Maduro Confirms Arrest of Caracas Mayor for Coup Plotting

[SWE]

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Maduro-Confirms-Arrest-of-Caracas-Mayor-for-Coup-Plotting-20150219-0034.html

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[Famous Mortimer]

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Maduro-Confirms-Arrest-of-Caracas-Mayor-for-Coup-Plotting-20150219-0034.html

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"Ultra right-wing" TeleSur is just the worst.

[ag]

They are preparing for cancellation of the National Assembly elections later this year. Given Maduro's unpopularity and the ongoing economic collapse, the scale of fraud necessary to declare victory would be staggering. So, they have to either cancel the elections or ban all viable opposition candidates from standing.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Yeah, this is how a dictator begins the process of consolidating power.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yeah, looks like Maduro has decided to go full dictator. I'm curious to see how the resident True Leftists will react... wait, actually, I'm not.

[Vosem]

Hopefully the White House is involved in the plotting of coup attempts.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

Hopefully the White House is involved in the plotting of coup attempts.

Even if you support the coup attempts, why would you actively hope a foreign power is involved?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Hopefully the White House is involved in the plotting of coup attempts.

Even if you support the coup attempts, why would you actively hope a foreign power is involved?

Maybe he wants the coup attempts to fail.

[ag]

Hopefully the White House is involved in the plotting of coup attempts.

Even if you support the coup attempts, why would you actively hope a foreign power is involved?

Maybe he wants the coup attempts to fail.

My only explanation, in fact.

[ZuWo]

Let's wait for the Jacobin's take on this before we prematurely condemn Maduro.

[ag]

Let's wait for the Jacobin's take on this before we prematurely condemn Maduro.

I do not think at this point it is possible to condemn Maduro prematurely.

[Zioneer]

They are preparing for cancellation of the National Assembly elections later this year. Given Maduro's unpopularity and the ongoing economic collapse, the scale of fraud necessary to declare victory would be staggering. So, they have to either cancel the elections or ban all viable opposition candidates from standing.

Wow, Maduro isn't even trying to seem remotely democratic, is he?

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

For the record, I think the best outcome for Venezuela would have been if Capriles had simply won (or been allowed to win) the 2013 election. He could have moderated the extremes that the 'Bolivarian' policies and general style of politics had reached, yet preserved what legitimate gains Venezuela and its people had made under Chávez. Maduro, who from the beginning was an unthinking hack at the absolute best, never showed any sign whatsoever of being either capable of or interested in doing that.

[Vosem]

Hopefully the White House is involved in the plotting of coup attempts.

Even if you support the coup attempts, why would you actively hope a foreign power is involved?

Maybe he wants the coup attempts to fail.

My only explanation, in fact.

Fine -- I hope the White House is ready to provide whatever aid the coup plotters want. If they think the best way to go is without clandestine North American support, then more power to them. The key point is for Maduro and the entire Bolivarian elite to go, as soon as possible, using whatever methods will work.

[ingemann]

A American supported coup in Latin America have as much support from the general public as Russian ones in the Eastern Europe. So congratulation if Obama followed your suggestion, we could look forward to a decade with Maduro.

[ag]

Hopefully the White House is involved in the plotting of coup attempts.

Even if you support the coup attempts, why would you actively hope a foreign power is involved?

Maybe he wants the coup attempts to fail.

My only explanation, in fact.

Fine -- I hope the White House is ready to provide whatever aid the coup plotters want. If they think the best way to go is without clandestine North American support, then more power to them. The key point is for Maduro and the entire Bolivarian elite to go, as soon as possible, using whatever methods will work.

There are no coup plotters. A coup, in this case, means military, and the military has been both purged and (the rest of it) bought (the regime is spending whatever it has left on this). There may be a popular revolt at some point, but I am pretty sure it will not be either pre-planned or well-organized.

In any case, supporting a military coup in Latin America (or elsewhere) is not a very smart thing - either for the US government, or  for anybody else. The military rarely, if ever, makes even indifferent rulers.

[ag]

A American supported coup in Latin America have as much support from the general public as Russian ones in the Eastern Europe. So congratulation if Obama followed your suggestion, we could look forward to a decade with Maduro.

