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<div class="header reader-header reader-show-element" dir="ltr"> <font
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href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14081">https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14081</a></font>
<h1 class="reader-title">Puerto Rico Governor Calls for
‘Elimination’ of Venezuelan Government, Offers to Host
‘Transition’ Logistics</h1>
<div class="credits reader-credits">By Paul Dobson</div>
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<p>Merida, October 3, 2018 <br>
</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Governor Ricardo Rossello called for the
“elimination” of President Maduro, who was
democratically<a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13830">
re-elected in May</a> for a second term
with 67.7 percent of the vote in elections <a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/13849">qualified</a> as
transparent, free, and fair.</p>
<p>“What should happen is that the
dictatorship should be eliminated. We are
defining what will happen afterwards, and
what steps are to be taken,” <a
href="https://www.lapatilla.com/2018/10/02/puerto-rico-apoyara-a-la-oposicion-venezolana-como-centro-logistico-de-ayuda/">stated</a>
Rossello in a press conference following the
meeting with Ledezma.</p>
<p>He went on to claim that such “steps” have
“already been discussed at many levels” and
that they point towards “concrete results.”</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>“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.</p>
<p>In front of press, the Governor signed an
agreement which includes hypothetical land,
maritime, and air supply corridors to
Venezuela.</p>
<p>Rossello’s comments follow controversial
declarations by US President<a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14070">
Donald Trump</a>, as well as Florida
Senator Marco Rubio, Organisation of
American States (OAS) Secretary-General<a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14054">
Luis Almagro</a>, and others, which have
backed a<a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14064">
coup d’état, military intervention, or
other forced rupture of democracy</a> in
Venezuela.</p>
<p>The New York Times<a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14040">
recently reported</a> that Washington had
held meetings with “rebel” Venezuelan
military commanders to discuss the logistics
of organising a coup d’état.</p>
<p>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 <a
href="https://militarybases.com/overseas/puerto-rico/">housing
numerous US military bases</a>.</p>
<p>The recent agreement between the Puerto
Rican government and Ledezma has already
been communicated to Washington, as well as
to the OAS, authorities informed.</p>
<p>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 record<a
href="https://www.diariolasamericas.com/america-latina/movimiento-opositor-antonio-ledezma-pide-intervencion-humanitaria-venezuela-n4145523">
calling</a> for a foreign-led
“intervention” into Venezuela.</p>
<p>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 substantial<a
href="http://www.lechuguinos.com/claudio-fermin-machado-ledezma-venenosos/">
criticism</a> from other anti-government
forces who claim that, operating from
Madrid, Paris, or Washington, it is
disconnected from the local reality.</p>
<p>Ledezma is currently fleeing<a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11320">
charges of conspiracy and criminal
association</a> in Venezuela for his role
in the 2014 violent street protests which
looked to oust the government through force.
He was<a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11223">
arrested</a> in 2015, and his sentence was
later commuted to house arrest, before<a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13506">
dramatically fleeing authorities</a> in
November 2017. Since, he has<a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13510">
toured Europe</a>, the US, and Latin
America rallying support for his efforts.</p>
<p>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. <a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/12890">Recently
released</a> political prisoner and
independence leader <a
href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/11132">Oscar
Lopez Rivera</a> 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.</p>
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