Why Would You Tweet About Your Coup?
May 6, 2020 6:15 AM Subscribe
The U.S. has never met a left-wing Latin American political figure it did not want to overthrow, and you would think that after a while, they’d get good at it — and that this skill, honed over so many generations, would perhaps trickle down from the CIA and sundry special forces to our patriotic mercenaries. But why Would You Tweet About Your Coup?
The Invasion of Venezuela, Brought To You By Silvercorp, USA
The Invasion of Venezuela, Brought To You By Silvercorp, USA
This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- goodnewsfortheinsane
But why Would You Tweet About Your Coup?
Contractual obligation to assume any and all responsibility, if things go belly-up, so as to not implicate the current occupant of the White House?
I did find it somewhat amusing that, when asked about the attempted coup, the first thing Trump said was that they (his administration) had nothing to do with it.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:27 AM on May 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Contractual obligation to assume any and all responsibility, if things go belly-up, so as to not implicate the current occupant of the White House?
I did find it somewhat amusing that, when asked about the attempted coup, the first thing Trump said was that they (his administration) had nothing to do with it.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:27 AM on May 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Isn't this basically half of the plot of Red Zone Cuba?
In seriousness though, I'm puzzled why this isn't getting more coverage in the press. One'd think Trump's private security firm launching a coup against a democratic nation would be front-page material for the NYTimes etc., especially during an election year. The silence is odd.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 6:31 AM on May 6, 2020 [21 favorites]
In seriousness though, I'm puzzled why this isn't getting more coverage in the press. One'd think Trump's private security firm launching a coup against a democratic nation would be front-page material for the NYTimes etc., especially during an election year. The silence is odd.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 6:31 AM on May 6, 2020 [21 favorites]
Another photo republished by Bellingcat depicts an Airsoft rifle in the weapons cache seized by Venezuelan forces.
Why on earth would you bring fake guns to an invasion? The whole thing sounds flakey as all get out.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:31 AM on May 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
Why on earth would you bring fake guns to an invasion? The whole thing sounds flakey as all get out.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:31 AM on May 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
Well, now we know what to use instead of the Bay of Pigs in a reboot of "The In-Laws"...
“- Sheldon Kornpett: You were involved in the Bay of Pigs?
- Vince Ricardo: Involved? That was my idea.”
posted by rmd1023 at 6:36 AM on May 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
“- Sheldon Kornpett: You were involved in the Bay of Pigs?
- Vince Ricardo: Involved? That was my idea.”
posted by rmd1023 at 6:36 AM on May 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
This is all rather sad. At least 8 people are dead. The whole affair looks like it was cooked up on a 4chan forum. It will, of course, be seen as proving something to conspiracy theorists, because everything does.
posted by scruss at 6:41 AM on May 6, 2020 [9 favorites]
posted by scruss at 6:41 AM on May 6, 2020 [9 favorites]
good to know these guys got picked for team Overthrow Maduro because Kushner's PPE squad was already full of incompetents.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 6:41 AM on May 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 6:41 AM on May 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Trump's private security firm
Wait, is Silvercorp really Trump's private security firm or is this just hyperbole ?
posted by Pendragon at 6:43 AM on May 6, 2020
Wait, is Silvercorp really Trump's private security firm or is this just hyperbole ?
posted by Pendragon at 6:43 AM on May 6, 2020
Trump's campaign has apparently used Silvercorp to augment security at rallies.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:51 AM on May 6, 2020
posted by Thorzdad at 6:51 AM on May 6, 2020
Trump's campaign has apparently used Silvercorp to augment security at rallies.
I'm gonna guess that "augment security" here means they were staffing the parking lot, maybe directing the line at the doors.
posted by Etrigan at 6:57 AM on May 6, 2020
I'm gonna guess that "augment security" here means they were staffing the parking lot, maybe directing the line at the doors.
posted by Etrigan at 6:57 AM on May 6, 2020
Why on earth would you bring fake guns to an invasion? The whole thing sounds flakey as all get out.
"Hello? Front desk? Watergate hotel? This is the Bay of Pigs, in room 61? Can you send up 1500 poorly trained cuban exiles? … Yes, that’s right, and a bucket of ice. Hm, what’s that? No, we won’t be needing any air cover!"
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 7:07 AM on May 6, 2020 [12 favorites]
"Hello? Front desk? Watergate hotel? This is the Bay of Pigs, in room 61? Can you send up 1500 poorly trained cuban exiles? … Yes, that’s right, and a bucket of ice. Hm, what’s that? No, we won’t be needing any air cover!"
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 7:07 AM on May 6, 2020 [12 favorites]
I'm gonna guess that "augment security" here means they were staffing the parking lot, maybe directing the line at the doors.
Judging by pics in the bellingcat link, they worked inside, roaming the aisles in suits ala Secret Service.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:15 AM on May 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Judging by pics in the bellingcat link, they worked inside, roaming the aisles in suits ala Secret Service.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:15 AM on May 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
The speculation on the airsoft rifle is that they might have been using it to train with in-country and expecting real guns to show up later.
posted by BungaDunga at 7:15 AM on May 6, 2020
posted by BungaDunga at 7:15 AM on May 6, 2020
Good lord, what a clown show. They did everything short of hiring a Howard Cosell impersonator to broadcast it live.
posted by Zonker at 7:19 AM on May 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Zonker at 7:19 AM on May 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
"Hello? Front desk? Watergate hotel? This is the Bay of Pigs, in room 61? Can you send up 1500 poorly trained cuban exiles? … Yes, that’s right, and a bucket of ice. Hm, what’s that? No, we won’t be needing any air cover!"