In addition, at this point there is nobody capable of a coup, in any case. The opposition politicians are in no position to organize anything that could be called a coup - no guns, no power, no nothing. If the popular revolt happens (which is increasingly likely), it is going to look very different.

The most likely coup in Venezuela would be, say, Diosdado Cabello overthrowing Maduro. I do not believe the US would be happy supporting that.

[Vosem]

A American supported coup in Latin America have as much support from the general public as Russian ones in the Eastern Europe. So congratulation if Obama followed your suggestion, we could look forward to a decade with Maduro.

If the coup plotters restore democracy after the coup (probably the best possible result), I highly doubt the Venezuelan people will cut off their nose to spite their face by voting for Maduro.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

A American supported coup in Latin America have as much support from the general public as Russian ones in the Eastern Europe. So congratulation if Obama followed your suggestion, we could look forward to a decade with Maduro.

If the coup plotters restore democracy after the coup (probably the best possible result), I highly doubt the Venezuelan people will cut off their nose to spite their face by voting for Maduro.

There is nobody within the Venezuelan system who would be capable of pulling off a coup, as such, against Maduro; thus, any attempt at doing so would be crushed, and probably provide Maduro a decade's worth of propaganda fodder.

[morgieb]

Unsettling, though I don't really like the thought of overthrowing a democratically-elected government anyway. In any case, time for Maudro to go IMO.

[ag]

A American supported coup in Latin America have as much support from the general public as Russian ones in the Eastern Europe. So congratulation if Obama followed your suggestion, we could look forward to a decade with Maduro.

If the coup plotters restore democracy after the coup (probably the best possible result), I highly doubt the Venezuelan people will cut off their nose to spite their face by voting for Maduro.

Such coup plotters could only exist in Venezuelan military. Do you really think it is likely that, at this point, there is anybody in Venezuelan military who "would restore democracy"?

[ag]

A American supported coup in Latin America have as much support from the general public as Russian ones in the Eastern Europe. So congratulation if Obama followed your suggestion, we could look forward to a decade with Maduro.

If the coup plotters restore democracy after the coup (probably the best possible result), I highly doubt the Venezuelan people will cut off their nose to spite their face by voting for Maduro.

There is nobody within the Venezuelan system who would be capable of pulling off a coup, as such, against Maduro; thus, any attempt at doing so would be crushed, and probably provide Maduro a decade's worth of propaganda fodder.

There are many in Venezuelan system who could do a coup against Maduro. My prime suspect would be Diosdado Cabello. The only problem is, both he and anybody else who could do this, would not at all help either the opposition or democracy.

[Flake]

Wow

[Vosem]

A American supported coup in Latin America have as much support from the general public as Russian ones in the Eastern Europe. So congratulation if Obama followed your suggestion, we could look forward to a decade with Maduro.

If the coup plotters restore democracy after the coup (probably the best possible result), I highly doubt the Venezuelan people will cut off their nose to spite their face by voting for Maduro.

Such coup plotters could only exist in Venezuelan military. Do you really think it is likely that, at this point, there is anybody in Venezuelan military who "would restore democracy"?

No, but do you really think military rule would be worse than Maduro? Notice that I was discussing a "best possible result".

A American supported coup in Latin America have as much support from the general public as Russian ones in the Eastern Europe. So congratulation if Obama followed your suggestion, we could look forward to a decade with Maduro.

If the coup plotters restore democracy after the coup (probably the best possible result), I highly doubt the Venezuelan people will cut off their nose to spite their face by voting for Maduro.

There is nobody within the Venezuelan system who would be capable of pulling off a coup, as such, against Maduro; thus, any attempt at doing so would be crushed, and probably provide Maduro a decade's worth of propaganda fodder.

There are many in Venezuelan system who could do a coup against Maduro. My prime suspect would be Diosdado Cabello. The only problem is, both he and anybody else who could do this, would not at all help either the opposition or democracy.

Then again, if military rule means Cabello and his Soles it would be even worse than Maduro. I suppose it depends on how thoroughly the Venezuelan military has been scrubbed.

[Antonio the Sixth]

People like Vosem are the reason Chavez came to power and was repeatedly reelected and succeeded by Maduro.