Just before assuming a new mandate, he gathered his troops. During the week, the Venezuelan dictator wore camouflage clothing and spoke to the Bolivarian militias, made up of reserve military personnel and civilians who work in the service of Chavismo. Afterwards, he met with commanders of the Armed Forces to launch a regional defense program.
In both acts, Maduro’s tone was the same. He accused the fascist far right of plotting the overthrow of his regime, with the support of foreign governments. He reported the arrest of mercenaries who would be involved in this plan and announced the reinforcement of armed bodies to, in accordance with his words, defend the country’s sovereignty.
Maduro knows that the life of a ruler with an illegitimate mandate, claimed after an election with clear signs of fraud and marked by the regime’s refusal to present the official vote count minutes, is not easy. The dissatisfaction on the part of Venezuelans and the return of protests to the country’s streets led the dictator to display his weapons.
The signals sent by Maduro indicate that this Friday’s inauguration (10) will mark the inauguration of an additional stage of closing the regime. The characterization of opponents as conspirators is not new in itself, but the dictator decided to double down on a turbocharged security apparatus to intimidate and punish his opponents.
The situation requires Brazil to take a much more energetic stance in relation to episodes of violation of political rights committed by the Chavista regime. Preserving diplomatic channels, which includes the Brazilian ambassador going to the inauguration, will be a necessary tool for this mission. The Lula government, however, should reduce the temperature of the relationship with Maduro to zero.
The dictator’s eyes, at this point, are facing north. The unpredictable profile and interventionist dreams expressed by leave the Venezuelan in a state of alert. In a moving effort to spare the Republican, for now, Maduro attributes the supposed imperialist threats surrounding his regime solely to Joe Biden’s government.
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