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Anti-Maduro Uprising Turns Violent in Venezuela; Trump Threatens Full U.S. Embargo against Cuba; Students from American University to Offer Designs; Maduro Remains Defiant In Address To Venezuelans; Anti-Maduro Uprising Turns Violent In Venezuela; Emperor Naruhito Ascends Throne As Reiwa Era Begins; Akihito Abdicates To Become Emperor Emeritus; Mueller: Barr Summary Did Not Capture Context, Substance. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired May 01, 2019 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00] JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: I'm John Vause. Wherever you are around the world, thank you for joining us. This is CNN NEWSROOM. Ahead this hour, was it a swing and a miss by Venezuela's opposition leader? The embattled President Nicolas Maduro appeared on national television to thank his military leaders for putting down on attempted coup.
A new era in Japan. A new emperor takes the throne after his father becomes the first to abdicate in more than two centuries. And the latest to complain about the U.S. Attorney General and his four-page summary of the Mueller report is Robert Mueller.
It was a death-defying clashes on the streets of Venezuela between forces of President Nicolas Maduro and his opposition rival Juan Guaido. Mr. Maduro says the coup attempt against him has been defeated. Protesters and police clashed in Caracas as well as other cities after Guaido called for the military to rise up and overthrow the dictator.
At least 71 people were hurt. Guaido is calling for the protest to continue in the coming day. He too is claiming victory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUAN GUAIDO, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION, VENEZUELA (through translator): Today was a historic day for the country, the start of the definitive phrase of operation liberty for the end of the usurpation. We have seen that the protest has generated results. It hasn't just raised awareness in the world amongst the majority of parliamentarians but also the armed forces have been listening.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: David McKenzie is part of CNN's team of correspondents who've been reporting extensively on Venezuela's political crisis. He recently returned from Caracas. He joins us now with more on these developments over the past couple of hours.
So David, not only have we heard from Juan Guaido the opposition leader, we're also hearing from the president Nicolas Maduro. They appeared on television fairly late at night. He declared victory and he also thanked the military. This is part of what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT, VENEZUELA (through translator): With the truth as a sword, as a shield, we face so many attacks and so many lies. And thanks to it, we have emerged victorious in every situation and we will continue to emerge victorious in any difficulty that we face from now on in the upcoming months and years. I have no doubt about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: You know, it sort of seems to be the usual urban flow that we've seen in Venezuela over the last couple of months, but is this different the protests on Tuesday and what do you expect will happen in the coming hours on Wednesday with this call for more protests by Juan Guaido?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the coming hours are crucial, John. What you didn't see in that shot it's less of what Maduro said and more of the optics which was when that shot got wider you saw a large table and it was senior military leaders surrounding Maduro in a show of support.
So you didn't see that change of the military that Guaido claims has happened and that extraordinary piece of political theater, that was what was different. Guaido standing with his soldiers in a base right in the center of Caracas and that sparked clashes and protests throughout the day ratcheting up the tension but potentially he did swing and miss.
We don't know yet. Today will be crucial in Venezuela as we move into the May Day protests. John?
VAUSE: Do we have any evidence that Guaido actually has support of the military. Clearly not all of the military. In fact, you know, if he had support of any of the military, a fraction perhaps.
MCKENZIE: What we saw on the streets were certain number, tens of soldiers as our colleagues said during the day with the protesters on the streets. That in itself is very significant. But you didn't see the military pouring out onto the streets.
Now there's an important distinction. There's the political-military, the kind of high-level generals that owe a lot of their largesse and often corruption related largesse to Maduro. They would lose a lot if they turned on him.
And then you have the professional soldiers who many people on the streets I've spoken to believe they are the key. But what you didn't see was a coup attempt in the traditional sense of the military moving on the palace or deposing the military leaders.
A lot of rumors and speculations and on some level, it seems wishful thinking from the White House saying that Maduro is on the plane, but he was stopped by the Russians, and then Maduro saying not. A lot of propaganda out there. The key will be on the streets of Caracas on Wednesday to see how this moves forward.
VAUSE: David, thank you. David McKenzie there giving some analysis and insight into the situation in Venezuela. Thank you, David. Samantha Vinograd is a CNN National Security Analyst. She served as President Obama's National Security Council. She joins us this hour from Washington.
So Sam, there we have it. We had Nicolas Maduro surrounded by these senior officials essentially declaring victory today. It was sort of a rambling speech which is not uncommon for Maduro but what did you make of it?
SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: What I make of it, John, is that this is Nicolas Maduro waging his version of information warfare in what is a very important moment for the Venezuelan military. Let's remember that the United States and so many other countries are trying to convince members of the military, Maduro is based to defect and to switch sides.
