Embassy Protection Collective HOLDING Embassy of Venezuala against Trump-backed forces of Juan Guaido

Update Apr 29:US backed Venezualan opposition claims they will take over Embassy "this week" but this would require considerable force to be used against those who are legally occupying the building. Reinforcements needed!

Since early April, Code Pink and allied groups have been living in and holding the Embassy of Venezuala, keeping out the Trump-backed opposition forces of self-declared "president" Juan Guaido.

Diplomats from Venezuala's current government were ordered out of the US, but on the way out they handed the Embassy over to Code Pink for safekeeping. April 28th it appeared that Secret Service might attempt to retake the building but the attack never materialized.

The defense of the Venezualan Embassy was set up in response to the seizure of both the office of the Venezuelan Military Attache here in DC and of the consulate in NYC by the forces of self-declared, False President Juan Guaido. The Embassy Protection Collective is holding the building in response to a formal request from diplomatic staff representing the current government of Venezuala and this constitutes a legally valid invitation to stay in the building. The keys will be handed back only to Venezuala's government and their diplomatic representatives, not to a pro-capitalist opposition movement backed by Trump.

On Thursday, April 25, U.S. envoy for Venezuela Elliott Abrams (we've heard that name before...) asked Secret Service to forcibly expel the protesters and seize the Embassy of Venezuala. There are two problems with this: first of all, many more activists descended on the Embassy as a result, possibly as many as 150 or more. Second of all, to storm any country's embassy by force of arms is without exeption a major violation of international law. It would expose US Embassies globally to similar attacks, and the Government of Venezuala has the legal right to defend their embassy by any means necessary. Were the roles reversed, Trump would not hesitate to use US Marines to back up anti-regime protesters holding a US Embassy in a hostile nation that had just expelled the US Ambassador.

On the 28th of April, a small number of apparently civilian Guaido supporters attempted to slip into the embassy by the back door, but were turned back by protesters. Most likely this was either a total "unofficial" amateur operation, or a probe working in cooperation with police in an attempt to find weak spots in the defenses. As of 13:36AM on April 29, there has been no attempt by Secret Service to storm the embassy. There may well never be one due to international law but protesters are taking no chances. The building is being occupied, held, and defended 24 hours a day. Reinforcements are always needed and welcome-for an hour, for a day, or for the duration.

https://www.dcmediagroup.us/2019/04/28/allies-venezuela-ready-defend-was...