I literally watched this episode today!
posted by LizBoBiz at 7:50 AM on May 6, 2020
I literally watched this episode today!
posted by LizBoBiz at 7:50 AM on May 6, 2020
To be fair, William Walker would have tweeted his attempted coups, had Twitter existed in the Jacksonian Era....
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:17 AM on May 6, 2020 [9 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:17 AM on May 6, 2020 [9 favorites]
Bellingcat commenter posits a QAnon link, which I find hilariously plausible.
posted by aramaic at 8:19 AM on May 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by aramaic at 8:19 AM on May 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
One thing I feel like has gotten lost in the (extremely justified) dunking on these morons is that one of the captured mercenaries provided copies of the contract signed by Silvercorp leadership and Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, which is probably not great for Guaido's staying-out-of-prison prospects.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:32 AM on May 6, 2020 [13 favorites]
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:32 AM on May 6, 2020 [13 favorites]
If you have an inexperienced, untrained invasion force, poorly armed and vastly outnumbered, the least you can do is invade at the proper time: The Mouse That Roared (1959) trailer and WP.
posted by cenoxo at 9:02 AM on May 6, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by cenoxo at 9:02 AM on May 6, 2020 [4 favorites]
In the bizarre interview, Goudreau said that despite having signed a contract with Guaido, “the opposition hurt us more than they helped us” in part because they never paid him. Goudreau said that the opposition failed to even pay him the $1.5 million retainer that he had asked for, but that he nevertheless decided to continue to render the services of his company because he is a “freedom fighter” and “this is what [freedom fighters] do.”
They invaded on spec.
This is the sort of thing that Robert Denard used to do, among others.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 9:05 AM on May 6, 2020 [14 favorites]
They invaded on spec.
This is the sort of thing that Robert Denard used to do, among others.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 9:05 AM on May 6, 2020 [14 favorites]
Zonker: "Good lord, what a clown show. They did everything short of hiring a Howard Cosell impersonator to broadcast it live ."
Impersonator?! That was Howard himself, in Bananas.
posted by chavenet at 9:17 AM on May 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Impersonator?! That was Howard himself, in Bananas.
posted by chavenet at 9:17 AM on May 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
chavenet: yes, but he's sadly unavailable for new gigs these days
posted by Zonker at 9:27 AM on May 6, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by Zonker at 9:27 AM on May 6, 2020 [7 favorites]
The absolute best part of this (if true) is that apparently the CIA- tried to stop this. Like they got wind of how cocked up this was gonna be and tried to pull the plug but couldn't. Like if the fucking CIA, architect of all the greatest hits of stupid dumb-ass coups in the past tries to say "Nah this isn't gonna fly let's not and say we did" How fucking idiotic does your firm have to be?
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 9:57 AM on May 6, 2020 [21 favorites]
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 9:57 AM on May 6, 2020 [21 favorites]
Why on earth would you bring fake guns to an invasion? The whole thing sounds flakey as all get out.
Charitably maybe for setting up some sort of training camp to help make sure locals were ready and knew how to hold a weapon without wasting a whole bunch of ammo/getting friendly fire incidents. But more realistically because as they crammed more clowns into this clown car of an idea someone grabbed the wrong box. Maybe Sean Bean's character from the movie Ronin in real life?
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:15 AM on May 6, 2020
Charitably maybe for setting up some sort of training camp to help make sure locals were ready and knew how to hold a weapon without wasting a whole bunch of ammo/getting friendly fire incidents. But more realistically because as they crammed more clowns into this clown car of an idea someone grabbed the wrong box. Maybe Sean Bean's character from the movie Ronin in real life?
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:15 AM on May 6, 2020
The more I think about it, the more I think we may have just accidentally found a way to dispose of the various QAnon-style tacticool assholes. Talk endless shit about "freedom fighters" and the like, shame the unworthy tacticool stooges who haven't volunteered for the freedom campaign, browbeat them into deciding to go fight for the glory of QAnon, and then hand them over to the Venezuelan military on a silver platter as soon as they depart from Miami.
"Oh wait, this isn't the Baranquilla airport, it's actually Maracaibo! Huh, how confusing. Well, anyway, these nice gentlemen with the guns are here to talk about your freedoms..."
...wait a few months, lift a few sanctions, and hey presto everybody wins.
posted by aramaic at 10:16 AM on May 6, 2020 [2 favorites]
"Oh wait, this isn't the Baranquilla airport, it's actually Maracaibo! Huh, how confusing. Well, anyway, these nice gentlemen with the guns are here to talk about your freedoms..."
...wait a few months, lift a few sanctions, and hey presto everybody wins.
posted by aramaic at 10:16 AM on May 6, 2020 [2 favorites]
Maybe Sean Bean's character from the movie Ronin in real life?
That is an insult to Spence (Sean Bean's character in Ronin). He never brought a BB gun to a MacGuffin deal.
posted by axiom at 10:28 AM on May 6, 2020 [7 favorites]
That is an insult to Spence (Sean Bean's character in Ronin). He never brought a BB gun to a MacGuffin deal.
posted by axiom at 10:28 AM on May 6, 2020 [7 favorites]
~Why on earth would you bring fake guns to an invasion? The whole thing sounds flakey as all get out.
~Charitably maybe for setting up some sort of training camp to help make sure locals were ready and knew how to hold a weapon without wasting a whole bunch of ammo/getting friendly fire incidents.