[01:05:15] Maduro is sitting surrounded by brass laying out his version of events from the past not quite 24 hours but from the past day. He is trying to shape the narrative such that members of the military are getting the message from him as to what happened and are really being told by Maduro that this was not an uprising by the legitimate leader of Venezuela as United States and several other -- so many other countries claim, but rather an illegal coup attempt that unfolded by those that are disloyal to the Venezuelan state.
Maduro, as we know, has not shown his face all day. He's been in relative hiding since these events unfolded. And as his first re- entry onto the global stage in the media landscape, we should consider this as a message to the Venezuelan military, his base, and to the world to say look, I'm not going anywhere.
VAUSE: But if the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is right, he was actually going somewhere. During an interview on CNN, Pompeo said that the stage was set for Nicolas Maduro to actually flee the country. This is what Pompeo said. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: They had an airplane on the tarmac. He was ready to leave this morning as we understand it and the Russians indicated he should stay. We think the situation remains incredibly fluid. We know that there were senior leaders inside the Maduro government that were prepared to leave. They told us as much over the past few weeks, and we're convinced that the Venezuelan people are going to get their democracy back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: As I said is it possible to know you know, what changed, what did the Russians say or promise or do -- by Russians we mean Vladimir Putin I guess. What could they have possibly said which would have convinced Maduro to stay?
VINOGRAD: Well, a lot has changed since Maduro reportedly decided to leave for Havana and the Russians convinced him to stay. We have to remember that Russia does not have an interest in Maduro leaving Venezuela. So it is quite likely that as he was heading to the airport ostensibly heading to leave the country, the Russians may offered him incentives to stay.
As I said earlier on CNN today, it is quite possible that they reassured him that they would send more assets whether it be financial or military to Venezuela to protect him. And we also have to keep in mind another part of Secretary Pompeo interview with our colleague Wolf Blitzer in which he would not guarantee that if Maduro left that he would be safe.
The absence of putting that security guarantee out there may signal to Maduro. Again, we don't know what's happening privately, that going into exile comes with a lot of risk. At that point, if your Maduro, the cost-benefit calculation of actually leaving the country changes significantly.
VAUSE: -- we have Juan Guaido, you know, the leader of the National Assembly, the opposition leader, the man who is the self-declared interim president. He basically said that the military was with him, that they'd won over you know the rank and file and that this was the beginning of the end of the Maduro regime. That seems more hope than reality.
VINOGRAD: Yes, it's not a bad strategy in that. What -- in these situations, typically what I would expect is Guaido, the United States, and our allies in this coalition to remove Maduro from power are likely trying to covertly establish back channels to members of the military and security forces to try to incentivize them to leave.
As Secretary Pompeo mentioned in his remarks, members of the military had ostensibly professed a desire to do so. But when Guaido is standing there and saying that members of the military are with him, he's trying to show that history is going to be on his side, and that coming over to the opposition won't be as risky as a venture as members of the military might think, that there's a critical mass that is deciding to join the opposition.
VAUSE: You would hear a lot today -- throughout the day from the National Security Advisor John Bolden. He was one of many U.S. officials who repeated a warning to the Maduro regime about the consequences of any crackdown of violence on civilian protesters. Here he is. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN BOLTON, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR, WHITE HOUSE: As I've said, all options remain on the table. I'm simply not going to be more specific to that but recall that right at the beginning three months ago, we said that it would be a big mistake for Maduro and those supporting him to use force against innocent civilians. We feel very strongly about it. We felt that way then, we feel that way now. (END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And it seems Maduro forces came very close to been crossing that line with these images. Here you can see those military vehicles driving head-on into crowds of protesters. But where precisely is that red line? Is it a number 20 dead, 20 dead? You know, obviously, it's being left vague for a reason.
VINOGRAD: Well, that red line keeps shifting. And Secretary of State Pompeo would not give a specific answer to that question with Wolf Blitzer earlier. But as the images just showed, the regime is engaging in violence against unarmed protesters. It is quite possible that they choose to arrest Guaido. At which point we would have a very serious decision to make as to what kinds of penalties we would impose on the Maduro regime.
But we have to remember as well that there are more factors to consider at this point. We have a significant number of Cuban personnel in Venezuela. If my hunch is right, John, it is quite possible that more Russian personnel or assets will be sent to the country, perhaps some Chinese assets as well. We don't know what they're doing behind the scenes right now.
So any U.S. military intervention even if we could find a legal justification for it could be met via direct confrontation with foreign forces and that would open up a whole other set of problems.
