Venezuelan Government Says Guaido Coup Failed, Lopez Hides in Chile’s Embassy

The Venezuelan opposition lawmaker has once again called on the military to overthrow the legitimate government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Juan Guaido, the opposition lawmaker who illegally proclaimed himself “interim president” of Venezuela Tuesday morning made a call on social media asking the military and people to begin an uprising against the legitimate government of President Nicolas Maduro, Telesur reported.

Senior government officials have rejected the attempted coup and called on the country’s population to do the same and march towards the Miraflores presidential palace to protect the country from the far-right, U.S.-backed coup.

Thousands of citizens have accepted the call and marched Tuesday to the palace to attend a rally led by the head of the National Consistent Assembly Diosdado.

Caracas warns it’ll use weapons if needed as crowds of coup supporters flock to presidential palace

Venezuela’s Defense Minister has warned that the army would resort to force if necessary, amid the ongoing US-backed coup attempt, as crowds of opposition supporters were filmed moving towards the presidential palace in Caracas.

 “Anyone who comes to [the presidential palace of] Miraflores with violence will be defeated with violence. If we have to use weapons, we will use them,” Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said in a televised national address, in an apparent warning to the crowds flocking to the palace.

The minister also said that he holds the opposition led by the US-backed self-proclaimed “interim president,” Juan Guaido, responsible for “any death … on the streets” while accusing the opponents of the Venezuelan government of “seeking bloodshed.”

His statement came as crowds of protesters, accompanied by armed soldiers who sided with the opposition, were filmed moving to the western part of Caracas, where the presidential Miraflores palace is located.

 The National Liberation Farabundo Marti Front (FMLN) from El Salvador has released a statement condemning emphatically the coup attempt and reject all attempts to gain power through violence.

“We pronounce ourselves in defense to the respect of sovereignty and self-determination of the Latin American people and the world in its social and revolutionary transformation projects.”

President Donald Trump threatens  Cuba with a “full embargo” if they do not stop their support for Venezuela.

A teleSUR correspondent in Brazil has received confirmation from the Foreign Ministry of Brazil that 25 soldiers that have asked for protection in the Brazilian embassy in Caracas.

Russia’s Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that “if Washington does not stop interfering in the affairs of Venezuela, it will lead to the collapse of the situation.”

She commented also that some Washington politicians cannot appreciate how destructive that path can be “which is strange because everyone else already sees it”.

Zakharova made these statements after U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton requested a “regime change” in Venezuela.

During a press conference from New York, the Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations Samuel Moncada said that Tuesday’s “coup attempt seeks to promote a puppet government, but failed because most of our people want to live in peace and with the right to self-determination.”

The Venezuelan official also called on the international community to reject the far-right violent attempt, for it “violates every U.N Charter and undermines peace.”

The diplomat pointed out that the U.S. government has openly admitted that it has participated in today’s new conspiracy act and commented that “it’s a psychopathic, warlike elite that is using all media with a bombard of fake news.”

Regarding Venezuela opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez asylum request at the Chilean embassy, Moncada said that “those gentlemen have been defeated, but that defeat will have consequences in many parts of that fictitious government.”

Chile’s Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Ampuero confirmed that Venezuelan opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez and his family requested asylum at the Chilean embassy in Caracas.

“Lilian Tintori and her daughter entered as guests of our diplomatic mission in Caracas. A few minutes ago her spouse, Leopoldo Lopez, joined his family in that place. Chile reaffirms commitment with Venezuelan democrats,” Minister Ampuero tweeted.

Jill Stein, a medical doctor and former Green Party candidate in the U.S. presidential elections in 2012 and 2016, rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to destabilize Venezuela in order to grab its oil resources.

Facing a new failed coup attempt in Venezuela, the U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton tried again to threaten and bribe Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, Presidential Guard commander Ivan Hernandez, and Supreme Justice president Maikel Moreno by promising them special favors in exchange for supporting the opposition politician Guaido.

 “Your time is up. This is your last chance. Accept Interim President Guaido’s amnesty, protect the Constitution, and remove Maduro, and we will take you off our sanctions list. Stay with Maduro, and go down with the ship,” said Bolton.

U.S. President Donald Trump broke his silence to tacitly support the coup attempt which Guaido initiated Tuesday morning in Venezuela.

 “I am monitoring the situation in Venezuela very closely. The United States stands with the People of Venezuela and their Freedom!”

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked for “maximum restraint” in Venezuela to avoid violence, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told international media.

“The Secretary-General urges all sides to exercise maximum restraint and he appeals to all stakeholders to avoid any violence and take immediate steps to restore calm,” Dujarric said and added that Guterres was available to mediate if required.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, which issued Tuesday a press released commenting on Venezuela’s situation, stated that the Guaido-led opposition is provoking public disorder.

“Venezuela’s radical opposition has once again turned to power methods of confrontation. Instead of a peaceful settlement of political contradictions, the course was taken to incite conflict,” the text says, as reported by RT.

Russian diplomats called on protesters to avoid unrest and bloodshed, for “any action should be taken exclusively within the framework of the law.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry also asked mainstream media not to spread “fake news” or become “political forces’ obedient tools.”

According to the Russian news agency Tass, President Vladimir Putin met the National Security Council to discuss Tuesday’s situation in Venezuela.

“The meeting’s participants paid much attention to the situation in Venezuela in light of the news about an attempted coup,” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted.

“We stand on principles supporting political and civilized ways to resolve domestic differences among Venezuelan citizens. We call on all international community members, including [Venezuela’s] closest neighbors, to reaffirm their adherence to the UN Charter and the international law norms and principles, and to support the return of Venezuela to a stable and progressive development path through the dialogue of all the country’s responsible political forces.”

H.M