Serious question...Does that Airsoft shoot with enough velocity to deliver, say, a poison dart or somesuch to a target at a reasonable distance? A silent assassination wouldn't be a bad plan, I guess. And, yes, I know I'm really grasping here, trying not to make the operation look entirely like a pile-up on the clown-car expressway.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:36 AM on May 6, 2020
~Charitably maybe for setting up some sort of training camp to help make sure locals were ready and knew how to hold a weapon without wasting a whole bunch of ammo/getting friendly fire incidents.
Serious question...Does that Airsoft shoot with enough velocity to deliver, say, a poison dart or somesuch to a target at a reasonable distance? A silent assassination wouldn't be a bad plan, I guess. And, yes, I know I'm really grasping here, trying not to make the operation look entirely like a pile-up on the clown-car expressway.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:36 AM on May 6, 2020
That is an insult to Spence (Sean Bean's character in Ronin). He never brought a BB gun to a MacGuffin deal.
Axiom - I unreservedly withdraw and apologize. In retrospect Spence - although found out to be a fraud in front of the whole crew - gets out before been captured or worse. Which is more then we can say here. Maybe someone needs to ask these clowns what color the boathouse at Hereford is?
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:42 AM on May 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
Axiom - I unreservedly withdraw and apologize. In retrospect Spence - although found out to be a fraud in front of the whole crew - gets out before been captured or worse. Which is more then we can say here. Maybe someone needs to ask these clowns what color the boathouse at Hereford is?
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:42 AM on May 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
Even David Mamet removed his name from the film and walked away.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:50 AM on May 6, 2020
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:50 AM on May 6, 2020
Maybe Sean Bean's character from the movie Ronin in real life?
More like Mister Bean
posted by sugar and confetti at 10:59 AM on May 6, 2020 [11 favorites]
More like Mister Bean
posted by sugar and confetti at 10:59 AM on May 6, 2020 [11 favorites]
In seriousness though, I'm puzzled why this isn't getting more coverage in the press.
Partly because the US press seems to think their foreign policy role is to help sell war, and against South American lefists that goes triple. This goes against the narrative so I'm sure they're being very cautious about the facts and wanting to get the story straight!
Partly because there's no big mass of crazy Democratic media and congresspeople who can turn any minor thing into a story with political consequences.
posted by fleacircus at 12:12 PM on May 6, 2020 [8 favorites]
Partly because the US press seems to think their foreign policy role is to help sell war, and against South American lefists that goes triple. This goes against the narrative so I'm sure they're being very cautious about the facts and wanting to get the story straight!
Partly because there's no big mass of crazy Democratic media and congresspeople who can turn any minor thing into a story with political consequences.
posted by fleacircus at 12:12 PM on May 6, 2020 [8 favorites]
Haven't heard anyone mentioning this – the funniest part is that they were arrested by local socialist fishermen and tied up with fishing line. (more pics)
posted by Tom-B at 12:23 PM on May 6, 2020 [11 favorites]
posted by Tom-B at 12:23 PM on May 6, 2020 [11 favorites]
This is all too predictable.
My old man did less well known and more successful operations in South America for a good chunk of his Special Forces career in the Army during the 60's, much to his own personal ambivalence.
He always said the likelihood of success was directly proportional to the total avoidance of combat and ideological true believers. His stories usually just involved smuggling a whole bunch of money in and paying some guerrilla leader somewhere to just decide to move to the south of France.
And he very often remarked we fought on the wrong side. Particularly in Vietnam. He retired before the military started believing in it's own Hollywood kung-fu bad-assery. But it still haunted him, I think. In fact his last night on this earth was reliving some of these incidents.
posted by Everyone Expects The Spanish Influenza at 12:54 PM on May 6, 2020 [18 favorites]
My old man did less well known and more successful operations in South America for a good chunk of his Special Forces career in the Army during the 60's, much to his own personal ambivalence.
He always said the likelihood of success was directly proportional to the total avoidance of combat and ideological true believers. His stories usually just involved smuggling a whole bunch of money in and paying some guerrilla leader somewhere to just decide to move to the south of France.
And he very often remarked we fought on the wrong side. Particularly in Vietnam. He retired before the military started believing in it's own Hollywood kung-fu bad-assery. But it still haunted him, I think. In fact his last night on this earth was reliving some of these incidents.
posted by Everyone Expects The Spanish Influenza at 12:54 PM on May 6, 2020 [18 favorites]
Contractual obligation to assume any and all responsibility, if things go belly-up, so as to not implicate the current occupant of the White House?
I love the idea that there are contracts involved here. What, were they planning to sue in case of breach? "Your Honor, Silvercorp failed in its contractual obligation to overthrow the government of Venezuela."
posted by star gentle uterus at 12:55 PM on May 6, 2020 [9 favorites]
I love the idea that there are contracts involved here. What, were they planning to sue in case of breach? "Your Honor, Silvercorp failed in its contractual obligation to overthrow the government of Venezuela."
posted by star gentle uterus at 12:55 PM on May 6, 2020 [9 favorites]
Tom-B's photograph of the heroic muscular heroes trussed up like fish on a beach has completely destroyed my lifetime's worth of books and movies and soft power conditioning ....
posted by Mrs Potato at 1:00 PM on May 6, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by Mrs Potato at 1:00 PM on May 6, 2020 [6 favorites]
Tom-b's link also has a video tweet of the arrest on the beach, and the tied up men.
posted by Mister Cheese at 1:18 PM on May 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Mister Cheese at 1:18 PM on May 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
I love the idea that there are contracts involved here. What, were they planning to sue in case of breach?
