Opposition Venezuelan Official Calls for Military Revolt

by Stephen Lendman

Washington wants regime change, neoliberal harshness replacing Bolivarian fairness, Big Oil able to exploit Venezuelan reserves, the world's largest. 

US bipartisan dark forces have been waging economic war on Venezuela for years, notably since Maduro's April 2013 election, making its economy scream - the same strategy used by Richard Nixon against Chile's Salvador Allende, murdered on 9/11/73, ushering in 17 years of Augusto Pinochet dictatorship.

Washington funds, directs and manipulates anti-democratic forces globally, its dirty hands responsible for much of the world's violence, turbulence and instability.

Twice defeated Venezuelan presidential candidate Henrique Capriles currently serves as Miranda state governor. On Tuesday, he committed an act of sedition, a serious offense virtually everywhere, involving or inciting revolt against a sitting government.

According to the Legal Dictionary, "seditious conspiracy is committed when two or more persons in any state or US territory conspire to levy war against the US government." 

"A person commits the crime of advocating the violent overthrow of the federal government when he or she willfully advocates or teaches the overthrow of the government by force, publishes material that advocates the overthrow of the government by force, or organizes persons to overthrow the government by force." 

"A person found guilty of seditious conspiracy or advocating the overthrow of the (US) government may be fined and sentenced to up to 20 years in prison."

Other countries have similar harsh punishments. Capriles called for Venezuela's military to revolt. "Prepare the tanks and warplanes," he urged. "The hour of truth is coming to decide whether you are with the constitution or with Maduro."

The president extended a renewable economic state of emergency for 60 days over what he called (US manipulated) Brazilian-style "onslaught of the oligarchy."

He announced an expanded State of Exception, citing possible foreign intervention. Capriles called on Venezuelans to defy his actions, urged nationwide protest marches, demanded preparations proceed toward removing Maduro by recall referendum.

He threatened violence, saying "Venezuela is a bomb that can explode at any moment." Opposition forces collected 1.85 million signatures allegedly supporting recall.

Authorities found them rife with fraud, around 190,000 belonging to deceased Venezuelans, slowing the process, making a recall referendum unlikely this year.

Maduro said holding it was "not viable" because of irregularities found. If held successfully next year, Vice President Aristobulo Isturiz would replace him. If one succeeds this year, a snap election for a new president would follow.

On Tuesday, Tachira state protests erupted, perhaps heading for a repeat of 2014 violence, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries, manipulated by dark external and internal forces.

A long period of disruptive turmoil may lie ahead, its outcome uncertain.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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