Venezuela's self-proclaimed interim leader Juan Guaido has called on people of Venezuela to get out on the streets, mobilize and organize into what he dubbed "Operation Freedom."
"After we mobilize the entire country, we will go to Miraflores and reclaim what belongs to the people," Guaido told supporters, referring to the presidential palace, as he announced the ‘operation' in the city of Valencia Saturday, AFP report says.
"Whatever happens, we must be united, mobilized in the streets," Guaido said.
According to Guaido's tweet, Operation Freedom consists of three steps: to create "Freedom and aid" committees "on every street of Venezuela;" to create "labor and sectoral committees" in the public and private sectors and begin preparation of "constitutional forces" within National Armed Forces.
Hoy en todas las Asambleas de Vecinos escuchamos a sus líderes, sus preocupaciones, su compromiso y dejamos este mensaje al país.
— Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) 16 марта 2019 г.
Todos a difundir este audio con las próximas acciones.
¡Vamos bien si vamos todos! ¡Vamos Venezuela!https://t.co/XF7Yc5fc5E#OperaciónLibertad pic.twitter.com/1LbYVqEJSu
"For the international community to do more and the Armed Forces do what they must, we have to move on to a level of organization, pressure and mobilization never seen before," Guaido tweeted. According to his tweets, the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela are "in total disobedience" and are willing to "organize to protect the people of Venezuela."
Llegó el momento de las definiciones.
— Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) 16 марта 2019 г.
Para que la comunidad internacional haga más y la Fuerza Armada haga lo que debe, tenemos que pasar a un nivel de organización, presión y movilización nunca antes visto. Llegó el momento de la #OperaciónLibertad para cesar la usurpación. pic.twitter.com/pLC6ph3a9M
"I am certain that our officials will have the necessary moral reserve to decisively cease the usurpation," the tweet reads.
Until now, Guaido sought to mobilize people in the nation's capital of Caracas, which suffered a lengthy blackout that officials say was the result of sabotage. Now that power and basic services in the capital have been restored, Guaido has shifted his focus to the rest of the country which is still struggling with power outages and service disruptions, according to Reuters.
Earlier this week, the country's chief prosecutor asked the Supreme Court to probe Guaido for alleged involvement in the ‘sabotage' of the country's electricity system, Reuters.
Currently, Guaido's greatest challenge appears to be Venezuela's military, which, despite his tweets, remains loyal to Maduro. A military intervention might be one way to overcome this obstacle. The administration of US President Donald Trump has not ruled out invading Venezuela, with US National Security Adviser John Bolton saying that "all options are on the table." However, there is no sign of such an operation building in the US, an AFP report says.
Washington continues to impose sanctions on Caracas and Maduro, making a troubled situation in the crisis-ridden country even worse for its leaders and its people. On 28 April, a US embargo on Venezuelan oil exports will go into effect, dealing a heavy blow to the already-diminished finances of Caracas,
According to recent statistics, the US accounts for an estimated 50 percent of the oil exported from the beleaguered South American nation.
