It alleges that Maduro worked with Columbian cartels to smuggle cocaine through Venezuela.
But here is a map of smuggling routes from U.S. ally Columbia where most of the cocaine is produced. It was shown during a Congress hearing. Whatever is smuggled through Venezuela is a tiny share compared to the huge stream that comes through the Pacific.
Whoever wrote and signed of the indictment also made a huge mistake. The charges included Clà ver Antonio Alcala' Cordones, a former General in the Venezuelan armed forces, and put a $10 million reward on his head.
Alcala' Cordones is no friend of Maduro. He retired in 2013 when Maduro was elected after Hugo Cha'vez had died. Alcala' Cordones fled to Colombia from where he supported the U.S. chosen clown Juan Guaidà ³ as self proclaimed president of Venezuela.
After the Justice Department indictment against him he came out and revealed that he was involved in coup plans in support of Juan Guaidà ³:
Alcala' is implicated in a recent plot to attack the Maduro government. On March 24, Colombian authorities seized a truck full of weapons and military equipment, including 26 assault rifles, worth $500,000. Venezuelan intelligence services linked the weapons to three camps in Colombia where paramilitary groups of Venezuelan deserters and U.S. mercenaries are training to carry out attacks against Venezuela. According to Venezuela's Communication Minister Jorge Rodrà guez, these groups were planning to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to attack military units and plant bombs. He also linked the groups to Alcala'.
These allegations proved to be correct, as Alcala', in a video he posted online hours after the indictments, admitted that the weapons were under his command. He further admitted that the weapons were purchased with funds given to him by Juan Guaidà ³, with whom he allegedly signed a contract. Additionally, Alcala claimed that the operation was planned by U.S. advisors, with whom he supposedly met at least seven times. Aclala' also alleged that Leopoldo Là ³pez, the founder of Guaidà ³'s party Voluntad Popular who was sprung from house arrest during Guaidà ³'s April 30 attempted insurrection, had full knowledge of the terror plot.
As a result of these videos, Venezuela's Attorney General has opened an investigation into Juan Guaidà ³ for an attempted coup.
The U.S. blew it by accusing the one man that was willing to help its chosen clown and by not informing him before the indictment came out. That man then freaked out and blew the whistle. This is now threatening the whole opposition plan the U.S. concocted with Guaidà ³ and the men behind him.
On Friday Alcala' Cordones decided it was unsafe for him to stay in Colombia. He 'called up' the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and gave himself up. He was extradited to New York and will now become a 'witness' against Maduro who he has publicly opposed in the first place.
This chaos was certainly created by Elliott Abrams, the neoconservative U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela. Abrams has a talent for messing things up.
U.S. foreign policy during the crisis has been abysmal. The U.S. angered China, the biggest producer of urgently needed masks and drugs, by calling the virus "Wuhan virus" or "Chinese virus", a practice that stopped only after a phone call between Trump and Xi Jinping. It angered Germany when it tried to buy exclusive rights for a potential vaccine that is being developed there. Requests for support by multiple European allies were left unanswered while China and Russia mobilized to help over 80 countries. Meanwhile Pompeo chastised Italy for accepting Cuban drugs and doctors.
There will be a large cost to pay for this when the pandemic is over. The U.S. has exposed itself as unreliable ally, as war mongering moron that does not shrink from damaging its own best interest and as incapable of helping its own citizens.
China on the other hand has defeated the epidemic at home and now helps defeating it wherever it can. This is going to be its century.
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