donald Trump’s adminstration of sparking the conflict in Venezuela. |
| The heads of the coup d’état admit their responsibility without scruples. The Trump administration, in its despair, attempts to spark an internal conflict in Venezuela. Venezuela’s democratic institutions guarantee peace in the country. #TrumpHandsOffVenezuela https://t.co/bZeOUJo6cq | The heads of the coup d’état admit their responsibility without scruples. The Trump administration, in its despair, attempts to spark an internal conflict in Venezuela. Venezuela’s democratic institutions guarantee peace in the country. #TrumpHandsOffVenezuela https://t.co/bZeOUJo6cq |
| Opposition leaders around the world are calling for Venezuelans to head to embassies and consulates to join protests, says the Guardian’s Latin America correspondent, Tom Phillips. | Opposition leaders around the world are calling for Venezuelans to head to embassies and consulates to join protests, says the Guardian’s Latin America correspondent, Tom Phillips. |
| This message, from a Guaidó representative in Mexico, encourages Venezuelans to gather outside the Mexico City embassy at 11am. | This message, from a Guaidó representative in Mexico, encourages Venezuelans to gather outside the Mexico City embassy at 11am. |
| #Urgente Venezolanos en México la #OperacionLibertad ha iniciado, por llamado de nuestro presidente @jguaido se adelanta la operación para HOY desde las 11AM en la embajada de Venezuela en México. | #Urgente Venezolanos en México la #OperacionLibertad ha iniciado, por llamado de nuestro presidente @jguaido se adelanta la operación para HOY desde las 11AM en la embajada de Venezuela en México. |
| Juan Guaidó is addressing demonstrators in Altamira, Caracas. He said he has been in communication with the military for years but today he knows they are not supporting Maduro - “el dictador.” | Juan Guaidó is addressing demonstrators in Altamira, Caracas. He said he has been in communication with the military for years but today he knows they are not supporting Maduro - “el dictador.” |
| Operation Liberty has started, he said. | Operation Liberty has started, he said. |
| “Today it is clear to us that the Armed Forces are with the people and not with the dictator,” Guaidó told the crowd. “We know that all Venezuelans are in favor of change and the Constitution “ | “Today it is clear to us that the Armed Forces are with the people and not with the dictator,” Guaidó told the crowd. “We know that all Venezuelans are in favor of change and the Constitution “ |
| In a Tweet, Guaidó also declared “the moment is now.” | In a Tweet, Guaidó also declared “the moment is now.” |
| “The country’s 24 states have taken to the road: no turning back. The future belongs to us: the people and Armed Forces united by the cessation of usurpation.” | “The country’s 24 states have taken to the road: no turning back. The future belongs to us: the people and Armed Forces united by the cessation of usurpation.” |
| ¡El momento es ahora! Los 24 estados del país han asumido el camino: calle sin retorno. El futuro es de nosotros: pueblo y Fuerza Armada unidos por el cese de la usurpación. ¡Juntos somos invencibles! #TodaVenezuelaALaCalle | ¡El momento es ahora! Los 24 estados del país han asumido el camino: calle sin retorno. El futuro es de nosotros: pueblo y Fuerza Armada unidos por el cese de la usurpación. ¡Juntos somos invencibles! #TodaVenezuelaALaCalle |
| More from Patricia Torres in Caracas, reporting for the Guardian: | More from Patricia Torres in Caracas, reporting for the Guardian: |
| Cecilia Fernández, 69, an accountant and professor at a private university in Caracas, is demonstrating on the street and said the people of Venezuela are “retaking history.” | Cecilia Fernández, 69, an accountant and professor at a private university in Caracas, is demonstrating on the street and said the people of Venezuela are “retaking history.” |
| We are making history, retaking the history, because we are a country of liberators. These 20 years were not enough to impose a dictator on us to sell the country and that’s why I say: out with Russia, out with Cuba, out with China; living leeches of Latin America. Today, we are aborting Fidel’s dream, at this instant, at this moment. From now, on, we will not stop until we get freedom. We can’t allow them to keep stealing and destroying our country. | We are making history, retaking the history, because we are a country of liberators. These 20 years were not enough to impose a dictator on us to sell the country and that’s why I say: out with Russia, out with Cuba, out with China; living leeches of Latin America. Today, we are aborting Fidel’s dream, at this instant, at this moment. From now, on, we will not stop until we get freedom. We can’t allow them to keep stealing and destroying our country. |
| Nicolás Maduro says he has spoken with military leaders who have shown: “total loyalty to the People, to the Constitution and to the Fatherland.” | Nicolás Maduro says he has spoken with military leaders who have shown: “total loyalty to the People, to the Constitution and to the Fatherland.” |
| His message begins “Nerves of Steel!” | His message begins “Nerves of Steel!” |
| ¡Nervios de Acero! He conversado con los Comandantes de todas las REDI y ZODI del País, quienes me han manifestado su total lealtad al Pueblo, a la Constitución y a la Patria. Llamo a la máxima movilización popular para asegurar la victoria de la Paz. ¡Venceremos! | ¡Nervios de Acero! He conversado con los Comandantes de todas las REDI y ZODI del País, quienes me han manifestado su total lealtad al Pueblo, a la Constitución y a la Patria. Llamo a la máxima movilización popular para asegurar la victoria de la Paz. ¡Venceremos! |