The US risks setting the stage for war if peace activists are evicted from the Venezuelan embassy in Washington and representatives of US-backed Juan Guaido move in, investigative journalist Max Blumenthal told RT.

“It could be considered an act of war for them [US authorities] to allow the parallel government, which is unrecognized, which controls no institutions of government and is essentially a fake government” to take over the diplomatic premises, Blumenthal told RT after US authorities tried to raid and evict the so-called ‘Embassy Civilian Protection Collective’ on Monday, before allowing activists to stay.

If the US tracks on this embassy, which is sovereign Venezuelan territory under international law, it is an act of war that could potentially be reciprocated against.

Allowing a Guaido-appointed “playtime ambassador” to enter the building could be detrimental to any prospect of a peaceful resolution, Blumenthal believes. He says Carlos Vecchio has the intention of turning the building into a “lobbying shop for war” after recently asking the United States Southern Command (Southcom) to provide “military assistance” to the self-proclaimed Venezuelan ‘interim president’, who despite full US backing has so far failed to oust Maduro from power.

#Venezuela: following instructions of Interim President @jguaido, we officially requested the @Southcom a meeting with a technical delegation to advance in strategic and operational planning with the priority goal of stopping our people's suffering and restoring democracy. pic.twitter.com/x3ckEn39cM — CARLOS VECCHIO (@carlosvecchio) May 13, 2019

US authorities seemed hesitant to further escalate the conflict at the embassy, which has been occupied by peace activists on behalf of the government in Caracas for over a month. Blumenthal suggested US authorities could potentially let a third country take over the premises without surrendering the building to Guaido’s representatives – noting however that such a move would be a major setback for the pro-coup forces.

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“There could be an embassy protection agreement between Venezuela’s government and a friendly country which would allow that country to move in as a custodian for the embassy and allow Switzerland to take over the US embassy in Caracas,” Blumenthal said.

This would mean the de-escalation of the conflict and a possible nail to the coffin for Guaido. This would be a massive defeat for Guaido and a victory for activists, American activists who’ve taken their own initiative to defend international law.

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