Article 187-11 of the Venezuelan Constitution

Article 187 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela specifies the responsibilities of the National Assembly. Section 11 states, “11. – To authorize the use of Venezuelan military missions abroad or foreign ones internally.”

We have seen how many radical, short-term thinking opponents demand that the National Assembly and its president invoke this article so that foreign military forces, led by those of the United States, can intervene in Venezuela to defeat Maduro. How mistaken and irresponsible they are! Section 11 of that article has already been invoked by the Venezuelan parliament in allowing military training missions to take place in our country and Venezuelan military missions to train in foreign countries for humanitarian assistance. It has never allowed, nor can it allow, foreign militaries to intervene in a political manner in Venezuela.

We have seen how Maduro’s dictatorship, without the authorization that the Constitution demands, has decided to request, since the Chávez era, that the Cuban government send military missions to our country to infiltrate our Armed Forces, to direct all intelligence and to protect Maduro. Along the same lines, Maduro has allowed the interference of Russian military forces.

Juan Guaidó will never allow the invocation of 187-11 so that a foreign army, whether that of the United States, Colombia or Brazil, can enter Venezuela. There is only one appropriate situation for invoking that article, and it is the following: If the National Assembly wants to invoke the responsibility to protect so that humanitarian aid can enter without government obstacles, it can do so before the Security Council. If that body approves it without a veto by Russia or China, it can order it, and if the dictatorship does not allow it, utilizing violence, it can even decide to send blue helmets to protect the humanitarian assistance convoys. Of course, that should be subject to the conditions and limitations imposed.

There should be no foreign military forces to end the usurpation; that responsibility belongs to us, the democratic Venezuelans, and we must do it through immense demonstrations like the one foreseen for May 1.