Juan Guaidó: "There were missing persons" in the military rebellion, but Maduro is "defeated"

Far from considering this a failure, the Leader of the Opposition

Juan Guaidó

argues that the

military uprising

from last week to

Venezuela

revealed a fracture in the armed forces that has "about to collapse" the government of

Nicolás Maduro

.

In an interview with AFP in Caracas, Guaidó – recognized as the president in charge of fifty countries – said that he did not rule out a "forced exit"
with the support of the United States, although he prefers to convince
the military to break with the socialist leader to produce an "agreed transition".

– What prevented a breach in the armed forces on April 30?

– The important thing is that
[el alzamiento] makes clearly visible the break in the armed forces. The scheme also directly underlines the
Director of Intelligence, Major General Christopher Figuera. The discontent that exists is clearly visible, not only at the highest level. Today, Maduro is still very weak, weaker and weaker, only he is in. [el palacio presidencial de] Miraflores He no longer trusts his command, he no longer trusts his environment. The big advantage is that from
director of intelligence services, who was aide-de-camp[ledéfuntprésident[elfallecidopresidente[ledéfuntprésident[elfallecidopresidente

Hugo]Chávez

for 12 years, even the commanders, the sergeants are absolutely dissatisfied.

– There was not a lot of participation in Saturday's demonstrations, are there symptoms of fatigue?

– The protest was fulfilled. A big goal was to redirect him to non-violence.
The regime badbadinated the April 30 and May 1 brutally, to try to demonstrate a control that they no longer have. It was a success considering that [los militares] They listened to our message and there was no repression on most points.

– Will he still call marches?

– Yes of course. We will not only announce marches, but also strikes and staggered strikes. We must overcome fear.

– What role did the Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino, play on April 30?

– We tried to contact all the officials. We do not come here to twist our hands, but to squeeze them, to build a transition. We do not ask the military to badociate with a person, we ask them to stand on the side of the Constitution, the people. It is the role of all the officials that we will contact, and I do not speak specifically for Vladimir nor for any other, because we are under the dictatorship and submit a name at that time will be subject to persecution, abduction or torture.

– Are there people who have not kept their word?

– There were people who failed to comply. That does not mean that they do not do it soon. We are waiting for many others to fill their country.

– Are there any negotiations with the senior military commanders?

– There is a different conversation with all the civilian and military leaders who are ready to adhere to our Constitution. And they are the majority.

– Also with the Maduro officials?

– With all the officials who agree to side with the Constitution, the cessation of the usurpation, build the transition and organize free elections.

– What do you know about [el general Manuel Ricardo Cristopher] Figuera?

– I understand that you are safe, that you have already had a communication by letter. He expressed dissatisfaction with corruption and sought an alternative.

– What happens if the military breakdown does not occur?

– Our big bet is the democratic transition, free elections. Military pressure and the role of the armed forces are fundamental. We are not only betting on this element, but your participation would help a transition very quickly.

– What does it mean to ask for US military cooperation?

– This is the controversial option. We are doing everything we can to end the usurpation and democratic transition. There is another option, an agreed transition, as was the case in 1958 when [el dictador] Marcos Pérez Jiménez was pressured by the armed forces and a government junta was built, which ended with free elections. The other option is to move away from the force that does not need international cooperation, it can be distinctly local and cause discontent, which already exists and is evident in the armed forces.

– What is the best option?

– The one who has a lower social cost, that we already pay in case of death of our children for lack of food or medicine. Who makes the transition pay is a defeat, isolated, alone, that does not govern. This is Nicolás Maduro. We must responsibly evaluate all options, including foreign cooperation. We must not confuse the means with the objectives. The goal is to generate stability, governability, remedy the emergency, produce free elections. The mechanisms to achieve this are peaceful protest, that the armed forces take the side of the Constitution and evaluate the option of international cooperation at all stages: diplomatic, economic, military.

– Is there an order to stop it?

– It's a latent risk. Take me [equivaldría a] give a coup because I am the president in charge. We are not afraid. They are about to collapse.

– Is he as optimistic as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who claims that Maduro can fall in a few weeks?

– I am very optimistic, we are about to make a change in Venezuela.