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<div id="print-page"> <b><big><big><big>Coup Plot in Venezuela
Thwarted </big></big></big></b>
<p class="print-submitted">Feb 13th 2015, by TeleSUR English</p>
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<p>The coup involved plans to assassinate Venezuelan
President, Nicolas Maduro (TeleSUR)</p>
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<div class="subtitle" style="text-align: justify;">Coup plotters
planned on assassinating the Venezuelan president and
installing a de facto government.</div>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">A coup plot against the
Venezuelan government has been foiled, with both civilians
and members of the military detained, President Nicolas
Maduro revealed Thursday in a televised address.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Those involved were being paid
in U.S. dollars, and one of the suspects had been granted a
visa to enter the United States should the plot fail, Maduro
said.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Venezuela’s president stated
that the coup plotters already had a “transitional”
government and program lined up once the plan, which
included bombings on the Miraflores Palace and the teleSUR
offices in Caracas, as well as assassinations of members of
the opposition, Maduro and others, was carried out.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Maduro explained that a video
of masked military officials speaking out against the
government had been recorded, which was set to be released
after the planned assassination was carried out.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Venezuelan Minister of Defense
Vladimir Padrino Lopez stated via his Twitter account that
the armed forces remain loyal to the constitutional
government.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">“The Bolivarian National Armed
Forces remain resolute in their democratic beliefs and
reject coup schemes that threaten the peace of the
republic,” said Padrino.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">According to Maduro, one of
the suspects was already under surveillance and had been
suspected of plotting against the government during last
year's violent demonstrations, but was not charged.
Nevertheless, he continued plotting against the
democratically-elected government.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The four-stage plan involved
creating an <a
href="http://econwaronvenezuela.telesurtv.net/">economic
assault</a> on the country, creating an international
debate around a supposed humanitarian crisis, a political
coup involving officials who would turn on the government,
and finally a military coup that would lead to the
installation of the transitional program. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Maduro stated that the plot,
which was scheduled to coincide with anti-government
demonstrations planned for the one-year anniversary of the
start of <a
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/analysis/Venezuelan-Guarimbas-11-Things-the-Media-Didnt-Tell-You-20150211-0025.html">violent,
opposition-led demonstrations</a> which began last Feb.
12, was uncovered after military officials who had been
approached to participate reported the schemes to
authorities.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> Maduro called on the
Venezuelan people to be on alert and prepared to maintain
peace in the country in the face of continued attempts by
sectors of the right wing who seek to overthrow the
democratically-elected government.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Below is a timeline of how the
coup plotters hoped their plan would play out provided by
TeleSUR Engish, <a
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/analysis/Timeline-The-Anatomy-of-a-Venezuelan-Coup-20150213-0006.html">Anatomy
of a Coup</a>. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">January 6-8: Coup plotters
planned to conduct nationwide operations aimed at creating
unrest in the streets. Queues outside commercial stores such
as supermarkets were set to be among the primary targets,
where operatives hoped to set off violence. Elsewhere,
various groups planned to engage in other activities aimed
at fomenting destabilization in the streets. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span>January 9-February:</span> Over
the weeks, plotters hoped the country would descend into a
state of turmoil, paving the way for the violent overthrow
of the Maduro administration.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span>February 3:</span> Officials
at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas tried to <a
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/US-Embassy-Bribing-Venezuela-Officials-to-Topple-Government--20150203-0042.html">bribe
people in strategic positions</a> to participate in a
coup, said President Nicolas Maduro at the time. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span>February 12:</span> The
coup was scheduled to begin this day. Chavista and
opposition <a
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Young-Venezuelans-Reclaim-the-Streets-from-Violent-Protesters-20150212-0012.html">rallies
commemorating Youth Day</a> were slated as the first
targets. Coup plotters planned on attacking the marches to
provoke panic in the streets. Then, strategic sites across
the capital were to be bombed in a <a
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuelan-Legislator-Gives-Details-on-Thwarted-Coup--20150213-0001.html">series
of coordinated attacks</a>, carried out using a Tucano
attack aircraft. The Tucano is a small, highly maneuverable
military aircraft manufactured in Brazil, though the U.S.
military has purchased a handful for counterinsurgency
operations. The sites targeted for bombing included public
transport, government offices, mass media and open areas,
such as the grandiose Plaza Venezuela. The full list of
targets included: </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">- teleSUR headquarters (east
Caracas) </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">- Headquartes of the Military
Intelligence (DIM) </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">- Plaza Venezuela</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">- Metro station Zona Rental
(center of Caracas)</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">- Ministry of Defense (center
of Caracas)</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">- Caracas municipality
building (west) </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">- Miraflores palace (national
government and presidential headquarters)</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">- Public Prosecutor’s office
(center of Caracas)</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> Members of both the
opposition and the government – including Maduro – were
expected to be assassinated during the ensuing chaos.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Amid the turmoil, media
outlets would be forced to broadcast a statement announcing
the collapse of the government.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">February 13: The coup
government was expected to be firmly in control of the
country and free to begin rolling back Venezuela's socialist
revolution.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
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<hr class="print-hr">
<div class="print-source_url"><strong>Source URL (retrieved on <em>13/02/2015
- 11:42am</em>):</strong> <a
href="http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11208">http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11208</a></div>
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