Today was a day of bloody battles on the streets of Venezuela, that included an armored truck plowing into a large group of Juan Guaidó  supporters. Several videos showed members of the military who previously worked for dictator Nicolas Maduro, switching sides today, and joining the supporters of interim-president Juan Guaidó, who called for a day of liberation on May 1st.

This video shows a massive crowd heading toward Maduro’s presidential palace.

https://twitter.com/jemalrasheed2/status/1123338198925631490

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer about the conflict that’s erupting on the streets of Caracas, Venezuela. Pompeo told Blizter that the United States government is hoping for a peaceful resolution to the events unfolding there. “Maduro simply should leave,” Pompeo told Blitzer. Pompeo also confirmed that the United States is committed to helping Juan Guaidó assume his seat as “the duly elected leader of the Venezuelan government.”

Pompeo told CNN’s Blitzer, “It’s been a long time since anyone has seen, Maduro. He had an airplane on the tarmac. He was ready to leave this morning, as we understand it. The Russians indicatd he should  stay. We think the situation remains incredibly fluid. We know that there were senior leaders inside the Maduro government that were prepared to leave, they told us as much, over the past few weeks. And we’re convinced that the Venezuelan people are gonna get their democracy back.”

“So if you say he was getting ready to head over to the airport and the Russians talked him out of it, are the Russians responsible now, for what’s going on?” Wolf asked. “We’ve made clear all along, Wolf, that uh–that Maduro is surrounded by Cubans and has been supported by Russians there in Venezuala,” Secretary Pompeo told Blitzer.  “We’ve told the Russians, and we’ve told the Cubans that it’s unacceptable to starve people, and it’s unacceptable for sick children not to be able to get their medicine” said Pompeo.

Wolf asked Secretary Pompeo about missiles that Russians have on the ground right now in Venezuela. Wolf asked the secretary of state if military options are off the table? Secretary of State Pompeo confirmed that all options are on the table, saying, “The President’s made very clear that all options are on the table. That certainly includes a military option. We’re working to make sure that that doesn’t need to be the case, that we deliver this outcome for the Venezuelan people in a way that doesn’t put life or limb at risk, and that there’s not violence.” Pompeo continued, “But I don’t think anyone should be fooled, that if the President makes that decision, if he chooes a military option, that the United States military has the capacity to execute that option in a way that will achieve that outcome that the President intends.”

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