I'm genuinely puzzled by this. It sounds like Guaidó is asking other countries to try to make life as hard as possible for ordinary people in Venezuela so his supporters can try to bring in humanitarian relief. Or maybe begin a military intervention under cover of a "humantarian corridor".
The anti-apartheid movement in South Africa supported an external divestment campaign. I was active for a while myself supporting that campaign back in the day. That's generally considered a successful effort. But that was aimed at corporate profits and the wealthy elite among the white minority.
Stephen Gibbs of the Murdoch-News-Corp-owned Times of London tweeted on this story:
This appears to be the Guaido/US/Brazil/Colombia strategy. In a few weeks, as the sanctions really begin to be felt, convoys of aid will be sent to Venezuela’s borders. https://t.co/flw6xB3D2m— Stephen Gibbs (@STHGibbs) February 1, 2019
He also retweets this message from two of the main coup leaders:
Pursuant to the request of Interim President Juan Guaido, and in consultation with his officials the US will mobilize and transport humanitarian aid—medicine, surgical supplies, and nutritional supplements for the people of Venezuela. It’s time for Maduro to get out of the way. https://t.co/LXZsBf8vq6— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) February 2, 2019
UN Secretary General António Guterres has told Guaidó that the UN is ready to send additional humanitarian supplies to Venezuela if they have the consent of Venezuela's government. (La ONU responde a Guaidó que está lista para reforzar la ayuda humanitaria en Venezuela Noticias ONU 31.01.2019) "Venezuela’s seat at the 193-member world body is held by President Nicolas Maduro’s government and Guterres is unable to ramp up a humanitarian response in Venezuela without Maduro’s approval or U.N. Security Council authorization." (Michelle Nichols and Lesley Wroughton, Who represents Venezuela? U.N., international lenders stuck in limbo Reuters 01/361/2019)
As I mentioned a couple of days ago, this whole coup in Venezuela looks so strange to me that I won't be surprised if we find out later that that what's happening right now is an attempt to salvage a coup plan alredy gone wrong. I'm willing to speculate that the Americans neocon zealots calling the shots for this coup had unrealitic expectations of some significant faction of the military to immediately support the coup after Guaidó declared himself President. Or Guaidó himself may have jumped the gun on his declaration.
It's also remarkable to me that Nicolás Maduro's government doesn't seem to be yet making an effort to arrest Juan Guaidó. Guaidó has declared himself President and is openly working with the US and other foreign powers to overthrow Maduro. The real existing government did get a judicial order to prevent Guaidó from leaving the country. (Venezuela top court curbs opposition leader Juan Guaidó BBC News 01/30/2019 30 January 2019)
Who's calling the shots on the coup is certainly no secret, as we see in what John Bolton retweeted above. Future Great Statesman Pence doesn't want any negotiated solution. He wants regime chance to install a government of his, John Bolton's, and Elliot Abrams' choosing. Because the oil belongs to us! Oh, yeah, also because freedom.
The United States used to be a bit more circumspect about the regime change operations they are running.
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