[01:10:36] VAUSE: Yes. I mean, it was an interesting day in Washington because we didn't hear a lot about this from the U.S. president. At one point he tweeted that he was closely monitoring the situation, and that was pretty much it. That's all we heard from Trump specifically about Venezuela. One sanctions on Cuba, but that was the Venezuela side of things.
His vice president Mike Pence sent a much more enthusiastic message of support to the opposition saying all standing with freedom-loving Venezuelans, that kind of stuff. And it seems since the very beginning Pence has been the driving force here behind the U.S. role in trying to oust Maduro so much more than Trump.
VINOGRAD: Pence have definitely been more out front. John Bolton, his National Security Advisor -- I worked for two national security advisors, should be leading a process to coordinate those talking points. And one of the key questions I would imagine in the Situation Room right now is what is the message to the Russians, the Cubans, and the Chinese as to what we will actually do if they don't cease and desist in their efforts to prop up Maduro particularly if he engages in violence against civilians.
And we have a credibility problem here, John. The National Security Advisor and the Secretary of State said that we won't stand for Russian interference in a foreign country and in Venezuela. Well, the U.S. President is currently allowing and perhaps condoning Russian interference in the United States as long as it supports his own campaign. We've left Syria despite the fact that Russia was propping up another
despot there, Bashar al-Assad. So the administration has been focusing their ire today primarily at Cuba. They're threatening an embargo. But when it comes to Russia which is obviously a much larger country with a lot more assets than Cuba, I really don't know what we could be telling Vladimir Putin that he's going to take seriously when it comes to believing that we are prepared to use all options to oust Maduro particularly if Russia continues to meddle.
VAUSE: Yes. That's the question. You know, military force just seems like such a remote possibility. Sam, thank you so much for being with us. We very much appreciate it. It's good to see you.
VINOGRAD: Thanks, John.
VAUSE: Well, today after his father abdicated, Japan's new emperor has taken the throne. Naruhito is the 126 Emperor of Japan. His father Akihito broke with hundreds of years of tradition announcing his plans to retire and step down as a symbol of state and the traditional ceremony in Tokyo. Naruhito inherited the royal regalia including a sacred sword. And so it began Reiwa, an era meaning harmony. And like father like son, the first public remarks by this new Emperor were brief but solemn.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NARUHITO, EMPEROR OF JAPAN (through translator): In a seating to the throne, I swear that I will reflect deeply on the course followed by His Majesty the Emperor emeritus, and bear in mind the path trodden by past emperors, and will devote myself to self-improvement. I also swear that I will act according to the Constitution and fulfill my responsibilities as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people of Japan while always turning my thoughts to the people and standing with them.
I sincerely pray for the happiness of the people and the further development of the nation as well as the Peace of the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: For more now, CNN's Will Ripley live in Tokyo. So Will, you know, with this succession which has taken place, usually it would be because the abroad died, but this time the emperor chose to retire which seems it is creator of a much more festive mood in the country.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely, absolutely. Festive, reflective, yesterday was a bit somber, it was also pouring down rains I think sort of added to that. The sense of finality if you will. It was the last day of the Heisei Era the era of serene peace. The rain symbolizing the change and renewal.
But then the Sun came out for the first day of the Reiwa Era, a beautiful harmony. And we have crowds here waving as the new emperor Naruhito drove right behind us here in you know, his imperial procession. And that's what life is going to be like for him you know, more now than ever a large team of bureaucrats, part of the Imperial Household agency will stage manage every single aspect of his life and the life of the Empress Masako who you know, was Harvard-educated. She is a former diplomat and yet she hasn't really been able to say much in public as of yet.
Maybe that will change and that is one of the conversations that's starting now here in Japan about whether the role of women in the imperial family can be expanded in this new Imperial era. John.
VAUSE: His father Akihito was much beloved by the people of Japan. He was human. He reached out when they needed him. He was there. He touched them. You know, he was not this divine embodiment of the gods but he was a real person.
[01:15:11] So, in many ways, you know, his son has big shoes to fill, and really continue on with that -- on that road of modernizing this institution.
RIPLEY: Yes. If you think about what Emperor Akihito did, you know, over his 31-year reign, it was extraordinarily different from the approach of his father, Hirohito, who spent much of his life being revered as a demigod.
And then only after Japan's crushing defeat at the end of World War II, did the public ever hear his voice, for the first time, did he start to attend events and actually interact with people.
Akihito took that to the whole new level and of, course, one of his most pivotal moments was back in 2011, when there was the March 11th earthquake and tsunami and nuclear meltdown. And he met up and down the coast with survivors of that disaster that took more than 20,000 lives. And he kneeled down, looked people in the eye and told him that things are going to be OK.
