Caracas, May 11 (EFE).- National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaido, recognized as interim president of Venezuela by more than 50 countries, spoke again Saturday about a possible collaboration with the United States military after so few people in the whole country answered his call to protests in the streets that were meant to be massive.
Guaido told the dozens of his followers gathered in an east Caracas plaza that he had asked his diplomatic representative in the US, Carlos Vecchio, to meet with the Southern Command of that country to coordinate a possible cooperation against the national crisis.
“We have instructed our Ambassador Carlos Vecchio to meet immediately with the Southern Command and the admiral so we can establish direct relations in matters of cooperation,” he said.
He repeated that with the backing of allied governments led by the United States, “all options remain on the table” to resolve the national crisis, and that includes, he said, Nicolas Maduro stepping down from power, given that Guaido considers his presidency illegitimate.
Guaido said the opposition also seeks to “apply the necessary pressure” to end the so-called Bolivarian Revolution, in power since 1999.
“At all times I have spoken of cooperation, because intervention in Venezuela already exists,” he said in denouncing the supposed participation of Cubans in the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) and the presence in the country of the Colombian National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group.
Guaido’s statement came 48 hours after the head of the US Southern Command, Adm. Craig Faller, posted a message on Twitter saying he was ready to aid the Venezuelan opposition leader.
“When invited by @jguaido & the legitimate gov’t of #Venezuela, I look forward to discussing how we can support the future role of those @ArmadaFANB leaders who make the right decision, put the Venezuela people first & restore constitutional order,” the admiral said.
Guaido said his country has now passed the “red line” to where it now needs foreign military cooperation, though he noted that such a decision depends on the countries willing to offer their help in the matter.
“Listen to the word I used – military cooperation on Venezuelan soil, not intervention. Why? Because intervention already exists – the Cuban military operating intelligence and counterintelligence in Venezuela, the Russian military,” he added.
However, this Saturday he insisted that ending what he calls Maduro’s usurpation of the presidency “will depend on the Venezuelans, and on the force we exercise in the streets.”
“Staying at home waiting is not an option. We have to keep demanding our rights in the streets,” he told the number of followers listening to him, which was far below a thousand.
Guaido’s inner circle announced Friday that some 120 demonstrations were being organized across Venezuela to repudiate the “persecution” of the 10 opposition lawmakers that the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) accuses of rebellion.
However, the same political parties that oppose Maduro came up with less than 10 demonstrations in states like Monagas, Carabobo, Trujillo, Lara and Zulia, with each and every one attracting less than a thousand protesters.