'There is economic pressure, diplomatic and military pressure; our military force has supported this pressure, 'said Craig Stephen Faller, head of the Southern Command, which includes the IV Fleet.
US Admiral Craig Stephen Faller said last Friday (15/11) that the country's Southern Command closely followed the latest developments in Bolivia and congratulated the "professionalism" of the Bolivian Armed Forces in the "defense of democracy" in the parents.
Following the same interview, a Venezuelan opposition digital TV network, VPI TV, Faller asked other "armed forces to be professionals, because I know there are professionals who do the right thing."
Southern Command brings together a set of US military forces responsible for contingency planning, operations, and military cooperation with Central American, Southern, and Caribbean countries. One of the forces under Faller's command is the recently recreated so-called Fleet IV. Southern Command has up to 4,000 men for immediate action in South America. The symbol of the troops under Faller's command is a shield with an eagle on top, representing the United States, and the map of Central and South America below.
The interview sets a real call for military intervention in Venezuela. The journalist interviewing Craig asks several times about the actions and plans of the Southern Command and the United States for Venezuela.
The admiral's statements came a day before a major rally in support of Nicolás Maduro's government and the near-total failure of a protest by opposition supporters and self-proclaimed President Juan Guaidó. Faller's speech further urged the Venezuelan military to "consider their oath and do the right thing", in a very explicit hint that they would receive US support if they acted similarly to what happened in Bolivia.
"Our focus here is to work with the real, good and professional security forces of Colombia and Brazil. And other very effective regional [forces] that help share information and understand the seriousness of the situation and try to find ways to help. Our government, from the United States, continues to put pressure on the Maduro government and so we have developed an assisting role here, "he said.
On another occasion, Faller had already compared President Maduro's administration to that of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, saying that Venezuela would approach a similar situation if the Venezuelan representative did not leave power.
Asked about a possible military intervention in Venezuela, the admiral said that there is already "pressure" from countries and that this is an "important factor" because, according to him, Maduro "is increasingly isolated".
"The international community is applying a lot of pressure, there are more than 50 united nations. And that is an important factor in the pressure being applied. So there is economic pressure, diplomatic pressure and the military pressure. Our military force has been supporting this pressure." , said.
Faller further states, without bothering to offer any evidence whatsoever, that "there is a connection between drug trafficking and the Maduro government," the president being a "drug trafficker who now has a free reign to rule with other governments" and that supports international terrorism.
During the interview, Cuba, Russia and China were cited as supporters of Maduro.
The admiral also said that all of Southern Command's strategic policy follows US government lines and said it leaves the "policy makers" with the decisions and thus "remains focused on the military role." "Our job should be to be ready to cooperate with our partners by sharing information and intelligence," he said.
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