Banana Republic Newsflash

[Thumper]

Is any of this really accurate?

[Sigma_Orionis]

Is any of this really accurate?

I'd say all of it is accurate

[Thumper]

So, it's an interesting development...

[Sigma_Orionis]

So, it's an interesting development...

I don't know if "interesting". But it's not a "development". Maduro's tried that stunt at least twice already. Once with Guaido himself and once with a Venezuelan journalist. I think he's trying to tire away international pressure.

[Sigma_Orionis]

In the meantime the Russkies sent two planes here again. One with troops and everything

ETA: just to make life interesting. We've just had a power failure affecting 14 states (including at home). There's still power at the office though.

[SciFiFisher]

In the meantime the Russkies sent two planes here again. One with troops and everything

ETA: just to make life interesting. We've just had a power failure affecting 14 states (including at home). There's still power at the office though.

I find the Russians flying in troops a bit alarming.

[geonuc]

Me too.

[Sigma_Orionis]

In the meantime the Russkies sent two planes here again. One with troops and everything

ETA: just to make life interesting. We've just had a power failure affecting 14 states (including at home). There's still power at the office though.

I find the Russians flying in troops a bit alarming.

I think Maduro and Pooty are doing it to provoke Trump.

Which leads me to the following: Apparently. there's something in our 300 article Hack Job of a Constitution (that one Chavez has approved about 15 years ago) that allows the president of the country to call of "external help". Now, 50 countries consider Maduro illegitimate. And now he has foreign troops at his disposal. So, while Maduro could claim he's invoking article 187, It could be argued that Guaido could also claim that the usurper using foreign troops is grounds to ask for "external help". Now, unless Guaidó actually has assurances that he could count on foreign troops it would be stupid to even talk about the issue. Yet the question is, HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS? Gauidó can ask for outside help to directly topple Maduro, But I doubt the US (or anyone else for that matter) would respond.

[Thumper]

Well, he certainly cannot count on the Trump administration. Does he have other allies that are strong enough and close enough to count on?

[Sigma_Orionis]

Well, he certainly cannot count on the Trump administration. Does he have other allies that are strong enough and close enough to count on?

No.

[Thumper]

Didn't think so.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Power died again at 9:50 PM last night. Till 5 AM. then died again at 5:45 AM and came back at about 10 AM This morning.

Using my phone's FM radio early in the morning to find some actual news, I heard an interview with a Law professor regarding that article. Apparently it was intended to allow the president of the country to ask for help from the UN (as in blue helmets supporting a humanitarian mission). So, it's useless in the current situation anyways. Besides, with Russia and China willing to exercise veto power in the UN Security Council, no request from Guaidó would ever go through.

In any case, Pooty has managed to put the entire coalition in a bind. It seems to me that there are only three possible outcomes, all of them bad.

A) An invasion from coalition countries (the least bad and highly unlikely).

B) An unilateral action from the US (I still think it's unlikely. And, as I said before, will hurt more than help)

C) The coalition blinks and Maduro stays in power. Propped up by the Russkies and the Chinese.

So far, this is the only response

[Sigma_Orionis]

I just read on local news that the Russian Ambassador denied that the planes brought any armament. Also said that the troops are here due to previously made agreements for Russian weapons bought under Chavez and that what the National Assembly should be concerned with is a possible invasion by the US.

Oh yeah, Trump just told Russia to "get out of Venezuela."

[Sigma_Orionis]

Power died Yesterday at 5:00 AM. according to my sister, it came back about 8:00 AM (I was already at work). We had to work at the office with the power plant until about 5 PM.

As soon as I got home yesterday (7:00 PM) power died again. Fortunately it came back an hour later.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Suprise! Idiot mustache man finally admitted he's rationing electricity...

Now he claims that the latest outage was due to a "long distance" Sharpshooter's bullet....

[geonuc]

He seems to be ordering a 'national mobilization' tomorrow. What does that mean?

[SciFiFisher]

He seems to be ordering a 'national mobilization' tomorrow. What does that mean?

It sounds like he is getting ready to use the military to suppress the opposition. I saw an article that reported his puppet congress had banned Gaido from holding public office for 15 years.

[SciFiFisher]

I just read on local news that the Russian Ambassador denied that the planes brought any armament. Also said that the troops are here due to previously made agreements for Russian weapons bought under Chavez and that what the National Assembly should be concerned with is a possible invasion by the US.

Oh yeah, Trump just told Russia to "get out of Venezuela."

Russia told the U.S. not to worry our pretty little heads about what they are doing.

[Thumper]

He seems to be ordering a 'national mobilization' tomorrow. What does that mean?

It sounds like he is getting ready to use the military to suppress the opposition. I saw an article that reported his puppet congress had banned Gaido from holding public office for 15 years.

Yeah, I read a little about that this morning.

[Sigma_Orionis]

He seems to be ordering a 'national mobilization' tomorrow. What does that mean?

It sounds like he is getting ready to use the military to suppress the opposition. I saw an article that reported his puppet congress had banned Gaido from holding public office for 15 years.

In local News. Guaidó basically said since neither the The Auditor General nor the Constitutional Assembly are legitimate, that ban has no effect.

As for the "national mobilization". Guaido called for a mass protest tomorrow and Maduro called for a counter rally. Same old, Same old.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Chickenhawk warns Russia on military presence in Venezuela

Abrams says "the US is not Joking" I'd believe you more if your Boss wasn't so full of it...

And, according to Local News 28 Russian Soldiers went down to the Hydro Power Plant to discuss the matter with our idiot VP


Edited for spelling and clarity

[Sigma_Orionis]

On Friday we had two blackouts. One at 7:15 PM, till 10:15 PM and the second one from 10:45 PM till 11:00 PM

Yesterday, the same thing. One from 7:15 PM till 8:30 PM and one from 9 PM till 10 PM.

Today, same thing, power died at about 9:30 AM, came back at 12:30 and then died again at 1 PM till 2.

The level of government propaganda on the radio is insane. They're blaming all power failures on "EMP attacks from the Empire"

[Sigma_Orionis]

I guess I can count my blessings. No blackouts since Sunday and water came back last night. My DSL connection is dead as a dodo though.

[geonuc]

I guess I can count my blessings. No blackouts since Sunday and water came back last night. My DSL connection is dead as a dodo though.

Is your water safe to drink without boiling? Outages can cause issues with bacteria.

[Sigma_Orionis]

I've never trusted Tap water here. Despite that It's supposed to be drinkable. I have a stone water filter