Venezuela could be on the verge of a civil war. This morning Juan Guaidó, leader of the self-appointed opposition leader in January, announced the final act of Operation Freedom, aimed at removing the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Since then clashes have been taking place in the area of the La Carlota air base, east of Caracas, from where Guaidó launched the appeal for the revolt. The Venezuelan authorities define the initiative as a coup attempt. The tension rose during the afternoon until the armored vehicles of the Venezuelan army hit the anti-government demonstrators. Guaidó announced with a tweet that he did not want to retreat: "We talked with our allies in the international community and we have their strong support. Operation Freedom has begun and we will resist until we reach a free Venezuela ». At the moment there are dozens of wounded, at least 35, including a colonel of Bolivarian forces.
Mike Pence, vice president of the United States, spoke on Twitter to Guaidó and "all Venezuelans who love freedom" by saying: "America will be with you as long as freedom and democracy are not restored". In the late afternoon, the position of the vice-president of the Council and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini also arrived, commenting on the developments in the South American country: "For the good of the Venezuelan people and of the many Italians who have suffered for years from the one of the last communist regimes on the face of the earth, we hope for a peaceful and non-violent solution to the crisis that will lead to free elections and the removal of the dictator Maduro who is starving, imprisoning and torturing his people. I am close to the Venezuelan people, the national assembly and its president Guaidò ». Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, we learn from sources at Palazzo Chigi, closely and with the utmost attention follow the developments of these hours in Venezuela. The Italian government hopes for a peaceful political transition and a democratic evolution of the country through free elections as per the wish widely expressed by the Venezuelan people. The government is also particularly close to the vast community of Italian origin present in Venezuela, the same sources stress.
This morning Guaidó asked Venezuelans to take to the streets with a video message to the nation in which he appears alongside Leopoldo López, an historic Venezuelan opponent who was under house arrest until this morning and was released by the military under orders from the proclaimed president. In the video, behind Guaidó you see soldiers and armored vehicles. According to the self-proclaimed president, the armed forces that joined his initiative "made the correct decision. They are on the right side of the story. "In Altamira, near the base, police and military fired tear gas at the protesters - which would be about 3,000 - who responded to Guaidó's call to take to the streets. In the afternoon, Guaidó addressed the protesters with a megaphone and renewed his appeal for the revolt: "Today we are here and we will resist here," he told the people gathered in Piazza Francia, in the Altamira district. Around 6 pm, the escalation: at least three military armored vehicles of the Venezuelan army tried to invest the protesters. Apparently, the means shielded a line of soldiers. At least one person was injured. However, the clashes seem limited to the Altamira district, while around the presidential palace in Miraflores, where a group of government supporters has concentrated, the situation seems calm.
The government of Nicolas Maduro immediately reacted to Guaidó's announcement with a clear statement of intent: "We inform the people that we are neutralizing a small group of traitorous soldiers," Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez wrote on Twitter. The defense minister called the authors of the revolt "cowards" who stood up against the Constitution. In a tweet, President Maduro claimed the army's loyalty: "I spoke with the commanders of all the regions and areas of the country, they showed me total loyalty to the people, to the Constitution, to the homeland". Guaidó, on the other hand, assured that the Armed Forces are "on the side of the people, loyal to the Constitution", and therefore lined up with him against Maduro.
International reactions Bolivia's President Morales appealed to the Latin American governments to condemn the coup. Spain (which had been one of the first countries to recognize Guaidó as interim president) said it would not support a coup. President of Colombia Ivan Duque, on the other hand, on Twitter has launched an appeal to Venezuelans asking them to join "in search of freedom, democracy and institutional reconstruction" by Guaidó.
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