Fausta's Blog

American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

By

Venezuela: The eight armies behind Maduro

With a vested interest for the status quo,

According to Otero, there are eight armed groups that make up the Maduro administration’s muscle:

  • Armed civilian militias that are uniformed and trained by the army
  • The Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Boliviariana — GNB)
  • The Bolivarian National Police (Policía Nacional Bolivariana — PNB)
  • The Bolivarian National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana — FANB)
  • Cuban military advisors surrounding Maduro
  • “Colectivos,” the pro-government paramilitary organizations that operate throughout the country
  • The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — FARC)
  • Colombia’s National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional — ELN)

Read it at InSight Crime,

In other Venezuela news,
Venezuela has just announced an election — and it’s terrible news for democracy

Colombia evicts over 200 homeless Venezuelans from sports field squat

How Much Worse Can it Get for Venezuela’s State Oil Firm PDVSA?
Venezuela’s Most-Wanted Rebel Shared His Story, Just Before Death

——————————————————————

I’m getting over a flu. Juliette filled in for me yesterday at DTGB, Who Can Investigate the Investigators?

Share

By

Venezuela: Oscar Perez killed by police? UPDATED

Oscar Perez, the former police helicopter pilot who last year attacked the Supreme Court and Interior Ministry, has been killed, according to government sources (emphasis added),

Oscar Perez, a Venezuelan police pilot accused of stealing a helicopter and using it to attack the country’s Supreme Court in June, was killed Monday in Caracas, a government official told CNN.

The high-ranking member of the Venezuelan government asked to remain anonymous. CNN has not been able to independently confirm Perez’s death.

“BREAKING NEWS: Óscar Pérez is wounded by an exploded grenade launched by security forces surrounding him. He denounces that Maduro’s regime is shooting at them and do not allow them to surrender.”

Roundup:
Venezuelan Helicopter Pilot Who Rebelled Against Dictatorship Livestreamed Raid that Killed Him

Venezuela forces launch deadly assault, capture rebel police officers

The assault was made public early Monday by Pérez himself, who posted video snippets on social media, including one in which he appears with a bloodied face.

“They are firing at us with RPG, grenades and grenade launchers, snipers,” Pérez says in one video. “There are civilians in here. We told them that we’re going to turn ourselves in and they don’t want to let us surrender. They want to kill us.”

A Day of Blood

A police operation for the capture of former CICPC inspector Oscar Pérez and his team took the entire day in Venezuelan social media. By 11:00 p.m., there was no official statement about his situation, only reports of the police takeover of the Bello Monte morgue, as an insinuation that his corpse might be there. Oscar Pérez’ group made a live digital recount of the assault they faced, uploading videos on his Instagram account (@equlibriogv) that showed what was happening. An unprecedented method that raised more suspicion than solidarity and prompted official mouthpieces to make unwise statements.

Two police officers and several “terrorists” have been killed in an operation to capture a helicopter pilot accused of leading an armed rebellion in Venezuela last year, officials say.

Venezuelan forces surrounded a house in the town of El Junquito, near the capital, Caracas, as they targeted the “cell” linked to pilot Oscar Pérez.

The authorities said they had arrested five people who they accuse of being part of a criminal group.

It is unclear what became of Mr Pérez.

Venezuelans Watch as Soldiers Besiege Rebel Group. Rogue police pilot Oscar Perez posts videos online as his supporters engage in gun battle at hideout

The saga of a police pilot and former actor who authorities said stole a helicopter in June and tossed grenades over official buildings took another violent turn as government forces said they had engaged in a bloody shootout with him and supporters at their rural hideout.

Venezuelans watched on Monday as Oscar Perez posted videos online of the fighting between special-forces soldiers and his group of civilians and former military personnel.

“Venezuela, they’re killing us!” Mr. Perez said in a video amid gunfire as blood streamed down the side of his face. His fate wasn’t known Monday evening. He has been calling for rebellion against President Nicolás Maduro’s autocratic rule.

La inhumana indiferencia del venezolano ante la ejecución de Óscar Pérez

UPDATE
CONFIRMED

After hours without revealing what Oscar Pérez’s fate was, Justice Minister Néstor Reverol gave a news conference on Tuesday.

In it he said that Mr Pérez was among seven “terrorists” killed in the siege.

Share

By

Venezuela 350: Police helicopter attacks Supreme Court and Interior Ministry UPDATED

Grenades at the Supreme Court, bullets at the Interior Ministry:

A Venezuelan police helicopter strafed the Supreme Court and a government ministry on Tuesday, escalating the OPEC nation’s political crisis in what President Nicolas Maduro called an attack by “terrorists” seeking a coup.

The aircraft fired 15 shots at the Interior Ministry, where scores of people were at a social event, and dropped four grenades on the court, where judges were meeting, officials said.

However, there were no reports of injuries.

Who did it?

Venezuela’s government said in a communique the helicopter was stolen by investigative police pilot Oscar Perez, who declared himself in rebellion against Maduro.

Images shared on social and local media appear to show Perez waving a banner from the helicopter reading “Liberty”, and the number “350” in large letters.

The number refers to the constitutional article allowing people the right to oppose an undemocratic government.

The hashtag’s #350Libertad

Pérez described that he is part of a non-partisan coalition of members of the security forces whose mission is “to serve our people” against tyranny,

According to his Instagram profile, Perez is a crime units investigator, a pilot and a K9 instructor.

[information minister Ernesto] Villegas said security forces were being deployed to apprehend Pérez, who the government accused – without giving evidence – of working under the instructions of the CIA and the US embassy in Caracas, as well as to recover the helicopter.

And yet this is where the comparisons emerge with the “failed Turkish coup” to “remove” Erdogan last summer, which most admit was a staged attempt meant to further entrench the despotic president.

Francisco Toro wonders, false flag, or random lunatic?, while Daniel ponders the country chavismo wants.

UPDATE:
I’m not the only skeptic: From the WSJ comments, “This is what happens when you farm out your Reichstag fire to the lowest bidder.”

Share