Bolton's gone, but we still have Elliott Abrams

And that's not good for anybody.

The U.S. special envoy for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, said the U.S. government is not “closer” to a military intervention in Venezuela, but warned that Colombia would have full American support in case of an attack by terrorist groups or the Venezuelan armed forces.

  Miami Herald

Why was it necessary to state that at this time?

On Tuesday, Abrams also ruled out that U.S. support for Venezuelan interim President Juan Guaidó’s efforts to join the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR) meant a possible U.S. military action.

And Venezuelans know they can't believe a word coming out of Washington.

“The United States is not closer [to a military conflict with Venezuela], but I do worry a lot about the Colombian-Venezuelan border,” Abrams said in a videoconference on Tuesday from Brussels, where he was discussing the Venezuelan crisis with members of the European Union.

[...]

Abrams said the United States has intelligence information confirming the presence of members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) in Venezuela.

[...]

"This is very dangerous, because if there are cross-border attacks from Venezuela into Colombia, we can expect the Colombians to react. And obviously, we would be fully supportive of Colombia in that situation.”

[...]

sMaduro, meanwhile, has denied the accusations and ordered military exercises on the border with Colombia, which has increased tensions in the region.Maduro, meanwhile, has denied the accusations and ordered military exercises on the border with Colombia, which has increased tensions in the region.

On Monday, Maduro activated the Defense Council to discuss actions against an alleged military threat from the Colombian government, which Maduro accuses of planning terrorist plots against Venezuela.

[...]

Both Abrams and Carlos Trujillo, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States, told reporters on Tuesday that invoking the TIAR — also known as the Rio Treaty — did not necessarily mean that Guaidó would have military support from the United States, an expectation that had grown within Venezuela, especially within the opposition.

Now THAT they can believe.

Guaidó is still trying.



Who will agitate now that Bolton has been canned?


...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.