Infodio has been stating since Juan Guaidó took the oath as interim president of Venezuela back in January 2019: Juan Guaidó is a fraud, a mediocre bully, an inept individual so disconnected from reality that expecting anything from him, apart from the continuation of the utterly corrupt status quo in Venezuela, is a chimera. Now, the information we have been publishing on this website is corroborated elsewhere: Panampost outperformed CNN and published a photo of Wilmer Guaidó (Guaidó’s father) at Alejandro Betancourt’s hunting lodge, while Rudy Giuliani and Lev Parnas were visiting last August.
#LevParnas does @jguaido… https://t.co/kOuh7RYNp8
– Alek Boyd (@infodi0) January 31, 2020
We would like to provide some context here.
First, we need to address the reason for the existence of Guaidó’s “interim presidency.” This falls directly in line with the State Department’s view, which, seeing Leopoldo López as a viable alternative to Chavismo, decided to support López’s puppet, Juan Guaidó. This was clearly a monumental miscalculation that will have inevitable consequences.
Next, let’s analyze Guaidó’s initial three-step strategy: “1) cessation of usurpation, 2) transitional government, 3) elections.” Starting with number 1, “cessation of usurpation.” How could this happen? Who thought it was a feasible idea? Who would consider that a kleptocracy ruled by criminal organizations of varying danger levels would simply “cease” and give up on the plundering to the tune of billions of dollars, just because some unfortunate fool supported by the DoS was asking nicely? From there, everything goes downhill…
Faced with the impossibility of achieving goal number 1, López then decided to “negotiate” number 2. For this, he relied on his attorneys, good friends, and benefactors. Thus, on the early morning of April 30, López emerged from house arrest with Guaidó at his side and declared that a significant part of the army (merely a criminal organization under the Chavista umbrella) would join him. LOL. They gambled on their own useless idiocy.
Election? By the very same electoral authority that has ensured Chavismo’s grip on power for the past 20 years? Right…
The DoS has been working diligently behind the scenes, prepping other nations for its ludicrous and unattainable plan. It remains a mystery why the DoS would consider the most toxic leader in Venezuela could possibly yield the expected results. But again, it signals just how degraded Venezuelan politics have become, with López being viewed as the best option. While the Trump administration realized how far it was from its regime change goal and decided to double down and push forward, Guaidó/López and their crew exonerated the corrupt, promised amnesties, negotiated with Raúl Gorrín and Maikel Moreno, and received blood money, spending humanitarian aid funds on prostitutes and liquor, celebrating with Alejandro Betancourt, reveling in luxury—all out in the open.
The Treasury Department’s sanctions regime concerning Venezuela resembles a poorly implemented medieval siege. While U.S. banks, businesses, trade flows, and currency are prohibited, Turkish, Chinese, Indian, and Russian entities continue to do phenomenal business with Maduro and company. This can continue for as long as the Turks, Chinese, Indians, and Russians desire, or until the penny finally drops, and the Treasury begins to enact secondary sanctions across the board. Otherwise, here lies the issue: Maduro and others will be able to stay in power for as long as they wish, sanctions or not. For Venezuela has now effectively become the world’s largest money laundering economy.
PDVSA indeed has some of the largest oil service companies in the world—some are American—and with Chevron—also American—continuing their oil production and activities. Consequently, the Treasury, by renewing operational licenses, is in fact allowing some U.S. companies to assist Chavismo and their oil partners, like Rosneft, in circumventing their intended sanctions regime. Quite inexplicable and entirely contrary to stated policy.
Equally perplexing is the fact that Rafael Ramírez hasn’t been prosecuted, that Alejandro Betancourt hasn’t been arrested, and that a multitude of corrupt individuals living in Spain, the Dominican Republic, and the United States—whose criminal activities are accumulating more and more evidence in the Justice Department—continue to live, travel, and launder money, unhindered by U.S. law enforcement. Why?
Latin America is characterized by its passivity concerning this whole issue. Rather than confronting Chavismo and its facilitators directly, South American governments pray not to antagonize it and avoid having to deal with destabilizing reactions.
The fact that Juan Guaidó is effectively in Alejandro Betancourt’s pocket is all anyone needs to see where this is heading. Venezuelan opposition politicians have significantly contributed to the current state of affairs: they are not part of the solution but rather part of the problem, the other side of the Chavista coin. They have been lying to and deceiving Venezuelans since Chavismo took over in 1999. Why would anyone expect different behavior from non-elected officials, i.e., their U.S. or international partners?
López / Guaidó / Voluntad Popular is controlled by Betancourt, Neri Bonillas, Torres Picon, Gill, et al. Borges is Gorrín’s man. Ramos Allup and Rosales are light-years away from being redeemable. Expecting anything other than deceit, lies, and corruption from this lot is pure madness.
Venezuela has lost yet another opportunity to rid itself of Chavismo, and whose fault is it but that of opposition politicians stripped of decency, humanity, courage, and vision?
The Trump administration must, therefore, demand transparency from its Venezuelan “partners.” Support must be conditional, based on full accountability. Information must be required regarding the whereabouts and activities of López/Guaidó’s sponsors as a prerequisite for any further plans. López/Guaidó’s teams must be thoroughly vetted; they must prove to the countries willing to see and support a Venezuelan solution that they are reliable partners, not corrupt bullies looking to fill their pockets and those of their associates.