Published:
14 feb 2022 15:01 GMT
The maneuvers, called ‘Puma’, were carried out between April and July 2019, precisely the year of the greatest US escalation once morest Caracas.
A set of documents leaked in Argentina revealed the commitment of the Government of Mauricio Macri (2015 – 2019) to participate in a possible invasion of Venezuela, sponsored by the United States, which would seek the overthrow of President Nicolás Maduro.
The information regarding this possible attack was published on Sunday by the Argentine portal The Rocket to the Moonfollowing receiving the documents from some military chiefs.
According to the media, the Argentine Army carried out some military exercises, which were called ‘Puma’ and which included the invasion of Venezuela, between April and July 2019; precisely the year of the greatest US escalation once morest Caracas.
Events in 2019
It should be remembered that on January 23 of that year, Juan Guaidó proclaimed himself as “president in charge” of Venezuela and was recognized by Washington and some governments in the region, including Macri’s in Argentina.
In February, the attempt to enter ‘humanitarian aid’ from Colombia culminated in the burning of a truck; an action for which they blamed the Maduro administration and later it was proven that it was the opponents themselves.
Already in April, the so-called ‘Operation Freedom’an attempted coup d’état led by Guaidó together with the opposition Leopoldo López, who left his house arrest that day, an action that was celebrated by the Argentine head of state.
We hope that this is the decisive moment to restore democracy. May the long anguish that led Venezuelans to suffering and fear come to an end and begin a period of freedom, sanity, and growth. It will not be easy, as we Argentines well know
– Mauricio Macri (@mauriciomacri) April 30, 2019
“We hope that this is the decisive moment to recover democracy. That the long anguish that led to the suffering and fear of Venezuelans comes to an end and a period of freedom, good sense and growth begins,” the Argentine president wrote in his Twitter account.
The practices
According to El Cohete a la Luna, the Puma exercises of the Argentine Army were carried out in seven sessions and included coordination with units of the Navy and the Air Force. Commanding these practices was General Juan Martin Paleowho was then commander of the rapid deployment force and since March 2020 is head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces.
In those Puma exercises, the name ‘Southern Patagonia’ is given to South America, Venezuela is ‘Vulcan’ and their opposing authorities are NM and JG, that is, the initials of Nicolás Maduro and Juan Guaidó, respectively.
Colombia, on the western border of Venezuela, is also baptized as ‘Ceres’; to Guyana and Surinam, to the southwest of the Venezuelan territory, as ‘Tellus’; to Brazil as ‘Febo’; Peru and Ecuador as ‘Fauno’; Chile as ‘Juno’; Argentina as ‘Ares’; and Uruguay as ‘Baco’.
The description that Paleo makes of Venezuela or ‘Vulcano’, to justify the military exercises and the possible invasion, is that in that country there is “the case of the greatest internal commotion in the region.”
“The Government has resorted to its foreign policy with the clear intention of seeking the support of extra-regional actors to stay in power. This conduct of ignoring internal complaints and those of the main international organizations has caused a strong rejection and its consequence was the application of different sanctions,” he adds.
It also says that the internal situation of ‘Vulcano’ “is framed by a lack of a representative entity of its double government (NM and JG) and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis due to political disorganization and the lack of services and basic needs such as supply electricity, food, water and medicines”; and that “there is a breakdown of discipline in the Armed and Security Forces” due to profound differences between those who support the government and those who do not.
Paleo mentions a resolution of the United Nations Organization (UN), No. 1918/19, on a “provisional multinational stabilization force” in Venezuela, which was called MINUSVU.
In this regard, he said that “the president of Ares,” that is, Macri, with the authorization of the National Congress, “decided to respond to the UN request (decree No. 2005/19 – Troops to participate in MINUSVU) for the integration of a provisional multinational force together with other South Patagonian countries (Febo and Juno)”.
The objective of that multinational force, and therefore, the military exercises, was “to strengthen the sovereignty and integrity of Vulcano, stop all human rights violations and collaborate with a broad political consensus to achieve a safe and lasting transition of the Government” .
The mission of the force commanded by Paleo would be provide security to the operation in Venezuela, guaranteeing humanitarian aid corridors. Argentina would be responsible for the one that would be made along the border with Ceres, that is, Colombia.
Security of the G-20?
According to El Cohete a la Luna, when the defense authorities that were installed following the end of the Macri government questioned Paleo regarding the Puma military exercises, he reported that it was planning the security of the G-20 meeting in Buenos Aires.
However, that version does not hold, because the G-20 met on November 30 and December 1, 2018 in the Argentine capital, and the Puma was held between April and July 2019.
Later, his version changed to the fact that it was an order from the then Chief of Staff, General Bari Sosa, to plan humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.
