Venezuela’s Guaido seeks contact with US military

Bloomberg

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido told an emissary to meet with US military officials in a bid to establish “direct” cooperation, a signal he’s warming to the idea of intervention by force after months of failed attempts to topple President Nicolas Maduro.
Guaido told supporters during a rally in Caracas that he’s sending his envoy in Washington, Carlos Vecchio, to meet immediately with Florida-based Southern Command, which oversees US military activity in Latin America and the Caribbean, “to be able to establish a direct and far-reaching relationship in terms of cooperation.”
Admiral Craig Faller, the head of Southern Command, said on Twitter he was open to meeting with Guaido and what he termed the “legitimate” government of Venezuela.
“I look forward to discussing how we can support the future role of those @ArmadaFANB leaders who make the right decision, put the Venezuela people first & restore constitutional order,” Faller said in the tweet, referring to the Venezuelan armed forces.
Guaido has thus far stopped short of openly calling for an invasion, though he’s increasingly floated the idea as an option as the opposition faces an aggressive crackdown from the Maduro regime.
He told Italy’s La Stampa newspaper he “would probably accept” an intervention if the US proposed it.
While the Trump administration has said all options “are on the table,” neighbouring Latin American countries have repeatedly rejected the idea of military intervention by
Washington. Guaido in January launched an interim government by invoking Venezuela’s constitution after Maduro began another six-year term following 2018 elections widely regarded as rigged. The head of the National Assembly has since won the recognition of more than 50 countries.
Yet, the opposition has repeatedly failed to generate enough support, especially from within the military, to topple Maduro, an autocrat who’s overseen an historic economic collapse that has forced millions of residents to flee.
Maduro has cracked down on Guaido’s supporters since a failed coup attempt.
Facing intense international pressure, Maduro has warned of US intervention.