January 23rd: Will Venezuela Become Trump’s First Big Foreign Crisis?

The embattled government of Nicolas Maduro called for a counterdemonstration on January 23rd against an opposition march calling for elections, scheduled on the 59th anniversary of the toppling of the last military dictatorship in Venezuela -- setting the stage for another big street confrontation in the oil rich country only three days after Donald Trump’s Inauguration. In calling for the “chavista” demonstration, pro-Maduro lawmaker Diosdado Cabello said the march would be both “happy” and “combative” while also ruling out general elections, a recall against the President or even the possible end of the Bolivarian Revolution started by Hugo Chavez in 1998. “There will be no general elections here. What there will be here is revolution and more revolution,” Cabello said Tuesday during a press conference. “On January 23rd there will be us in the streets, with certainty the revolutionary forces will be there, once again defending the revolution”. More…