Landing in Macuto Bay
| date | May 3, 2020 to May 4, 2020 |
|---|---|
| place |
La Guaira , Vargas , Venezuela
|
| output | Arrest and kill the attacker |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
|
Maduro government |
Venezuelans in exile |
| losses | |
|
unknown |
8 dead |
The landing in Macuto Bay (code name Operation Gideon , Spanish Operación Gedeón ) was a landing company of Venezuelan exiles with the support of recruited mercenaries. The attackers started with boats in Colombia and tried on May 3, 2020 to go ashore on the coast near La Guaira in the state of Vargas . The company failed when the landed fighters were partly killed and partly arrested by Venezuelan security forces. According to the Venezuelan government, a second group was intercepted and arrested by warships while they were still on their boats on May 4, 2020.
Planning and course
The idea for the landing is attributed to Clíver Alcalá Cordones , a former major general in the Venezuelan army , as well as the American-Canadian mercenary and former soldier Jordan Goudreau . Goudreau founded the military service provider Silvercorp USA in Florida in 2018 and stated in interviews that he had reached an agreement with the counter-government of Juan Guaidó to overthrow the regime of Nicolás Maduro . Juan Guaidó and his advisor Juan Jose Rendón ended their collaboration with Goudreau several months before the landing. According to the Guardian , he continued the operation alone. The Associated Press found out about Goudreau's preparations and published its research two days before the actual attempt to land.
On May 4, 2020, Nicolás Maduro announced on state television that 13 terrorists had been arrested and others had been killed. A total of 114 people, including two US citizens, were arrested in connection with the action, according to statements by Venezuelan officials. Six attackers were killed. The government politician Diosdado Cabello accused the governments of the USA and Colombia of bearing the responsibility. One of two Americans captured was shown on Venezuela's state television where he claimed to have been part of a plot to kidnap Nicolás Maduro. In mid-May 2020, according to the Venezuelan military, 39 deserters were arrested who wanted to enter Venezuela from Colombia and are said to be in connection with the landing company.
Two mercenaries allegedly guilty of crimes of conspiracy, the illegal arms trade and terrorism were each sentenced to 20 years in prison in early August 2020. The hearing of other interested parties continued.
Reactions
Counter-President Juan Guaidó denied involvement and accused the Maduro government of staging the incident in order to be able to use it as a reason for taking action against the opposition in the country.
Both the US and Colombian governments denied involvement.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Colin Freeze, Janice Dickson: A Canadian-American military man, a failed Venezuela coup and a Twitter video. In: theglobeandmail.com , May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ↑ a b Julian Borger, Joe Parkin Daniels and Chris McGreal: 'His head wasn't in the world of reality': how the plot to invade Venezuela fell apart. In: The Guardian , May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ↑ a b c Government claims to have thwarted alleged invasion. In: Die Zeit , May 4, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ↑ Deserters arrested. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . May 15, 2020, accessed May 31, 2020 .
- ↑ US mercenary condemned to kidnap Maduro after failed commando operation. In: derStandard.at . August 12, 2020, accessed August 12, 2020.
Web links
- Linda Pressly: 'Bay of Piglets': A 'bizarre' plot to capture a president. In: bbc.com. BBC News, July 30, 2020, accessed July 30, 2020 .