Wild guess - the contracts (couldn't tell from the grainy photos) are for "security services" or "risk management" or something highly vague and unspecific, and are probably used to substantiate that they have contracts in place for all sorts of boring reasons like getting bank loans, leasing equipment, company valuations etc. I really hope Silvercorp used them in totally random ways, like I'm imaging them using them as evidence as part of a SBA Covid loan application, and they become public documents. It would be hilarious if they applied on the basis their staff can't work during Covid because they are currently in "mandatory quarantine in a Venezuelan jail".
But seriously I hope all those arrested get at a minimum a fair legal/judicial process and humane treatment. As clown-car as this all was and as much as they clearly had intentions to perform whatever acts as mercenaries - being hog tied with fishing line in a foreign country and facing terrorism/attempted assassination charges in a charged political atmosphere is a super not-fun time. Especially when it sounds like six or so of the group were killed during their "landing". Not excusing whatever the fuck they were up to - even if somewhere, somehow there was a kernel of good intention involving the opposition. I see Juan Guaido has now taken refugee at an unnamed European Embassy to avoid arrest. And of course this isn't in anyway going to help the people of Venezuela with their ongoing crisis.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 1:38 PM on May 6, 2020 [2 favorites]
Wild guess - the contracts (couldn't tell from the grainy photos) are for "security services" or "risk management" or something highly vague and unspecific, and are probably used to substantiate that they have contracts in place for all sorts of boring reasons like getting bank loans, leasing equipment, company valuations etc. I really hope Silvercorp used them in totally random ways, like I'm imaging them using them as evidence as part of a SBA Covid loan application, and they become public documents. It would be hilarious if they applied on the basis their staff can't work during Covid because they are currently in "mandatory quarantine in a Venezuelan jail".
But seriously I hope all those arrested get at a minimum a fair legal/judicial process and humane treatment. As clown-car as this all was and as much as they clearly had intentions to perform whatever acts as mercenaries - being hog tied with fishing line in a foreign country and facing terrorism/attempted assassination charges in a charged political atmosphere is a super not-fun time. Especially when it sounds like six or so of the group were killed during their "landing". Not excusing whatever the fuck they were up to - even if somewhere, somehow there was a kernel of good intention involving the opposition. I see Juan Guaido has now taken refugee at an unnamed European Embassy to avoid arrest. And of course this isn't in anyway going to help the people of Venezuela with their ongoing crisis.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 1:38 PM on May 6, 2020 [2 favorites]
As clown-car as this all was and as much as they clearly had intentions to perform whatever acts as mercenaries - being hog tied with fishing line in a foreign country and facing terrorism/attempted assassination charges in a charged political atmosphere is a super not-fun time.
I'm confused. Are you "boys will be boys"-ing these (apparently un)paid assassins?
posted by Reyturner at 1:53 PM on May 6, 2020 [4 favorites]
I'm confused. Are you "boys will be boys"-ing these (apparently un)paid assassins?
posted by Reyturner at 1:53 PM on May 6, 2020 [4 favorites]
Hey Homo neanderthalensis -- sources on the fact that the CIA tried to stop this? Can't find anything suggesting that but would love to.
posted by Cpt. The Mango at 2:20 PM on May 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Cpt. The Mango at 2:20 PM on May 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Reyturner. Not at all. Just saying I hope they get treated humanely and get a fair trial - because they are well...humans. No "boys will be boys" intended or (I thought) implied. Presumably they broke all sorts of laws in Venezuela, Columbia where they launched this debacle, and possibly the US - and should be held to account for all of that. I don't know what their actual specific plans were (assassination or otherwise). But this sort of highly political circumstance that can lead itself down some darker paths quickly (forced/coerced confessions on whatever is convenient for the government regardless of the actual truth of what they intended and can appropriately be held to account for, show trials, and potentially worse). Guess I was trying to balance one voice I had already expressed in this thread which essentially was "look at those fucking clowns" with another that says "look at these fellow humans hog tied facedown on a dirt street at gun point - I hope they at least get treated fairly."
posted by inflatablekiwi at 2:41 PM on May 6, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by inflatablekiwi at 2:41 PM on May 6, 2020 [5 favorites]
It's second hand info (why I hedged in OG comment) but it's from Jack Murphy who's a special forces vet who now that he's out is very critical of how things are and have been done. He's been right before- and has been reporting on this.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 2:45 PM on May 6, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 2:45 PM on May 6, 2020 [4 favorites]
Re: the CIA, there's this from the AP:
True to his reputation as a self-absorbed loose cannon, Alcalá openly touted his plans for an incursion in a June meeting with Colombia’s National Intelligence Directorate and appealed for their support, said a former Colombian official familiar with the conversation. Alcalá also boasted about his relationship with Goudreau, describing him as a former CIA agent.posted by BungaDunga at 3:16 PM on May 6, 2020 [4 favorites]
When the Colombians checked with their CIA counterparts in Bogota, they were told that the former Green Beret was never an agent. Alcalá was then told by his hosts to stop talking about an invasion or face expulsion, the former Colombian official said.
Breaking Down The Absolutely Batshit Botched Coup Attempt Against Venezuela's Maduro — Additional details and developments continue to emerge days after former Green Berets and Venezuelan expats launched the farcical amphibious raid., The War Zone, Joseph Trevithick, 5/6/2020:
posted by cenoxo at 4:14 PM on May 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
New details and developments relating to a bizarre abortive coup attempt against Venezuela's dictatorial President Nicolas Maduro, which involved a botched amphibious raid by a group that included former U.S. Army Green Berets and Venezuelan expats, continue to emerge days after the start of the incident. Everything about this fiasco, which apparently has yet to reach its final conclusion, seems less of a modern incarnation of the infamous CIA-sponsored Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961 and more reminiscent of the differently infamous Wonga Coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea in 2004, or even the life of Bin Laden hunter Gary Faulkner, or an over-the-top Hollywood dramatization of either of those events.More details in the article.
