Brazilian President Says Says He Is Working With The U.S. To Split the Venezuelan Army From The Maduro Government

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro and U.S. President Donald Trump at a joint news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 19, 2019. © REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Reuters: Brazil's Bolsonaro says working with U.S. to sow 'dissent' in Venezuela army

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday he is working with the U.S. government to sow dissent within the Venezuelan Army.

Bolsonaro, during an interview with Jovem Pan radio, said that if there is a military invasion in Venezuela, he would ask seek the counsel of Brazil’s National Defense Council and Congress on what, if any, action his country should take.

“We cannot allow Venezuela to become a new Cuba or North Korea,” the right-wing president said.

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Update #1: U.S., Brazilian vice presidents discuss Venezuela pressure at White House (Reuters)
Update #2: Bolsonaro says Brazil & US focus on creating ‘rift’ within Venezuelan army to oust Maduro (RT)

WNU Editor: I am willing to bet that there are other countries like Colombia, Peru, etc., who are also trying to split the Venezuelan army.

Venezuelan Exodus Has Brazil At A Breaking Point

Venezuelans stand with luggage on the border between Venezuela and Brazil, near the Brazilian city of Pacaraima, Roraima state, Brazil November 16, 2017. REUTERS/Nacho Doce

The Guardian: 'The strain is too much': Venezuelan exodus has Brazil at breaking point

As Brazil threatens to quit the new UN migration pact, its border-town shelters are bursting at the seams, with hundreds more arriving each day.

A short distance from the Venezuelan border, Venessa Márquez and Jesús Andrade sit in the fading light, surrounded by their possessions and waiting to hear if they’ll be given a bed at the nearby shelter – or spend their first night in Brazil sleeping on the street.

“We had to leave Venezuela. There is nothing to eat and children are dying of hunger,” says Andrade, 30, who had crossed the border into Brazil’s Roraima state that morning with Márquez and two others after an 18-hour journey from northern Puerto la Cruz.

Márquez, 22, adds: “A woman I knew went to give birth and there wasn’t even water at the hospital.”

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WNU Editor: It is interesting that all the migrants quoted by The Guardian are talking about how much they miss Venezuela when it was "rich". But there is no mention on who is to be blamed for this catastrophe. Two months ago I wrote the following, and I guess nothing has changed since ....

On a side note .... with no effective opposition coupled with years of government propaganda, most Venezuelans are not even blaming the government ....

.... a poll, by the Andres Bello University and the Ratio UCAB polling firm, says that while the Maduro regime has an approval rating of only 32 percent, about 54 percent of Venezuelans believe the regime’s narrative that the country’s hyper-inflation and food shortages are because business tycoons and merchants are hoarding products to enrich themselves.

Amazingly, only 20 percent of Venezuelans recognize the real reason behind the country’s food shortages: disastrous economic policies that prevent the private sector from selling almost anything, because, among other things, production costs are higher than price limits set by the government.

You get the government that you deserve, and in Venezuela's case, they have it, and in spades. But they are not blaming Maduro for it.

Backlash In Brazil Against Venezuelan Migrants

Reuters: Brazilian border town residents drive out Venezuelan immigrants

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Angry residents of the Brazilian border town of Pacaraima ran riot and drove out Venezuelan immigrants on Saturday after a local restaurant owner was stabbed and beaten, residents and government officials said.

The demonstrations forced hundreds of Venezuelans to flee back across the frontier on foot and residents set fire to the belongings they left behind and to tires to block the only road crossing between the two countries, video images released by the state of Roraima government showed.

The outburst of anger was sparked by the robbery and severe beating of a resident in his home on Friday night by four Venezuelans, Roraima state security secretary Giuliana Castro said by telephone.

The four Venezuelan suspects stole 23,000 reais ($5,800) from the restaurant owner, identified only as Raimundo. He suffered head injuries and was taken to hospital unconscious but was reported to be out of danger, said Castro, who is also head of the state's police force.

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WNU editor: I have a friend who lives in neighboring Guyana. He tells me that no one wants Venezuelan migrants inside the country, and they are going out of their way to make sure that no one stays permanently.

Update: Ecuador and Peru are tightening the border to Venezuelan migrants .... Ecuador, Peru Tighten Entry Requirements for Venezuelans (VOA).