Exclusive - Blackwater founder's latest sales pitch: mercenaries for Venezuela

APRIL 30, 2019 / 12:06 AM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO

Aram Roston, Matt Spetalnick
7 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Erik Prince - the founder of the controversial private security firm Blackwater and a prominent supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump - has been pushing a plan to deploy a private army to help topple Venezuela’s socialist president, Nicholas Maduro, four sources with knowledge of the effort told Reuters.

Over the last several months, the sources said, Prince has sought investment and political support for such an operation from influential Trump supporters and wealthy Venezuelan exiles. In private meetings in the United States and Europe, Prince sketched out a plan to field up to 5,000 soldiers-for-hire on behalf of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, according to two sources with direct knowledge of Prince’s pitch.

. . .

White House National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis declined to comment when asked whether Prince had proposed his plan to the government and whether it would be considered. A person familiar with the administration’s thinking said the White House would not support such a plan.

. . .

Some U.S. and Venezuelan security experts, told of the plan by Reuters, called it politically far-fetched and potentially dangerous because it could set off a civil war. A Venezuelan exile close to the opposition agreed but said private contractors might prove useful, in the event Maduro’s government collapses, by providing security for a new administration in the aftermath.

More:
https://in.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics-erikprince/exclusive-blackwater-founders-latest-sales-pitch-mercenaries-for-venezuela-idINKCN1S608C?rpc=401&

Also posted in LBN:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142309857

Unbelievable.