Topic: Venezuela Coup

John Bolton admitted on CNN to having helped plan coups d'etat in foreign countries while discussing the January 6th investigation with Jake Tapper. Bolton argued that Donald Trump's actions were not a carefully planned coup but rather a series of impulsive decisions. The discussion references Bolton's involvement in the failed attempt to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Undersecretary of State Tom Shannon appears on NPR to discuss the failure of various "tools" used by the US to flip the Venezuelan military against Nicolás Maduro. Shannon details strategies involving humanitarian aid confrontations and oil sanctions. He also explains the US effort to pressure China and Russia to withdraw their support for the Maduro regime to maintain regional stability.

The political situation in Venezuela is described as a potential soft coup following the self-proclamation of Juan Guaidó as interim president. Reports indicate the United States has offered visas to Venezuelan military personnel to encourage them to break with the Nicolás Maduro regime. One high-ranking military diplomat in Washington has already defected from the Maduro government.

Vice President Mike Pence released a video message supporting Venezuelan opposition efforts to oust President Nicolas Maduro. Juan Guaido, head of the National Assembly, declared himself interim president, a move recognized by the United States, Canada, and several Latin American nations. Maduro responded by accusing the U.S. of orchestrating a coup and ordered American diplomats to leave the country.

State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki faces tough questioning from reporter Matt Lee regarding allegations of U.S. involvement in a Venezuelan coup. Psaki insists that the U.S. has a "long-standing policy" of not supporting non-constitutional political transitions. Lee challenges this assertion, pointing to the historical record of U.S. intervention in Latin America, leading to a semantic debate over the definition of "long-standing."