FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

Pompeo and Pence Seek Coalition of the Willing against Venezuela—Not All Are Willing

Feb. 25, 2019 (EIRNS)—Speaking yesterday to Fox News Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that “we’ll continue to build out the global coalition, to put force behind the voice of the Venezuelan people.” Today, Vice President Mike Pence, in a bombastic speech in Bogota to representatives of the 14 Ibero-American nations making up the Lima Group, demanded that all those governments that haven’t yet recognized Venezuela’s “interim President” Juan Guaidó, and called for the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro, must do so now.

The neo-con duo seek to resurrect the “coalition of the willing” which British Empire interests have cobbled together for past imperial exploits against sovereign nations, with disastrous results. Always claiming to speak for President Donald Trump, Pence swore the U.S. seeks a peaceful solution, but insisted that “all options are on the table.”

With great evangelical fervor, even quoting Biblical scripture, Pence went through his litany of denunciations of Maduro, and vowed there will be no letup in the attempt to get aid into the country. He was also adamant that nations that have yet to join this offensive, and haven’t recognized Guaidó—specifically mentioning Mexico, Uruguay and Caribbean nations—have to act now.

While some nations have taken action against the Maduro government’s finances and frozen assets, he said, now “it’s time to do more ... there can be no bystanders in Venezuela’s struggle for freedom.” He urged member nations to take specific steps to isolate the Maduro government financially, and politically, in support of which he said the U.S. will apply additional tough sanctions on Maduro officials and financial interests.

All the Lima Group nations are on board with additional measures against Maduro; not so, on the military option. Pence has made much of how close an ally Brazil is in the anti-Venezuelan crusade, but in a joint press conference following the meeting, Brazilian Vice President, Gen. Antônio Hamilton Mourão (ret.) effectively spoke for the entire group when he said,

“For us, the military option was never an option. Brazil always defends peaceful solutions to any problem occurring in neighboring countries. We defend non-intervention, and therefore we will continue with diplomatic, political and economic pressure to reach a solution in Venezuela.... As things stand now, no one [in the Lima Group] is betting on a military option. You have to be patient and resilient.”