The big news from Caracas is that 3 generals were arrested in Venezuela:
"The unidentified generals were in contact with opposition politicians and "were trying to get the Air Force to rise up against the legitimately elected government," Maduro told a meeting of South American foreign ministers.My guess is that they won't be the last 3 to get such an idea! I have to believe that there are many Venezuelans in the armed forces who see what is going on in their country.
"This group that was captured has direct links with sectors of the opposition and they were saying that this week was the decisive week," Maduro said.
The stunning disclosure -- the first known significant threat from within Maduro's government -- comes amid a growing crackdown on the president's opponents after more than six weeks of street protests that have left at least 34 dead."
Venezuela is in chaos, as Rafael Osío Cabrices tells us:
"The violent demonstrations that have rocked Venezuela for weeks are threatening to wipe out what little democracy is left here after 15 years of systematic erosion by the state.The problem is that the Maduro government is not legitimate. It was elected by stretching the rules and controlling the media and dissent. The country is bitterly divided and it's hard to see how the anti-Maduro forces will calm down and respect his rule.
The government of Nicolás Maduro has responded with massive military force, raiding offices and houses without judicial orders, imprisoning civilians in military compounds and applauding the killing of protesters by paramilitary groups."
My hope is that the military leadership restores order, tells people to go back to work and supervises honest elections as soon as possible.
Don't get me wrong. I don't like to see democratically elected governments overthrown or pushed aside by the military.
We saw too much of that in Latin America in the 20th century. It usually replaced civilians with bad military men. Can you say Argentina in the early 1980s? Remember how a military "junta" got Argentina in a war with the UK over Falklands to distract people from inflation and a lousy economy?
However, Venezuela's elections were not honest and its rulers do not respect those who disagree with them.
Something has to happen and replacing Maduro may be the first step to restore order.
P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.
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