Caracas, May 19 (RHC)-- Venezuela’s government revealed Monday new evidence that shows that the United States-backed opposition was aware of the foiled May 3 plot aimed at killing President Nicolas Maduro.
The Minister of Communications Jorge Rodriguez presented an audio testimony that ties Venezuelan lawmaker Hernan Aleman with the failed mercenary raid. On the recording, Aleman is heard saying he maintained links with Cliver Alcala, the ringleader of the Venezuelan military deserters that are hiding in Colombia and who is now in U.S. custody on charges of drug trafficking.
The lawmaker also admitted that he had visited the mercenary training camps in Riohacha in northern Colombia. Both former U.S. Green Berets Luke Denman and Airan Berry, arrested on May 3rd, explained that about 300 deserters were training there as part of ‘Operation Gedeon.’ Aleman also mentioned that he saw armed personel wearing uniforms with the U.S. flag on them and that he knew that U.S. troops were intended to arrive in Colombia.
As the Venezuelan Minister of Communications revealed, the opposition lawmaker was in contact with a CIA agent through a meeting provided by James Broward Story, the U.S. special envoy for Juan Guaido. The U.S. diplomat received the Venezuelan deputy at his embassy and there they discussed the armed incursion.
Among other evidence provided by Jorge Rodriguez was the revelation that the Futuro Presente foundation, a supposed NGO, channeled money to pay "deserters and traitors" who arrived in Cucuta on Feb. 23, 2019.
In this regard, one of those captured in the unraveling of Operation Gedeon named Victor Salazar, denounced that in armed raids the same organization was used by Rayder Russo -- alias “Pico” -- to carry out the failed assassination plan on August 4th of last year. In addition, he financed the Riohacha camps in Colombia to train mercenaries.
Also, it was learned that so-called "investors" gave $300 million U$D to former Miami-based Guaido adviser, Juan Jose Rendon, one of the signatories of the contract with mercenary firm Silvercorp USA.
The U.S.-based company hired by Guaido and his allies was meant to provide services, including “strategic planning,” “equipment procuring” and “project execution advisement.” According to mercenary leader Jordan Goudreau, ‘Operation Gedeon' had been coordinated with Juan Guaido who signed a contract on October 16, 2019, for $212 million.
Among those investors was the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the DEA) and U.S. companies. A number of Venezuelans also contributed funds, who would later benefit from state contracts for gold, oil and other natural resources after eliminating the Venezuelan authorities and military forces.
These investigations and more than 90 arrests -- including two U.S. citizens who joined the incursion as mercenaries -- are now part of the unraveling of the so-called ‘Operation Gideon.'
