Venezuela’s Guaido Blames Backers for Failed Coup

Says backers 'failed to follow through'

Last week’s failed US-backed coup in Venezuela was embarrassing for a lot of people, including opposition leader Juan Guaido, who it was intended to sweep into power. Guaido, however, is not content to take the blame for the failure.

In comments Monday with AFP, Guaido claimed that the failure was because a lot of his backers who had endorsed the plot “failed to follow through.” He did however say he thinks he is very close to coming to power.

That, however, rests on the same plotters changing their mind and following through, and Guaido said even though they didn’t this time that doesn’t mean they won’t switch to his side “soon.”

Guaido didn’t name names, but last week US officials identified the defense minister, the head of the presidential guard, and the chief justice of the supreme court as people they believed were in on the plot, and who didn’t ultimately do what the US wanted.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.