President in exile

By Luis Manuel Aguana

Intervention at the Pio Tamayo Cathedra on Monday 25 February 2019: What happened on 23F? What's next?

My thanks to the Pio Tamayo Cathedra and to Professor Agustín Blanco Muñoz for their kind invitation to analyze the country again. The serious events of February 23 at the sites of entry of Humanitarian Aid, especially in Santa Elena de Uairén and the border with Cúcuta that left dozens dead, hundreds injured and destruction of trucks of food and medicine by the intervention live and direct malandros of the regime, which were sent as the first advance of the penalties and collectives, moved especially from the four cardinal points of the country, is the faithful demonstration of what is happening in Venezuela for years and that for the first time is shown in all its magnitude before the eyes of the civilized world.

At this moment, the border cities of Ureña, San Antonio and the towns of the Palotal-Tienditas axis, which joins both cities, are under the control of the paramilitary hordes of the ELN and criminals removed from the prisons by the regime, with absolutely no control of the National Guard, Army or National Police. The government through its envoys Freddy Bernal, Iris Valera, Pedro Carreño, among others, are in charge of this operation. A Center for Medical Specialties where the wounded were treated as a result of the protest against the passage of humanitarian aid was evicted by these irregulars threatening the medical personnel with death. These hordes of criminals are disguised by the regime of National Guards and shoot at the houses of the inhabitants of Santa Elena de Uairén.

The civilian population of Venezuela is completely unprotected against such barbarity backed by the regime of Nicolas Maduro, as a way to stay in power, where they give weapons to criminals in order to support this dictatorship. That is why these irregulars do theirs in the border cities waiting for any armed intervention from abroad. We are not talking about a few, there are hundreds of them. And this is already completely corroborated by the presence of the Minister of Penitentiary Affairs, Iris Varela, accompanying the armed collectives in Ureña (see video in https://twitter.com/NTN24ve/status/1099828824475201537) as reported by a renowned international news network.

The world is shocked to see the Venezuelan drama so crudely exposed. It is normal for us to see what happened there, but for the international press that witnessed the destruction and aggression of these irregulars live from Cúcuta, they are now perfectly aware of our tragedy. Faced with this situation, the question of the Pio Tamayo Cathedra is pertinent: What's next?

Despite the statements made by Deputy Miguel Pizarro, who serves as Humanitarian Aid Coordinator on behalf of the National Assembly, to the effect that "There is no provision for a president in exile". (see in Spanish http://versionfinal.com.ve/politica-dinero/pizarro-no-esta-previsto-un-presidente-en-el-exilio-guaido-regresa-a-venezuela/). Unfortunately, things in politics are not what one wants but what realities impose. As of today, the opposition must consider a scenario in which President Juan Guaidó cannot return to the country. There are many reasons to support this assertion, beginning with his treatment as Head of State by Colombia during his stay with the consequent and foreseeable retaliation of the regime.

After Guaidó's meeting with Colombian President Ivan Duque and OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro in Colombian territory and his meeting with the chancellors of the Lima Group in Bogotá, with the participation of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, I very much doubt that the regime will not unleash a persecution for any reason against President Encargado.

Already the machinery of the regime began in the General Comptroller's Office of the Republic, accusing Guaido of having falsified information about his patrimony. Also "At the request of the Attorney General gave the green light to the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) and although so far has not been given the order for his arrest, the chavismo has indicated that he should go to prison" (see news in  https://www.france24.com/es/20190211-contraloria-venezolana-juan-guaido-patrimonio). Consequently, it is not risky to say that they will wait for him at the border to stop him for any reason, so his return must be backed by a force far beyond the simple desire to carry out a Transitional Government.

If Juan Guaidó is unable to enter Venezuela, the case of a President legitimately appointed in the country who is criminalized and persecuted by the usurper regime will necessarily be taking shape. The first thing that should be finished is that straitjacket called the Law of the Statute of the Transition that seizes the constitutional attributions of the President of the Republic and subrogates them to the parties of the National Assembly. Juan Guaidó must then be formally sworn in by the legitimate Supreme Court of Justice in exile, as Constitutional President of the Republic in charge, being able to make decisions such as the appointment of a Military High Command and a Minister of Defense who will propose the different alternatives and interact with his military counterparts of the continent, to put an end to the usurpation of Nicolás Maduro and his gang of criminals who whip the country.

The National Assembly, for its part, should be approving without delay the activation of Article 187.11 of the Constitution, to authorize the use of an international peacekeeping force in the event of persistent blockade of the distribution of humanitarian aid within the framework of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) of the International Community in aid of Venezuelans (see The R2P or why humanitarian aid can enter Venezuela, en http://ticsddhh.blogspot.com/p/the-r2p-or-why-humanitarian-aid-can.html).

When we apply to the legitimate Supreme Court of Justice for the urgent appointment of a National Emergency Government in June 2018 (see complete application in https://tinyurl.com/y7x87ldb), what was it that we were actually requesting? We said it months ago (see Beyond a National Emergency Government, in http://ticsddhh.blogspot.com/p/beyond-national-emergency-government.html): A political representation that coordinates actions and that is the epicenter of all national and international attention in order to fight against the dictatorship. The traditional political factors would not be eliminated but reoriented and focused in favor of a coordinated struggle by a government group, whose supreme interest is to get us out of this serious problem, with the greatness that only statesmen can give, away from all political pettiness and aspirations of power, using for that all the help they can provide inside and outside Venezuela. Was it too much to ask? Well, we want to believe that with Guaidó we already have it.

If the usurper does not let Juan Guaidó into Venezuela by putting the President in exile, he would be giving us the opportunity to organize that legitimate political representation coordinating a force with that epicenter from outside. In fact, that is happening now. Venezuela has already accepted Guaidó's leadership to carry out these actions with the International Community. With his investiture and recognition as President of Venezuela by more than 60 countries, what we would be left to hope for without despair is liberation from outside. Maduro's defense on February 23 was not the defense of the military but of a very large gang of murderers and looters who have terrified Venezuelan society and the military does not want to act to defend us. Venezuela cannot wait any longer for a continental police to put an end to that...

Thank you very much...

Caracas, February 25, 2019

Twitter:@laguana

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