Venezuela; Jumping The Gun

VENEZUELA

Jumping the Gun

Forces supporting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro put down an alleged coup attempt on Monday, just days before opposition leader and National Assembly President Juan Guaido has called for mass protests seeking Maduro’s ouster on Jan. 23.

A cell phone video distributed via social media showed a small group of soldiers who claimed to be members of the country’s armed forces entering the special security unit headquarters, CNN reported. A man who identified himself as Sgt. Wandres Figueroa called on ordinary Venezuelans to take to the streets.

Guaido was quick to claim the incident showed the opposition enjoys widespread support within the military. But only small groups of demonstrators heeded the call, and National Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said the “small group of assailants” had been detained, CNN said.

Following the National Assembly’s refusal to recognize Maduro’s election to a second term and the beginning of work on a law that would grant amnesty to such coup plotters, Maduro loyalists on the supreme court ruled Monday that the legislative body is invalid and nullified any actions it has taken after Jan. 5.