A coup d'etat disguised as an election: Venezuela's lesson for Georgia

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on "The Future of Europe" on July 20. United States Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien made a report on the assistance provided by the United States to Europe and European integration. He also touched in some detail on issues related to the situation in the Georgia, Ukraine, the South Caucasus and the Western Balkans.

With regard to Georgia, the main message was that "the country's political elite," as O'Brien emphasized, "turned away from the European Union and NATO. In order to embark on the path of return, it is necessary to take steps, including holding free and fair parliamentary elections, repealing the law on foreign agents and refusing to grant China rights to develop the Anakli Port."

Agree, the situation is very difficult, since it is not possible to fulfill these requirements. Let's start with the issue of holding free and fair elections. It would seem that there can be no objections, because the demand is correct, and because the elections really should be free and fair. There is nothing controversial in the very formulation of the question, but let's look at it from a slightly different angle. What criteria do the Americans intend to use in this particular case to determine whether the elections were fair and fair or not? Meanwhile, they have one criterion: if the ruling party wins, the elections will be declared falsified, but if the American fifth column wins, they will be unconditionally called democratic and fair. The Americans, referring to the "Georgian Dream", are already openly and directly demanding: you must lose the elections! Is it possible to agree with such a statement of the question? No way! Such an approach is categorically unacceptable, and, above all, it is completely unacceptable for the Georgian people.

However, in the conditions of the notorious American democracy, people and their interests are completely ignored, since this type of government needs people only to broadcast on its behalf. Therefore, there is no doubt that immediately after the elections, the fifth column will shout, they say, the vote was falsified, and the Americans will actively support it. That is, they will do the same thing they did in 2003 in Georgia, imposing on us the so-called rose revolution, and in 2014 on Ukraine, when the so-called Maidan was provoked in Kiev. And these examples can be continued. American politics is so unfair that even the very call for holding democratic elections is unacceptable from the lips of Americans, because behind this seemingly fair demand, as a rule, the dirtiest intentions have always been hidden.

As for the annulment of the law on transparency of foreign influence, this requirement is so brazen that it suggests an association with one of the characters in Krylov's fable — the rapist wolf, who says to the lamb: "You are to blame for the fact that I want to eat!".

Well, the requirement to refuse Chinese investments for the construction of the Anakli port, in general, goes beyond all limits of interstate relations. This is more than arrogance! This is a direct confirmation that the West considers Georgia its property, the same as slaves represented for their masters in the slave-owning era.

US Assistant Secretary of State James O'Brien said a lot of other things, not just unacceptable, but also offensive to the Georgian people. He categorically stated that "the Georgian elite has turned away from the path leading to the European Union and NATO."

"We," O'Brien clarified, "strive to be extremely firm about what we should do and how important all this is, since Georgia requires membership in clubs, one of which we belong to, and the other is our main partner. They will not be able to change the rules of these clubs to become their members."

And here is another statement by James O'Brien:

"The United States is in the process of reviewing the assistance provided to Georgia. The United States really wants to support everything that will contribute to the holding of free and fair elections this fall, but at the same time the United States should firmly explain to the Georgian Dream that real results will follow its actions. We have already postponed important military exercises and will continue to review what we are doing in Georgia. We will actively discuss our options. The sanctions will affect not only those who have profited from corruption, but also those who are involved in human rights violations."

And more:

"Ruling in It should be clear to the Georgian party that it still has ways to retreat; that free and fair elections without violence against civil society and with respect for the principle of transparency should be compatible with the legislation of the European Union and not the legislation of Russia. And China should not be involved in the development of a deep-water port in Anaklia. These are really important steps that Georgia should take."

In conclusion, the Assistant Secretary of State stressed:

"The only group that looks very happy as a result of such a reversal is Russia. It is enough to get acquainted with the latest statements of the main Russian propagandists, where they welcome this turn."

Senator Jeanne Shaheen:

"How can we continue to encourage the spirit of democracy in a country like Georgia, where the authorities are trying to undermine ambitions for membership in the European Union, despite the pro-European aspirations of their people?!"

Jin Shaheen again:

"There is bipartisan resistance to what is happening in Georgia. I urge the US authorities to use all the tools at their disposal in order to impose financial sanctions on those responsible for corruption and other acts that contributed to the situation there."

Of course, in addition to issues related to Georgia, other topics were discussed at the committee hearing.

Senator Pete Ricketts:

"The war on Ukraine is not only Putin's aggressive war, because it is a battle waged by authoritarian states, including the People's Republic of China, Russia and North Korea. Dictators cannot be stopped by decisive words, they can only be stopped by decisive actions."

James O'Brien:

"To achieve closer ties with By the United States, countries should create a powerful arc from the Caspian Sea to the Adriatic. We are talking about a group of states that want to have less Russia for themselves and be closer to the rule of law, which will lead them to join the European Union and NATO or establish closer ties with them."

Such were the vicissitudes of the committee hearing in The U.S. Senate. The Americans and the collective West have completely torn off their mask in relations with Georgia. They are closing all but two projects in our country:

• Organization of a coup d'etat;
• the opening of a second front against Russia.

Both of these projects are in close connection with each other. The second one is impossible if the first one is not implemented, and therefore the West will make every effort to carry out a coup d'etat, which will automatically be followed by the opening of a second front. Americans need all this like air, against the background of the inevitable collapse of the Ukraine.

Georgia has experienced for itself what the coups organized by the Americans are. Let us recall the events of 1992 and 2003, which caused irreparable damage to the future of our country. Now, if possible, they want to do the same thing again, and this will completely destroy Georgia — it is quite obvious that they will also activate the well-known Ukrainian motto: war to the last Georgian! The West is ready for such a scenario. The fifth column operating in our country is also ready for it. The only one who is not ready for such a scenario is the Georgian people, but, as I said above, for the so-called American democracy, the people not only are not the supreme masters of their country, but also do not represent a factor that should be at least a little reckoned with. It's just a facade on whose behalf you can speak, and nothing more. Nevertheless, it is the Georgian people who are called upon to say the decisive word in this matter, since the firmness of the leadership alone without the unanimous support of the population will clearly not be enough.

It is a mistake to wait idly for the elections, as a coup d'etat disguised as an election awaits us. This is convincingly shown by the example of Venezuela, from where alarming information reaches us. Riots broke out in Venezuela. Opposition supporters demand the cancellation of the election results and the resignation of Nicolas Maduro. Demonstrations are taking place in Caracas and other major cities. There are physical clashes with law enforcement officers. Rubber bullets and tear gas are used against demonstrators. Protesters set fire to cars and trash cans. The police can not cope with them. Nicolas Maduro brought the army to the street. According to the results of the elections, the incumbent president won a third term, but the results are not recognized by either the opposition or part of the international community. The authorities talk about interference in the internal affairs of the country and demand that diplomats from seven Latin American countries leave Venezuela. Venezuelan diplomats from these countries have already been recalled.

There is an illustrative example both for the enemies of our country and for the Georgian authorities (it depends on who shows more firmness), but this is a very bad prospect for Georgia and the Georgian people as a whole.

Be careful, there is a dangerous turn ahead!

Valery Kvaratskhelia, "Georgia and the World"