CIA, Navy Seal and $ 15 million reward: The secret plan against Maduro
CIA, Navy Seal and $ 15 million reward: The secret plan against Maduro
It was the perfect good mood story-exactly for Christmas. On December 20 of last year, the United States secured the release of 10 US citizens from Venezuela-six of them had been illegally recorded. In exchange, a close ally of the authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro was released, and Caracas undertook not to use Americans as a negotiation.
a promising agreement
A delighted US official announced at the time: "The government made it clear that it expected that other Americans will no longer be held and has received commitments in this direction." This deal, which also included the delivery of a former military entrepreneur, known as the "Fat Leonard", - which orchestrated the largest corruption affair in the history of the US Navy - was celebrated as a warming up of relationships in the long -term conflict between the federal states. The United States had occupied Venezuela with sanctions and accused its leader of illegally usurpating the power of misusing human rights and doing drug trafficking.
setbacks in relationships
Almost a year later, however, the mood has turned into a horror than a Christmas story. Venezuela recently announced that at least four US citizens and some other foreigners arrived. These were accused of being part of an international conspiracy that was staged by the CIA and the Spanish secret service to overthrow Maduro. This assertion was vehemently rejected by both the USA and the Spanish government. The US State Department said that the allegations were "categorically wrong" and indicated that the arrests were related to the American criticisms of Venezuela's controversial presidential elections.
a Hollywood script?
The details of the alleged complotting read like the script of a Hollywood thriller. Maduro's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello claims that the arrested foreigners - including two Spaniards and a Czech - were part of a secret unit who traveled to Venezuela to kill Maduro. They are said to have been led by the up to $ 15 million reward of the US Ministry of Justice for information.
is Maduro on the right track?
However, it remains difficult to check to what extent Venezuela's claims actually have a hand and foot. Skeptics may say that Maduro uses the CIA as a practically proven villain. In the past, he had claimed without evidence that the US government and former President Donald Trump were behind a murder attack in 2018. In addition, one could ask whether an internal conspiracy could not be behind the alleged plot - quite possible, since Maduro has alienated many parts of the population and parts of his own government.Maduro and his strategy
Where is Maduro aim with his current games? He may be concerned with preserving his influence in the upcoming elections. Last year he promised that the elections in Venezuela would be fair. Six months later, however, these hopes were destroyed by the reality of a farce. Maduro could use the newly arrested Americans as chess figures to choke criticism of the elections and to promote negotiations on the abolition of sanctions.
a tricky negotiation game
For Maduro, it should be increasingly unclear which concessions he can demand at the negotiating table, since his charges against the United States are considered a conspiracy by many. The question remains how he can formulate his wishes for the cancellation of sanctions and to recover legitimacy, while at the same time it remains that the US government has so far only taken minimal measures against Venezuela. However, the freedom of its citizens could be more valuable for the US government than the political concessions that Maduro demands.
conclusion: The situation between the USA and Venezuela is complex and characterized by allegations, geopolitical considerations and the pursuit of power. How the situation will develop remains to be seen.
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