Several dead in operation to arrest Venezuela pilot

[Zorro]

Source: AFP

Several people including two police officers were killed in an operation to capture a helicopter pilot who bombed Venezuela's Supreme Court during anti-government protests last year, the interior ministry said Monday.

A ministry statement said members of a "terrorist cell" were killed in a fierce gunbattle, and five were captured, but did not say whether the pilot, Oscar Perez, was among the dead or detained.

Six police were wounded, President Nicolas Maduro told lawmakers.

The cell had planned to set off a car bomb outside the embassy of "a beloved and prestigious country," Maduro said.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/several-dead-operation-arrest-venezuela-pilot-194655117.html

[Fred Sanders]

1. The opposition bombed the Supreme Court during protests. Some folks want THOSE guys in power?

[Farmer-Rick]

2. Yeah, terrorism in Venezuela is being funded by our tax dollars.

Maybe that budget line item should be cut? Better than taking away our Social Security.

[Perseus]

4. Do you have proof of that?

Can you please produce some proof of what you are saying? And better yet, please explain the political situation in Venezuela?

[COLGATE4]

5. The only answer you'll get is : Crickets.... nt

[Farmer-Rick]

6. It was all over the news when it was a line item for 2017

Here is a link on how much of our money has been spent to assist the Right Wing in Venezuela since 2009

ttps://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/US-Has-Budgeted-49M-for-Venezuelan-Right-Wing-Since-2009-20170517-0018.html

Here's an article by an anti-government Venezuela writer and even she says:

"The notion that the US can and does act with impunity in the region is accepted across all political affiliations in the country."


http://www.businessinsider.com/why-obama-gave-venezuela-exactly-what-maduro-wanted-2015-3.

And another article about "opposition" funding in Venezuela.

Since then, the US has continued its longstanding practice of funding programs that it often claims are aimed at promoting fair elections and human rights, but also strengthen Venezuelan opposition groups – and this money may be influencing the ongoing protests that have helped put the country in a political crisis.

https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/av44kg/does-the-uss-funding-of-the-venezuelan-opposition-matter

I could list more but there are just soooo many.

Like when Chile elected a socialist (and was replaced by a US backed Pinochet coupe), the US does NOT want a working example of a successful socialist country in it's own hemisphere.

[EX500rider]

11. "the US does NOT want a working example of a successful socialist country in it's own hemisphere."

Well certainly no danger of that as the Chavista's have totally ruined their economy with no help at all.

and this money may be influencing the ongoing protests and may not be.

[Perseus]

3. News coming from Venezuela on what some people say "really happened"

Oscar Perez group had agreed to surrender but Diosdado Cabello, although he agreed with the surrender, gave the orders to the top "Colectivo', whom I understand had the nickname of 'Ejecutador' (Executioner), who was the top killer in a very tough area in Caracas called "23 de Enero". He was given the order to not take prisoners but instead, kill a few soldiers from the "Guardia Nacional" that had been sent to capture Oscar's group and blame it on Oscar's group. Cabello also ordered another group from the "Guardia Nacional" to kill the "Colectivos", including its leader, and they were all killed.

There were three groups where murders occurred, Oscar's group, "Colectivos", and "Guardia Nacional".

The idea was to make the impression that Oscar's group had refused to surrender and had killed all these people who report to the government.

For those who do not know what a "Colectivo" is. A "Colectivo" is a criminal who has been given "Carte Blanche" by the government to kill, rob, kidnap, etc. while also doing the government's dirty jobs when called. "Colectivos" are the main source of crimes in the country, they are paid by the government, but when one of their leaders starts getting too much respect and power within the crime circles, the government makes sure to get them out of the way.

The above is talk that I have heard from some audios that are running around, hard to confirm the veracity.

[Farmer-Rick]

7. I don't know why you are so anti-socialist but don't let the propaganda fool you

https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/av44kg/does-the-uss-funding-of-the-venezuelan-opposition-matter

"So yes, the opposition is made up of political parties that have received extensive US funding."

[snooper2]

8. It's been a while since we had some Maduro supporters here

Thanks for showing up!



If the CIA would just leave poor Maduro alone he would have a socialist paradise by now!

[FSogol]

9. "Don't let the propaganda fool you," says the guy who posted a telesurtv.net link!

[Perseus]

12. If you think Venezuela has socialism you may be confused to what socialism is

Venezuela does not have socialism, its a corrupt regime where the Chavez family went from poor to billionaires, where some soldier named Diosdado Cabello went from low middle class to drug lord and billionaire, where a bus driver with no education and no brains was placed in the presidency by Cuba, I am talking about Maduro, where infrastructure and basic social services no longer exist because the pocket all the money, where a once great oil industry is just a ghost of what it was, etc.. If you think the USA administration has a swamp in government then you haven't seen anything yet.

Venezuela's crime rate is one of the top in the World, one of the biggest "industries" there right now is kidnapping. The government has taken over most businesses that were built from the ground up by their owners and have bankrupted them all. There is no production in Venezuela. People like Bernal control the food that is imported, it doesn't go to the market, goes to a warehouse where they sell it from.

Cubans have infiltrated the military, there are no medicines, the educated have left and continue to leave the country because there is no security, you go out in the morning but you don't know if you return.

Please go visit Venezuela, then if you come alive tell us how good your vacation was.

If you really know about the situation in Venezuela I invite you to produce information that would contradict what I am saying here, but if you don't then I suggest you try to read about it from different sources, then make you own opinion. Having an opinion without knowledge is the same as what most of us criticize from the trumpers, the chavistas are the same, no difference, I hope you are not one of them.

I hope you don't answer by attacking me, this is not about you or me, its about the reality of Venezuela, which the conversation should be limited to.

One last question, do you really believe that if the USA was funding terrorism in Venezuela that the regime would still be alive? On the contrary, Diosdado Cabello is in bed with the FARC, and the narco trafficking cartels, that is how he has made his billions.

[Eugene]

10. Venezuela helicopter pilot Oscar Perez killed in raid

Source: BBC

Venezuela helicopter pilot Oscar Pérez killed in raid

16 January 2018

Renegade helicopter pilot Oscar Pérez was killed in a nine-hour long siege near the capital, Caracas, on Monday, the Venezuelan government has confirmed.

The pilot was labelled a "terrorist" by the government after he threw grenades at government buildings from a helicopter he stole on 27 June.

He had been on the run since then.

Police tracked him down to a house where he was hiding along with members of the anti-government cell he founded.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-42695537