US-backed Maduro opponent Juan Guaido met with the head of the notorious Silvercorp, the American company believed to have been involved in the failed attempt to kill the Venezuelan president, a captured plotter has alleged.
Jordan Goudreau of Silvercorp had met with Guaido, the self-proclaimed interim leader of Venezuela, in Washington DC in March. That’s according to the testimony of Captain Antonio Sequea, who confessed to being one of the firm’s contacts on Venezuelan soil.
The video, shared with the media by Venezuelan Vice-President Jorge Rodriguez, shows how Sequea revealed that the Silvercorp head – a former Green Beret – first “distanced himself from us” but then resumed communication and brought some “good news” to the apparent Guaido camp.
The detained captain said the news of the low-key meeting encouraged them to proceed with their plan to oust Nicolas Maduro, the legitimate president of Venezuela. “That gave us a little more strength, it motivated us,” Sequea acknowledged, adding that the Silvercorp head was advising the plotters militarily, giving them “the sense of security.”
Silvercorp USA, a Florida-based private military firm, appears to be heavily involved in the botched coup in Caracas, it previously emerged. Its members, US citizens, were among guerillas that crossed into Venezuela last week but were captured by government forces before they took any action.
While Silvercorp boss Jordan Goudreau – said to be a member of Donald Trump’s security detail – confirmed to the media that “those are my guys,” Juan Guaido, the US-backed, self-proclaimed interim leader of Venezuela, predictably disavowed them, saying he had “no relationship nor responsibility for any actions” of the US mercenaries.
However, the Washington Post leaked what appears to be an incriminating contract signed by Guaido and Silvercorp. The 41-page document promises a hefty $212.9-million reward for the capturing, detaining, or “removal” of President Maduro, thus installing Guaido in his place. That was partially confirmed in an interrogation tape by one of the American mercenaries captured by Venezuela.
It also allowed for targeting anyone deemed to be “armed and violent colectivos” – a degrading term used for any working-class person, including trade unionists and pro-government protestors.
On the heels of the failed plot, Caracas charged two Silvercorp mercenaries, Luke Alexander Denman and Airan Berry, with terrorism, conspiracy, illicit trafficking of weapons of war and [criminal]association. Maduro claimed evidence will soon emerge that US President Trump himself ordered the plot.
However, Trump denied having anything to do with the affair, saying he would have done things differently, ordering a full “invasion” instead of a covert operation.
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