Carlos Vecchio on What’s Happening in Venezuela

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: The word coup, attempted coup, is being used to describe what’s going on. Why is it that you are not using that term?

CARLOS VECCHIO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER’S U.S. ENVOY: Because, I mean, this is a process activated by the interim president of Venezuela, the constitutional president of Venezuela who is requesting to the Venezuelan people to demonstrate on the streets peacefully to restore democracy and also, requesting to the army force to support the people and to implement fully our constitution. So, this is a movement led by the civilian who is interim president of Venezuela. And what he is trying to do is to restore democracy and the constitution. So, this cannot be a coup. So, the coup has been implemented by Maduro who is holding the power without legitimacy. So, that is why we are requesting the support of the army forces and also from the international community to help us to recover our democracy.

AMANPOUR: What particular help do you want right now? Because we’re going to discuss the business of the military forces in Venezuela, but just, what do you want right now? What are you asking for?

VECCHIO: Basically, we want to put an end of the usurpation of power. It is the only way, Christiane, to resolve our humanitarian crisis in order to set a transitional government and then hold free and fair elections. That’s what we want, this is our agenda, and that’s why we are pushing our military to support us. And also, the international community has been supporting the Venezuelan people in order to recover our democracy. So, that’s what we have been asking.

AMANPOUR: I’m going to get a little more detail in a moment. But first, I need to ask you about the Armed Forces. Because on the one hand, you all and certainly Juan Guaido is saying that the Armed Forces are supporting the people. But on the other hand, Maduro has sent out his military leadership, defense minister and others in their uniforms. And this is what the defense minister said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PADRINO, VENEZUELAN DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): He’s a savage opposition. He’s an opposition that have no sense of homeland. It is against democracy. And they want to win the respect of the Armed Forces. Stop fooling around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Well, basically that’s the defense minister saying it’s a savage operation and they are anti-Democrats. We have also seen at least one piece of imagery of a tank seemed to be moving towards people on the streets. So, it doesn’t look as if you’ve got the military or at least the leadership of the military on your side. How are you going to resolve this issue?

VECCHIO: Well, what you have seen is only a declare — a statement from the privileged elite of the army force.