The removal of Nicolas Maduro of power does not represent the end of chavismo in Venezuela, warned international law expert Priscila Caneparo in an interview with CNN. According to her, the real power in the country lies in the hands of the military, which has occupied strategic positions in the Venezuelan economy, politics and institutions since the era of Hugo Chávez.
“Chavismo has not died. It does not mean that Chavismo has died. Chavismo will only die if the generals, if the military forces, if the forces of the Venezuelan army no longer support this movement”, explained Caneparo.
The expert questioned the , which would have resulted in Maduro and his wife being removed from their room by American special forces. For her, the action would only be possible with support from the Venezuelan military. “There was definitely [vazamento de informação]we don’t know how much of this military portion is supporting Trump, because without this support there would be no way for the United States to enter Venezuelan territory and clamp down on Maduro”, he analyzed.
Uncertainties about the transitional government
Another point highlighted by Caneparo is the lack of clarity about how the transitional government in Venezuela will be conducted. According to her, there are contradictions in the information about the position of the , which initially demonstrated alignment with the United States, but later declared support for Maduro.
“The United States does not disclose how this transitional government will be implemented, it simply talks. But how will you take over? How will public policies be implemented to save the Venezuelan people? How will the legitimacy of this government be achieved?”, asked the expert.
Caneparo warned that this situation could “feed back Chavismo within Venezuela”, leading the population to a “social upheaval”. In his analysis, there is a risk of the United States effectively entering Venezuelan territory if social forces oppose American interests, especially with regard to oil exploration by American companies.