The United States has flatly denied any involvement in this putsch, which the plotters dubbed Operation Gideon. "If we had been involved, it would have turned out differently," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on May 6, 2020 [Twitter].
...
"Whatever it is, we’ll let you know," President Donald Trump had also told reporters on May 5. "But it has nothing to do with our government."
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has also denied any U.S. military involvement in the coup attempt. The CIA reportedly even attempted to convince the group not to go ahead with its plan....
posted by cenoxo at 4:14 PM on May 6, 2020 [3 favorites]
Rodolfo Marco Torres, who's tweet I linked to, is the governor of Aragua. He visited Chuao, the village where the arrests were made, and took the opportunity to make some anti-imperialist videos, and get some villager statements supporting the homeland.
I don't know much about Venezuela aside from what I've read about the hyperinflation exodus of millions due to starvation. Torres has his own agenda, but he does speak to the people of Chuao. I'd like to hear more about their perspective. Here's a Telesur news segment with some interviews from villagers and local police.
posted by Mister Cheese at 4:35 PM on May 6, 2020
I don't know much about Venezuela aside from what I've read about the hyperinflation exodus of millions due to starvation. Torres has his own agenda, but he does speak to the people of Chuao. I'd like to hear more about their perspective. Here's a Telesur news segment with some interviews from villagers and local police.
posted by Mister Cheese at 4:35 PM on May 6, 2020
No, you guys, this is making Red Zone Cuba look good
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 4:47 PM on May 6, 2020
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 4:47 PM on May 6, 2020
"Is you posting tweets on a military fucking coup?"
posted by tonycpsu at 4:53 PM on May 6, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by tonycpsu at 4:53 PM on May 6, 2020 [6 favorites]
This was not a coup. A coup is an overthrow of the government by its own military.
This was apparently a (delusional) invasion.
posted by MattD at 5:29 PM on May 6, 2020
This was apparently a (delusional) invasion.
posted by MattD at 5:29 PM on May 6, 2020
Silvercorp have previous form in S.America.
agents of the private security contractor behind a mercenary invasion group that was captured by Venezuelan forces on May 3-4, were based in Brazil during the 2018 election.
Silvercorp USA itself has readily publicized that it performed services in Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia, and Mexico.
posted by adamvasco at 5:44 PM on May 6, 2020
agents of the private security contractor behind a mercenary invasion group that was captured by Venezuelan forces on May 3-4, were based in Brazil during the 2018 election.
Silvercorp USA itself has readily publicized that it performed services in Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia, and Mexico.
posted by adamvasco at 5:44 PM on May 6, 2020
This was not a coup. A coup is an overthrow of the government by its own military.
The guys training in Colombian camps were all former Venezuelan military, and the guy trying to put together an invasion was a former officer. The plan supposedly involved cells of locals ready to leap out of bushes, too. Allegedly, the mercenary guys were going to be paid by Guaido on success. I don't know if that still counts as a coup but it's coup-adjacent.
posted by BungaDunga at 7:05 PM on May 6, 2020 [6 favorites]
The guys training in Colombian camps were all former Venezuelan military, and the guy trying to put together an invasion was a former officer. The plan supposedly involved cells of locals ready to leap out of bushes, too. Allegedly, the mercenary guys were going to be paid by Guaido on success. I don't know if that still counts as a coup but it's coup-adjacent.
posted by BungaDunga at 7:05 PM on May 6, 2020 [6 favorites]
If we want to get mega-historically-technical, it's probably best described as a Filibuster.
The 19th century US was full of them, usually nominally supported by Southern states for the purpose of spreading slavery. (Surprise!)
That's not even remotely relevant here.
Not even sure why I brought it up.
posted by absalom at 8:49 PM on May 6, 2020 [4 favorites]
The 19th century US was full of them, usually nominally supported by Southern states for the purpose of spreading slavery. (Surprise!)
That's not even remotely relevant here.
Not even sure why I brought it up.
posted by absalom at 8:49 PM on May 6, 2020 [4 favorites]
Silvercorp have previous form in S.America.:
posted by cenoxo at 10:03 PM on May 6, 2020
...The election was also marked by the stabbing of Jair Bolsonaro on a campaign rally in the city of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais [WP].I wonder if Bolsonaro's North American BFF might use this same threat in November 2020 (if things don't look good for him).
The election was considered the most tumultuous since democracy was restored in 1989, with the vote held within an unprecedented climate of hatred. Research conducted by Agência Publica showed that Bolsonaro’s supporters carried out at least 50 violent attacks across the country, including multiple murders.
Bolsonaro himself, who at the time was still hospitalized from the knife attack, said during an interview he gave to journalist José Luiz Datena in September 2018, that he would only accept the election result if he won.
posted by cenoxo at 10:03 PM on May 6, 2020
An American mercenary captured after a bungled attempt to topple Nicolás Maduro has claimed he was on a mission to seize control of Venezuela’s main airport in order to abduct its leader – and he alleged that was acting under the command of Donald Trump.
The Guardian
posted by Mrs Potato at 11:05 PM on May 6, 2020
The Guardian
posted by Mrs Potato at 11:05 PM on May 6, 2020
Just saying I hope they get treated humanely and get a fair trial - because they are well...humans.
