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Rogue police helicopter opens fire on Venezuelan supreme court

Jackpot

Banned
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-40426642

Venezuela crisis: Helicopter launches attack on Supreme Court

Venezuela's Supreme Court has been attacked by grenades dropped from a helicopter in what President Nicolás Maduro called a "terrorist attack".

Footage on social media shows a police helicopter circling over the city before shots and a loud bang are heard.

The police officer said to have piloted the stolen aircraft issued a statement denouncing the "criminal government". His whereabouts are unknown.

Officials quoted by Reuters news agency said four grenades were dropped on the court and 15 shots had been fired at the interior ministry.

No injuries were reported but Mr Maduro said "a social event" had been taking place at the Supreme Court and the attack could have caused "dozens of deaths". One of the grenades failed to detonate, he added.

The police officer identified himself as Oscar Pérez in video statements posted on the social media platform Instagram.

Appearing in military fatigues and flanked by armed, masked men in uniform, he appealed to Venezuelans to oppose "tyranny".

Analysis: Will Grant, BBC News, in Mexico

It is generally an exercise in futility trying to predict if some new twist in Venezuela's long-running crisis is a "turning point" for the country.

There have been scores of seemingly decisive moments over the past few months - from the initial decision to strong-arm the national assembly, to the latest death of a teenage protester in Caracas - that quickly faded into the general malaise afflicting the oil-rich nation.

However, the sight of an apparently disaffected member of the security forces dropping grenades on the Supreme Court and allegedly firing on government buildings is extreme, even by Venezuela's standards.

Whether "Oscar Pérez" is indeed part of a coalition of like-minded "military employees, policemen and civilians" or just a rogue policeman is hard to say.

Certainly President Maduro was quick to dub the incident "a terrorist attack" and used it as a reason to "activate" the armed forces to keep the peace.

However, earlier in the day he, too, had thrown down the gauntlet to his opponents. "If the Bolivarian Revolution was at risk," he said, "what we couldn't do with votes, we would do with arms." The opposition in Venezuela took that as an overt threat.
 

Preezy

Member
Seems like that country is descending into chaos. Quite the tragedy, especially the lack of food for the kids :(
 
Certainly President Maduro was quick to dub the incident "a terrorist attack" and used it as a reason to "activate" the armed forces to keep the peace.

However, earlier in the day he, too, had thrown down the gauntlet to his opponents. "If the Bolivarian Revolution was at risk," he said, "what we couldn't do with votes, we would do with arms." The opposition in Venezuela took that as an overt threat

That's an incredibly scary statement. Stay safe Venezuela GAF.
 

Nev

Banned
At what point do you just give up, assume that nobody wants your retarded dictator ass and just step down? I mean what are your realistic goals? For people to calm down from a goddamn nationwide violent revolution and keep your trash government going while everybody hates you?

Fuck off already you oligophrenic bastard.
 

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
How much can this escalate further? How much can you blame anybody else but the president for what's happening in Venezuela?
 

darkinstinct

...lacks reading comprehension.
At what point do you just give up, assume that nobody wants your retarded dictator ass and just step down? I mean what are your realistic goals? For people to calm down from a goddamn nationwide violent revolution and keep your trash government going while everybody hates you?

Fuck off already you oligophrenic bastard.

For an attempt to overthrow the government this seems like a really bad idea. To me it looks more like what Erdogan did in Turkey. A coup attempt right when you need it to force everything as you want it to be.
 
Yeah Maduro will not stay in power that much longer I think. Question is how big the chaos will be and how long that chaos will remain. I hope for the best for the Venezuelan people and that things will get normal as fast as possible.
Also we need to get Machado the fuck out of there asap.
 

Metal B

Member
At what point do you just give up, assume that nobody wants your retarded dictator ass and just step down? I mean what are your realistic goals? For people to calm down from a goddamn nationwide violent revolution and keep your trash government going while everybody hates you?

Fuck off already you oligophrenic bastard.
You don't need the public opinion to stay in power. You only need money, the support of the most powerful people and a way to pay those people constanly. As long as the guy pays the army and police enough, he will stay in power.
 

Guy.brush

Member
Whole thing feels like a crappy videogame plotline, right down to that picture of the guy responsible.
_96715305_venezuela.png

Top5_2-compressor.jpg

But then, the guy the wannabe General Hummel is trying to oust has Dishonored 3 character render turntables as background paintings in his palace office.
52sbVZW.jpg
 
Don't they have the elections next year? Maybe they have little confidence that Maduro will give up power...

