Guaido says he would ‘probably’ back US military intervention

JUAN GUAIDÓ has for the first time said he would probably back US military intervention in Venezuela, as he spoke on the eve of another weekend of tension and calls for mass protests.

“If the Americans were to propose a military intervention I would probably accept it,” he said, in an interview with Italian daily newspaper La Stampa.

Mr Guaidó has previously said that “all options remain on the table” – a comment echoed frequently in Washington – but has been gradually hardening his rhetoric on the issue in the wake of last week’s failed uprising. This latest appeal is seen as his most direct yet.

He told a press conference on Thursday that multiple red lines had been crossed, including the seizing of his deputy, Edgar Zambrano, on Wednesday night, and the arrest warrants issued for 10 other parliamentarians.

Three of them have fled to embassies in Caracas – two to the Italian embassy, and one to the Argentine.

Leopoldo Lopez, Mr Guaidó’s political mentor, has also sought refuge, residing in the Spanish embassy since the failed uprising of April 30.

On Thursday, Southcom – the US military command with responsibility for Latin America and the Caribbean – said they “stand ready” to help Mr Guaidó.

“When invited by Juan Guaidó and the legitimate government of Venezuela, I look forward to discussing how we can support the future role of those leaders who make the right decision, put the Venezuelan people first and restore constitutional order,” said Craig Faller, a navy admiral and commander of Southcom.

On May 3, Patrick Shanahan, the acting defence secretary, confirmed that Mr Faller flew to Washington to meet with him and other senior officials.

At the meeting they reviewed and refined a “comprehensive set of options”, Mr Shanahan said.

Asked whether the options included direct military intervention, he added: “I’ll leave that to your imagination. All options are on the table.”

Shannon O’neil, a senior fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, said that an invasion of Venezuela would require a huge number of troops.

“[Venezuela] is twice the size of Iraq with only a slightly smaller population, and teeters on the verge of chaos. Any invasion requires preparations on a similar scale, meaning a 100,000-plus force,” she said.

100,000 The estimated minimum number of troops that it would take for the US to launch an effective invasion of Venezuela