Surely you mean 'humans of the right colour'?
posted by Mrs Potato at 11:06 PM on May 6, 2020 [2 favorites]
Surely you mean 'humans of the right colour'?
posted by Mrs Potato at 11:06 PM on May 6, 2020 [2 favorites]
I think I speak for everyone in the thread when I say that I hope they receive the same fairness and consideration an equivalent group would receive for attempting to abduct the president of the United States.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 11:08 PM on May 6, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by thatwhichfalls at 11:08 PM on May 6, 2020 [8 favorites]
Jordan Goudreau is under federal investigation for arms trafficking.
posted by adamvasco at 8:48 AM on May 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by adamvasco at 8:48 AM on May 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
I wonder if Bolsonaro's North American BFF might use this same threat in November 2020 (if things don't look good for him).
He did say exactly that in 2016.
posted by Etrigan at 11:45 AM on May 7, 2020
He did say exactly that in 2016.
posted by Etrigan at 11:45 AM on May 7, 2020
An American mercenary captured after a bungled attempt to topple Nicolás Maduro has claimed he was on a mission to seize control of Venezuela’s main airport in order to abduct its leader – and he alleged that was acting under the command of Donald Trump.
Yeah, but "we" don't like Maduro so we're just going to assume that this time Donald Trump isn't lying.
And maybe he isn't, but I find it funny that he's tripping over himself to deny involvement even before he's finished denying he knew anything about it beforehand.
posted by Reyturner at 11:59 AM on May 7, 2020
Yeah, but "we" don't like Maduro so we're just going to assume that this time Donald Trump isn't lying.
And maybe he isn't, but I find it funny that he's tripping over himself to deny involvement even before he's finished denying he knew anything about it beforehand.
posted by Reyturner at 11:59 AM on May 7, 2020
In Brazil the military don't need much help to take over. As NYT points out, active and former military officials currently hold nine of the 22 cabinet positions including three that operate out of the presidential palace. As VP General Hamilton Mourão pointed out recently" Everything is under control: We just don’t know whose.”
There is already over 1,500 Military personnel actively working in the ministries.
posted by adamvasco at 12:14 PM on May 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
There is already over 1,500 Military personnel actively working in the ministries.
posted by adamvasco at 12:14 PM on May 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Trump Just Inspired the Dumbest Damned Coup Plot in LatAm History, Complete with a QAnon Crazy
posted by adamvasco at 7:02 PM on May 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by adamvasco at 7:02 PM on May 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
So did they tweet @ Trump because they were hoping he would send the troops and stage an all out attack?
posted by Omnomnom at 2:35 PM on May 8, 2020
posted by Omnomnom at 2:35 PM on May 8, 2020
Ex-Green Beret pitched Venezuela plot to Colorado investors last year, claiming links to Trump insider and DC consultants, Military Times, Howard Altman & Kyle Rempfer, 5/8/2020:
posted by cenoxo at 12:57 PM on May 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
To Army Special Forces veteran Drew White, the plan to take over Venezuelan oil fields after overthrowing the government — being pitched by a troubled fellow former 10th Special Forces Group soldier — seemed too far-fetched to be believed.Had he been a Trump-caliber salesman (and foreseen the end result), Goudreau would have done better short-selling the proposed coup.
Documents pitching the plan — obtained by Military Times — included letterhead from a Washington consultant firm, as well as the names and credentials of President Donald Trump’s longtime bodyguard and another billionaire financier, all of whom have denied involvement in the ill-fated adventure.
The Green Beret veteran at the center of the plot, former Sgt. 1st Class Jordan Goudreau, appeared to be shopping around for investors to back the paramilitary mission using a patchwork of documents, which included a wish list of military gear, including several aircraft, armored vehicles, hundreds of M4 carbines, PVS-14 night vision goggles, ballistic plates and helmets, several hydraulic breaching tools, ketamine and morphine.
White, now 34 and the owner of a successful Colorado Springs insurance firm, was a sergeant first class with 10th Group who served from 2005 to 2017 and received a Bronze Star, among other medals and commendations. He told Military Times that in August of 2019, he was approached by Goudreau with a scattershot proposal seeking investors for an operation designed to overthrow of regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro....
posted by cenoxo at 12:57 PM on May 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
“I said to Jordan, ‘I have to meet with your contacts,’” said White. “'I have to see the legitimate contracts. You are asking for a large amount of money.’”
White basically admitted he would go in on a conspiracy to overthrow a democratically-elected government, if the contract was tight. It seems it would be right for this criminal to be forcibly extradited to Venezuela to stand trial, along with Goudreau.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 7:31 PM on May 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
White basically admitted he would go in on a conspiracy to overthrow a democratically-elected government, if the contract was tight. It seems it would be right for this criminal to be forcibly extradited to Venezuela to stand trial, along with Goudreau.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 7:31 PM on May 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
I could have sworn the US has laws on the books against that sort of thing, but maybe I'm misremembering. Not that Bill Barr would ever allow anyone to be prosecuted for it regardless.
posted by wierdo at 10:25 PM on May 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by wierdo at 10:25 PM on May 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
I could have sworn the US has laws on the books against that sort of thing
Yes, the Neutrality Act of 1794 makes it a crime for U.S. citizens to wage war against any country at peace with the United States. The U.S. invoked the Neutrality Act of 1794 to charge several U.S. citizens involved in the Gambian coup d'état attempt in 2014 and more recently in 2019 Neutrality Act charges were filed against two former U.S soldiers involved in another, presumably unrelated, plot against Venezuela. Lawfare has a good article about the Neutrality Act and how it might apply to Goudreau and his collaborators: Did Former Green Berets Violate the 1794 Neutrality Act by Invading Venezuela?
