[News] Colonial Puerto Rico Governor Calls for ‘Elimination’ of Venezuelan Government, Offers to Host ‘Transition’ Logistics

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14081


  Puerto Rico Governor Calls for ‘Elimination’ of Venezuelan Government,
  Offers to Host ‘Transition’ Logistics

By Paul Dobson
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Merida, October 3, 2018

Puerto Rico’s governor joined regional voices backing the overthrow of 
the Venezuelan government Tuesday, following the visit of the fugitive 
ex-Mayor of Caracas, Antonio Ledezma, to the US protectorate.

Governor Ricardo Rossello called for the “elimination” of President 
Maduro, who was democraticallyre-elected in May 
<https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13830> for a second term with 67.7 
percent of the vote in elections qualified 
<https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/13849> as transparent, free, and 
fair.

“What should happen is that the dictatorship should be eliminated. We 
are defining what will happen afterwards, and what steps are to be 
taken,” stated 
<https://www.lapatilla.com/2018/10/02/puerto-rico-apoyara-a-la-oposicion-venezolana-como-centro-logistico-de-ayuda/> 
Rossello in a press conference following the meeting with Ledezma.

He went on to claim that such “steps” have “already been discussed at 
many levels” and that they point towards “concrete results.”

As part of the announcements, Rossello invited Venezuela’s opposition 
leaders to a summit this October 20 and 21, to be held in San Juan, 
Puerto Rico, which will look to establish a ‘Commission for the 
Reconstruction of Venezuela’, with Puerto Rico acting as “the 
headquarters” for “logistical support” to a “transition” government in 
Venezuela.

“We want to be ready for the day after, so that Venezuela counts on a 
government and an ordered and adequate transition. So that you know that 
you have friends across the world, Puerto Rico is going to be this 
connector for the coordination of all of this help,” Rossello added.

In front of press, the Governor signed an agreement which includes 
hypothetical land, maritime, and air supply corridors to Venezuela.

Rossello’s comments follow controversial declarations by US 
PresidentDonald Trump <https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14070>, as well 
as Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Organisation of American States (OAS) 
Secretary-GeneralLuis Almagro <https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14054>, 
and others, which have backed acoup d’état, military intervention, or 
other forced rupture of democracy 
<https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14064> in Venezuela.

The New York Timesrecently reported 
<https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14040> that Washington had held 
meetings with “rebel” Venezuelan military commanders to discuss the 
logistics of organising a coup d’état.

Puerto Rico continues to form part of the United States of America, and 
is the closest US-controlled territory to Venezuela, with only 1000 
kilometers of sea separating the two. It was acquired by the US in the 
Paris Treaty ─ alongside Guam and the Philippines ─ which culminated the 
1898 Spanish-US war. As such, the island is subject to US foreign and 
military policy, including housing numerous US military bases 
<https://militarybases.com/overseas/puerto-rico/>.

The recent agreement between the Puerto Rican government and Ledezma has 
already been communicated to Washington, as well as to the OAS, 
authorities informed.

For his part, Ledezma told press in San Juan that “a logistical 
operation will be launched from this Antillean Island.” He has 
previously gone on recordcalling 
<https://www.diariolasamericas.com/america-latina/movimiento-opositor-antonio-ledezma-pide-intervencion-humanitaria-venezuela-n4145523> 
for a foreign-led “intervention” into Venezuela.

 From exile, the ex-Mayor and longtime anti-government leader heads the 
‘I Am Venezuela’ (Soy Venezuela) movement, just one of the numerous 
fragmented anti-Chavista groups. His movement boycotted the recent 
presidential elections, and publicly opposed opposition groupings which 
decided to participate. Soy Venezuela, which Ledezma leads alongside 
outspoken government critic Maria Corina Machado, receives 
substantialcriticism 
<http://www.lechuguinos.com/claudio-fermin-machado-ledezma-venenosos/> 
from other anti-government forces who claim that, operating from Madrid, 
Paris, or Washington, it is disconnected from the local reality.

Ledezma is currently fleeingcharges of conspiracy and criminal 
association <https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11320> in Venezuela for 
his role in the 2014 violent street protests which looked to oust the 
government through force. He wasarrested 
<https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11223> in 2015, and his sentence was 
later commuted to house arrest, beforedramatically fleeing authorities 
<https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13506> in November 2017. Since, he 
hastoured Europe <https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13510>, the US, and 
Latin America rallying support for his efforts.

Caracas is yet to react to the latest statements of the Puerto Rican 
authorities, but President Maduro has offered firm backing to the 
independence struggle of the Puerto Rican people in the past. Recently 
released <https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/12890> political prisoner 
and independence leader Oscar Lopez Rivera 
<https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11132> has been hosted by Caracas, 
with Maduro calling on Puerto Ricans to break the shackles of 
colonialism. Maduro’s position has put him at heads with that of 
Governor Rossello, who favours full US statehood.

-- 
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