source: youtube.com /   Russia foreign minister  Sergei Lavrov (left) meets with  Venezuelan foreign minister Jorge Arreaza in Moscow May 5, 2019.

DIPLOMATIC TIMES  STAFF

After months of rhetoric from Venezuela’s “interim president”  Juan Guaidó calling on the Latin American nation’s “other” president Nicolas Maduro to give up power,  the young  turk Guaidó  took action this week in an attempt to overthrow  Maduro.  At the crack of dawn Tuesday,  the 35-year-old Guaidó  called on the military and all Venezuelan citizens to rise up and get rid of Maduro once and for all. However, the call to oust Maduro was a dismal failure.  The so-called rebellion was decisively crushed by the military who remained steadfastly loyal to Maduro. This week’s Coup attempt came some three months after Guaidó,  an opposition legislator in the National Assembly,  assumed the title  of “interim president,” calling  Maduro — who won re-election last year in widely discredited elections — a “usurper” and urging the military to defect to his  side.  The Trump administration immediately threw its support behind Guaidó, egging him on to get rid of Maduro, by promising him support. “All options are on the table” became to rallying cry from Trump and his top officials, suggesting the U.S. would intervene militarily in the situation in Venezuela to assist Guaidó in ousting Maduro.  Meanwhile, Russia has maintained strong, unwavering support for the Maduro government throughout all of the  drama the past three months.  There is no secret of the presence of both Russian and Cuban intelligence operatives in Venezuela. Russia, Iran, China, and Cuba are among countries supporting Maduro, who started a second term in January following a May 2018 election marred by an opposition boycott and claims of vote-rigging, leading to mass street protests.  Moscow has substantial economic ties to Maduro’s government. In March, Russia reportedly sent planes to Venezuela, carrying nearly 100 military personnel who the U.S. government believes included special forces and cybersecurity experts to Venezuela, according to media reports.   

Russia’s Lavrov urges U.S. to cancel plans to oust Venezuela’s Maduro:  Reuters

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday that Russia condemns what he called a campaign to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, arranged by the United States, and urged Washington to cancel its “irresponsible” plans. Lavrov made his statements at the start of a meeting with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza in Moscow,  Reuters reported.  Lavrov is traveling on Monday to Finland, where he is expected to hold rare face-to-face talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Pompeo said Sunday that the U.S. has a “full range of options” including diplomatic and military solutions to deal with the political turmoil in Venezuela.