posted by RichardP at 11:46 AM on May 11, 2020 [4 favorites]
Yes, the Neutrality Act of 1794 makes it a crime for U.S. citizens to wage war against any country at peace with the United States. The U.S. invoked the Neutrality Act of 1794 to charge several U.S. citizens involved in the Gambian coup d'état attempt in 2014 and more recently in 2019 Neutrality Act charges were filed against two former U.S soldiers involved in another, presumably unrelated, plot against Venezuela. Lawfare has a good article about the Neutrality Act and how it might apply to Goudreau and his collaborators: Did Former Green Berets Violate the 1794 Neutrality Act by Invading Venezuela?
posted by RichardP at 11:46 AM on May 11, 2020 [4 favorites]
Family of ex-Green Beret captured in Venezuela says men likely believed they were trying to liberate the oppressed, Military Times, Howard Altman & Kyle Rempfer, 5/11/2020:
posted by cenoxo at 8:20 PM on May 11, 2020
Given his latest venture — as a deep sea underwater welder working on offshore oil rigs — it wasn’t unusual for Army Special Forces veteran Luke Denman to go off the grid for days or weeks at a time, his family and friends say. But it wasn’t until seeing news reports about two former Green Berets captured during a failed raid in Venezuela that the Denman family realized just how far off the grid he had gone.“Today was the slowest day I’ve had since then,” he said. “I have been making a lot of phone calls to get in touch with folks, embassies in Bogata. The Swiss Embassy. Consular services. The State Department. I have talked to a lot of attorneys about helping out, but I have not seen a clear plan about what they can do. They explain how much their retainers are.” But so far, Denman and his parents say they have heard nothing from the U.S. government, Venezuelans or investigators.
“I was looking at the news, as I do Monday mornings, and saw this short article about Venezuela repelling an invasion on its shores,” Mark Denman, Luke’s older brother, told Military Times. “I thought ‘that’s weird.’”
...
The more Denman searched, the worse he began to feel. “I saw graphic photos of a pickup with body bags,” he said. “I got extremely concerned.”Then he saw a picture of a man, lying on the ground, with a tattoo on his right arm of Nordic runes. “I was with my brother when he got that tattoo,” Denman said. For the first time, the family learned that Luke Denman was not on an oil rig, but in a Venezuelan prison...
PHOTO: In this photo released by Venezuela's Miraflores presidential press office, President Nicolas Maduro shows what Venezuelan authorities claim are identification documents of former U.S. special forces and U.S. citizens Airan Berry, right, and Luke Denman, left, during a online press conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, May 6, 2020. Maduro also touted a video showing a scruffy-looking Texas native Luke Denman, divulging details about a failed invasion as proof that U.S. authorities backed an attempt to forcibly remove him from power.
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posted by cenoxo at 8:20 PM on May 11, 2020
Wikipedia has a thorough article in progress about the Macuto Bay raid (aka Operation Gideon) on May 3-4, 2020 in Venezuela.
Two days before Operation Gideon began and failed, the Associated Press (without knowing the invasion date) published some detailed information about it: see their May 1, 2020 article Ex-Green Beret led failed attempt to oust Venezuela’s Maduro by Joshua Goodman (AP). NOTE: this article's striking lead photo is from a related 2018 drone 'attack' on Maduro (caption):
posted by cenoxo at 1:26 PM on May 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
Two days before Operation Gideon began and failed, the Associated Press (without knowing the invasion date) published some detailed information about it: see their May 1, 2020 article Ex-Green Beret led failed attempt to oust Venezuela’s Maduro by Joshua Goodman (AP). NOTE: this article's striking lead photo is from a related 2018 drone 'attack' on Maduro (caption):
In this Aug. 4, 2018 file photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, security guards surround Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with protective gear as an unidentified drone interrupts his speech in Caracas, Venezuela. An exiled Venezuelan national guardsman accused of partaking in this drone attack on Maduro is among voluntary combatants in three safe houses of former soldiers plotting a military incursion from neighboring Colombia, according to an Associated Press investigation. (Xinhua via AP, File)More pre-raid background info in the AP article (the bell¿ngcat article cited in this MeFi FPP also linked to this AP story).
posted by cenoxo at 1:26 PM on May 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
Venezuela detains 40 suspects after failed Maduro 'kidnap attempt' • Three captured west of Caracas are latest ‘terrorists’ arrested • Advisers to opposition leader Juan Guaidó linked to raid resign; The Guardian, Tom Phillips (Latin America correspondent), 5/12/2020.
Wife of U.S. mercenary [Airan Berry] pleads for his release from Venezuela, Daily Mail, Frances Mulraney, 5/12/2020:
After pre-coup investment meetings (WTF!) in Colorado and Miami; meetings with Trump's longtime personal bodyguard and ex-Director of Oval Office Operations Keith Schiller (WP); men and materiel acquisitions; and who knows what other shenanigans, it's hard to believe that U.S. intelligence agencies, the Trump administration, and The War President himself didn't know anything before the coup attempt/failure hit the news.
posted by cenoxo at 2:15 PM on May 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
Wife of U.S. mercenary [Airan Berry] pleads for his release from Venezuela, Daily Mail, Frances Mulraney, 5/12/2020:
'We're hoping that the U.S. government will use all its resources to bring my husband Airan and Luke Denman home,' she wrote to t-online.de. 'They're good men who are worthy of being protected, supported and provided with the kind the help they have so often given to others.'And so Maduro acquires some bargaining chips against the United States.
'After all the years that Airan worked to ensure the safety of Americans, he deserves every possible resource to get him home safely to his family,' his wife insisted. 'Since we learned of the arrest, we have been in constant contact with various agencies and organizations, but we don't have any details right now.'
