Fernando Alcoforado*
In the article Scenarios of the Crisis in Venezuela published on 01/28/2019, we affirmed that Venezuela would walk briskly towards the outbreak of a bloody civil war and that there would be a risk of US military intervention to take over the oil reserves, the largest of the world, with the support of some Latin American countries, including Brazil, in flagrant disregard for the United Nations Charter which could result in a conflict involving several countries in Latin America. We also affirm that this situation tends to promote the intensification of the new Cold War between the United States and the allied Russia of Venezuela and the worsening of relations between the United States and China, also allied with Venezuela.
An indisputable fact is that Venezuela is a country divided and polarized to the extreme between chavistas and antichavistas whose radicalization reached culminancias with the defeat in the last parliamentary elections of chavismo to the forces of opposition that today are majority in the National Assembly presided by the deputy Juan Guaidó who, in turn, intends to remove Nicolas Maduro from power. On January 23, Juan Guaidó, president of the National Assembly, proclaimed himself President of the Republic of Venezuela, with the support of the Trump government, the OAS, President Ivan Duque of Colombia and Bolsonaro of Brazil. In the sequence, Guaidó had the rapid recognition of more than 50 countries of the world. The exceptions that have been declared against the most recent operation to remove Maduro from power among the Latin American countries were the Mexican, Cuban and Bolivian governments. Turkey, Russia and China also opposed the US intervention in Venezuela.
Russia warned that the recognition of Deputy Juan Guaidó as president of Venezuela by the United States could lead to a “bloodbath” in the country. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that events in Venezuela are reaching a dangerous point and that Washington is in breach of international law. Russia also warned the United States not to carry out a military intervention in Venezuela, saying that such action could lead to a catastrophe. In another statement, the Kremlin said it continues to support Maduro and that attempts to seize power in Venezuela violate international law. Venezuela is therefore facing a humanitarian catastrophe of gigantic proportions.
In an effort to destabilize the government of Nicolás Maduro, the United States and its allies organized what was called “humanitarian aid” with the delivery of food and medicines to the Venezuelan population that was considered by the Venezuelan government as a pretext for military intervention which would be in progress. Guaidó set for next January 23 the entry of aid from other countries in Venezuela. Volunteers will go through caravans to the land and sea borders of the country to help. But Maduro refuses to receive international aid, which he says is a pretext for a military invasion of Venezuela and a subsequent coup to get chavism out of power. Tensions between Colombia and Venezuela and Brazil and Venezuela on the eve of the day set by the United States for the entry of alleged humanitarian aid to Venezuelans are increasing.
Maduro ordered the closure of Venezuela’s border with Brazil. Usually the passage is closed at night and reopens around 7am the next day what did not happen this morning. A Brazilian Air Force (FAB) aircraft with 22.8 tons of powdered milk and 500 first-aid kits for Venezuelans took off from Brasilia towards Boa Vista in the state of Roraima. From the capital of Roraima, the products will be taken from Venezuelan trucks and drivers to Pacaraima and later to Venezuela.
In order to prevent the entry of so-called “humanitarian aid”, Nicolás Maduro’s government positioned near the border with Brazil, which was closed at 20:00 on Thursday (21/01), his system S-300VM air-defense missile developed by the Russians since the Cold War which is a staggered system ranging from the lowest level with guns to missiles at high altitude. The anti-aircraft system includes launchers, radar and assistance systems. It is located in the area of Santa Elena Airport Uairén, 11 km from the border town of Pacaraima in Brazil. In addition to the civil war, we risk having a bloodbath on our continent in case of military intervention in Venezuela with the participation of the United States, Colombia and Brazil.
The events in Venezuela are extremely serious. It is necessary to prevent Brazil from engaging in a military conflict that only has to be lost with the death of many of our young people to please and to satisfy the imperialist ambition of the United States that would be the great beneficiary when they seize Venezuela’s oil reserves, the largest in the world. The Brazilian people should not condone with these illegal practices that violate the International Law and the sovereignty of the peoples. Our Deputies and Senators must prevent this provocation from being consummated against a sovereign country, Venezuela, however execrable its government may be, that must only be removed of the power by the action of the own Venezuelan people .. . Before we give food and medicine to Venezuelans, we must provide food to our poor and medicines to our hospitals.
* Fernando Alcoforado, 79, holder of the CONFEA / CREA System Medal of Engineering Merit, member of the Bahia Academy of Education, engineer and doctor in Territorial Planning and Regional Development by the University of Barcelona, university professor and consultant in the areas of strategic planning, business planning, regional planning and planning of energy systems, is the author of 14 books addressing issues such as Globalization and Development, Brazilian Economy, Global Warming and Climate Change, The Factors that Condition Economic and Social Development, Energy in the world and The Great Scientific, Economic, and Social Revolutions that Changed the World.
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