I'd love to do some reading on the history of South America, and why the continent is so prone to coups d'etat
 
Quick, time to make some jokes about socialism and Jeremy Corbyn because apparently that's a funny thing to do.

from PMQS today
 

spekkeh

Banned
For an attempt to overthrow the government this seems like a really bad idea. To me it looks more like what Erdogan did in Turkey. A coup attempt right when you need it to force everything as you want it to be.
Yeah looks like it.

It was unclear how a rogue police helicopter could have circled high-profile buildings in the Venezuelan capital without being shot down -- eyewitnesses and local journalists say the assault went on for about two hours.

None of those involved in the attack appear to have been tracked down and the whereabouts of the helicopter remains unknown.

..


Earlier Tuesday, Maduro warned of a potential attack. Speaking at a rally, he said, "If Venezuela was launched into chaos and violence and the Bolivarian Revolution was destroyed, we would go to combat..
(CNN)

Taking a page out of Erdogans playbook seems like.

Why even attack the supreme court?
 

clemenx

Banned
I'm just sad he didn't blew up the goddamn building but threw some puny grenades instead.

I'm not sure what to think, it doesn't feel like it's a self-coup. I think he's an optimistic dude that hoped would spark something.
 
Don;t they have a food problem there? Pretty sure there was a gaffer trying to get out and describing what it's like having to queue for food.
 

Akuun

Looking for meaning in GAF
That's super scary. I wonder if he picked his target to make a statement, or to take out certain people? Because it seems odd to hijack a helicopter to bomb a building that turns out to be unoccupied at the time.

How's that Gaffer who was trying to immigrate out of Venezuela?
Machado? I think he's still there, unfortunately. IIRC the processes that can get him out seem to be moving very slowly.
 
That's super scary. I wonder if he picked his target to make a statement, or to take out certain people? Because it seems odd to hijack a helicopter to bomb a building that turns out to be unoccupied at the time.


Machado? I think he's still there, unfortunately. IIRC the processes that can get him out seem to be moving very slowly.

IIUC The Supreme Court is viewed as Maduro's biggest support net, so definitely a statement
 
I wonder if he served delicious food to the members of the supreme court after bombing them. I knew that fucker looked familiar.

mark-1.png
 

ibyea

Banned
At what point do you just give up, assume that nobody wants your retarded dictator ass and just step down? I mean what are your realistic goals? For people to calm down from a goddamn nationwide violent revolution and keep your trash government going while everybody hates you?

Fuck off already you oligophrenic bastard.

I wouldn't say nobody. I saw a poll that said more than 20% support, which while is very low, it is not an insignificant minority. As for how people can be this blind, yeah, I don't know.
 

see5harp

Member
The whole story seems like bullshit to me. One dude in a helicopter and some masked guys fire on government buildings, throw grenades and not a single person is harmed? Okay.
 

spekkeh

Banned
Yeah, would not be surprised at all if Maduro orchestrated this.

Reichstag fire all over again.



Dude even looks like an actor.

Well he is one:

The background of Perez, the apparent ringleader, appeared colorful: Reuters reported that he was involved in a 2015 action film, Suspended Death, which he co-produced and starred in as an intelligence agent rescuing a kidnapped businessman.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/27/a...me-court-helicopter-grenade-attack/index.html
 

Carlius

Banned
sad to see venezuela go down like this...lived there for 5 years and it was one of th ebest time of my life. such a great country with amazing people now being killed and manipulated.
 

Jackpot

Banned
Yeah, would not be surprised at all if Maduro orchestrated this.

Reichstag fire all over again.



Dude even looks like an actor.

Extraordinary claims requires extraordinary evidence. We don't need baseless speculation on everything being a false-flag conspiracy, thank you.
 
Extraordinary claims requires extraordinary evidence. We don't need baseless speculation on everything being a false-flag conspiracy, thank you.
The perp is an actor, the helicopter did its thing for two hours without any action to stop it, and the statements read like a bad videogame script, and conveniently there was zero harm done to anyone.

Seems legit, yep.
 

Jackpot

Banned
The perp is an actor, the helicopter did its thing for two hours without any action to stop it, and the statements read like a bad videogame script, and conveniently there was zero harm done to anyone.

Seems legit, yep.

Incompetence and delusion, things you'd expect of a failed state and the person doing this, explains that all comfortably.
 
sad to see venezuela go down like this...lived there for 5 years and it was one of th ebest time of my life. such a great country with amazing people now being killed and manipulated.

That's how socialism usually ends - in flames and blood. Unless Maduro completely loses support of power apparatus it's going to end in armed coup.
 

Tagyhag

Member
Extraordinary claims requires extraordinary evidence. We don't need baseless speculation on everything being a false-flag conspiracy, thank you.

I'm not claiming it's true, just that considering all the circumstances surrounding it, and how much this helps Maduro, I wouldn't be surprised if it was.
 
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