After pre-coup investment meetings (WTF!) in Colorado and Miami; meetings with Trump's longtime personal bodyguard and ex-Director of Oval Office Operations Keith Schiller (WP); men and materiel acquisitions; and who knows what other shenanigans, it's hard to believe that U.S. intelligence agencies, the Trump administration, and The War President himself didn't know anything before the coup attempt/failure hit the news.
posted by cenoxo at 2:15 PM on May 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
Guaidó. Goudreau. Good God. It's Time To End Venezuela Opposition's Military Fantasies, WLRN (Miami - South Florida NPR Affiliate); Tim Padgett - Commentary, 5/6/2020:
posted by cenoxo at 7:27 PM on May 12, 2020
The mercenaries who “invaded” Venezuela last weekend to capture President Nicolás Maduro and topple his disastrous, dictatorial regime called their mission Operation Gideon.Related Tim Padgett commentaries listed on the web page.
More like Operation Idiot.
Not just for its military stupidity but for the just as moronic political damage it’s done to Venezuela’s already vulnerable opposition. Which is why it’s time the opposition, especially its more hawkish supporters here in the Venezuelan diaspora, stop encouraging this sort of dangerous nonsense....
posted by cenoxo at 7:27 PM on May 12, 2020
Ex-Green Beret captured in Venezuela believed U.S. backed overthrow plot: family — Luke Denman would have never knowingly participated in a rogue operation to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, his relatives say., NBC News, Rich Schapiro, 5/16/2020:
...In interviews with NBC News, a half dozen family members and close friends of Denman and Berry said they believe the former Special Operations soldiers would have only participated in such an operation had the two men been convinced it was supported by the U.S. government. Some of the friends and relatives said they now believe the men fell under the sway of Goudreau, who led them in overseas deployments, and were ultimately misled.posted by cenoxo at 3:28 AM on May 17, 2020
...
Berry’s wife, Melanie, told NBC News that she, too, feels strongly that he was led to believe the U.S. backed the plan. “He’s not the type of person who would do something that hasn’t gone through the proper channels,” she said.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the U.S. had no “direct involvement” in the operation. President Donald Trump has also insisted the government had no part in the botched plot. “This was a rogue group that went in there,” Trump said last Friday.
Goudreau, 43, did not respond to calls or text messages to his cell phone....
Letter and contract put Guaidó at center of failed Venezuelan raid to oust Maduro, Miami Herald, Antonio Maria Delgado & Jay Weaver, 5/15/2020:
To paraphrase a bit, Success has a thousand fathers, but failure is a bastard child.
posted by cenoxo at 11:34 AM on May 18, 2020
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó has repeatedly said that he was not involved in an ill-fated raid aiming to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office earlier this month, but a document obtained by el Nuevo Herald shows that Guaidó was active in hiring a Florida company headed by an ex-Green Beret to carry out the incursion.Deny, deny, deny; develop a sudden memory loss; declare evidence uncovered against you as fake (news); and impugn the motives of your accusers. The Donald would be proud.
Just days before the raid, a Florida law firm representing Silvercorp USA sent a letter to Guaidó and other members of the opposition party to remind them that they owed an initial payment of $1.5 million on an Oct. 16, 2019, security contract that was “past due.”
The April 28 letter said that the “Administration of Juan Guaidó was supposed to pay Silvercorp USA” the retainer within five days after the opposition leader and a handful of allies signed the $212.9 million contract for services “backed/secured by Venezuelan barrels of oil.” The seven-page contract, described as a “general services agreement,” contains scant details of actual tasks to be performed but stresses the importance of secrecy among the parties.
...
Both the letter, obtained by el Nuevo Herald, and the seven-page contract, published by the Washington Post [link], contradict Guaidó’s assertions after the failed raid that he took no part in its planning and is “on the side of the constitution.”
To paraphrase a bit, Success has a thousand fathers, but failure is a bastard child.
posted by cenoxo at 11:34 AM on May 18, 2020
Ex-Green Beret flew on Venezuelan businessman’s plane before failed Maduro coup, Military Times, Joshua Goodman (Associated Press), 5/28/2020:
posted by cenoxo at 7:13 PM on June 2, 2020 [2 favorites]
MIAMI — It was mid-January and Jordan Goudreau was itching to get going on a secret plan to raid Venezuela and arrest President Nicolás Maduro when the former Special Forces commando flew to the city of Barranquilla in Colombia to meet with his would-be partner in arms.Durán and his associates are now at the center of multiple investigations in the U.S., Colombia and Venezuela into how Goudreau, a combat veteran with three Bronze Stars but little knowledge of Venezuela, managed to launch a failed raid that ended with the capture and arrest of his two Special Forces colleagues....
To get there, Goudreau and two former Green Beret buddies relied on some unusual help: a chartered flight out of Miami’s Opa Locka executive airport on a plane owned by a Venezuelan businessman so close to the government of the late Hugo Chávez that he spent almost four years in a U.S. prison for trying to cover up clandestine cash payments to its allies.
The owner of the Venezuela-registered Cessna Citation II with yellow and blue lines, identified with the tail number YV-3231, was Franklin Durán, according to three people familiar with the businessman’s movements who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. Durán over two decades has had numerous business ties with the socialist government of Venezuela, making him an odd choice to help a band of would-be-mercenaries overthrow Maduro, the handpicked successor of the late Chávez.
posted by cenoxo at 7:13 PM on June 2, 2020 [2 favorites]
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posted by lalochezia at 6:18 AM on May 6, 2020 [29 favorites]