He didn't speak very much, but when he did, his words which were gentle and soft-spoken, they carried a lot of power. And in that case, in 2011, it was power that helped Japan heal from one of its worst disasters, one of its worst natural disasters in many years.
And Japanese people will always remember that fondly, for Emperor Akihito, which is why you had people out here yesterday, in the rain, today, in the sunshine, expressing their gratitude for the former emperor, and it was gratitude that you heard, the new Emperor Naruhito expressed, as well.
The question is now, will he take that openness, the accessibility of the monarchy to a new level, will he take it even further than his father did, or will he kind of stay along the same lines? And that's really something that only time will tell.
VAUSE: Yes, we're out of time, Will, but, you know (INAUDIBLE) when you have someone described as having led an exemplary life, and there is no criticism of this man, it's incredible. But, thank you, we appreciate it. Your coverage has been great, thanks, Will. Andrew Gordon joins us now, a professor -- History Professor of Harvard University, focusing on Japan. Professor, thank you for being with us. Clear something up for me just from the get-go, this is called the Reiwa Era, which is the name --
ANDREW GORDON, HISTORY PROFESSOR, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Yes.
VAUSE: -- which was chosen by the governed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The government party line as it translates to beautiful harmony. There are those who say if you do it quite literally, it is command and peace, which sounds a little more (INAUDIBLE)
GORDON: Yes. Well, the character, for they can be read both as command, that's actually how I first thought about it -- thought of it when I heard it on the -- I saw it on T.V. on April 1st. But, the poem, which is from a classical Japanese collection of poetry, from which this particular use has taken, does have this meaning of spring time, warm, pleasant months.
So, the auspicious interpretation make sense given where the word was taken from put, but in most ordinary people's minds, they don't know that poem so, it has the other association too.
VAUSE: Yes. It's a -- it could be an ominous message if you're a little bit suspicious or cynical about these things. Nonetheless, what we have been seeing over the last, you know, two days, is, you know -- it's actually a major milestone here, allowing Akihito to step down, and his Crown Prince is on to take his place.
GORDON: Yes.
VAUSE: A law was passed to allow this to happen, it was won and done.
GORDON: Yes.
VAUSE: But if Japan's royal family is to survive or the imperial family is to survive, they will need to start considering a lot more significant changes, and those changes have to come through parliament, right?
GORDON: Yes. Any change in succession is a matter of law, not a constitutional amendment, but a matter of law, through the diet, the parliament, and that would have to be the case.
There was a significant discussion about a decade ago of revising the succession (INAUDIBLE) that women ascend the throne which would have greatly widen the pool of future heirs. But that didn't go forward when the current or the new emperor's brother had a son.
VAUSE: Well, the current -- sorry, the former Emperor Akihito, much beloved because of this common touch, because he -- you know, he --
GORDON: Yes.
VAUSE: -- reached out to the people, he was there to comfort, he was there to listen in the times of need, much more so than any other, you know, emperor in the history of the country. How much --
GORDON: Yes.
VAUSE: -- would that put him at odds, though, with Japan's Conservatives, like Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who looked at the role of the emperor as sort of the embodiment of divinity?
GORDON: Well, I'm not sure that it was the, sort of, stability versus changes issue that put him at odds. But, among Conservative Japan -- Japanese and they're not all the same.
Those who really consider the religious role of the Emperor, the primary role, don't particularly appreciate the public duties he's performed.
Going around, as you say, in times of distress and disaster, to comfort people, to kneel down on the floor and with his wife, the Empress, and look at them in the eye and say how sorry, to make trips abroad, and express remorse about the past, to speak to the nation on television, during the March 11, 2011 disasters, those roles were considered public duties.
[01:20:14] And what many Conservatives say is, no, he's a religious figure, he can just do the rituals in the privacy of the palace, doesn't have to be out and about. And so, frankly, being aged or less energetic isn't the big issue because that doesn't require him to travel, doesn't require him to do much.
So, there's that, sort of, push back against the monarch. I do think the Abe administration wants to see the monarch continued to be out in public as a, kind of, unifying force because that does bring some stability.
VAUSE: There's a few, sort of, subtle differences when we look at, you know, the imperial family in Japan, and the Emperor, in particular. The Emperor is a symbol of the state, as opposed to the head of the state, like other monarchs (INAUDIBLE)
GORDON: Exactly. Yes.
VAUSE: Which is, you know, a subtle significant difference. He's also the head of the Shinto religion too, right? So, he's a bit like a Pope?
GORDON: Yes. Yes.
VAUSE: So --
GORDON: So that's the ritual role that some people would say he has to play. There's nothing in the constitution that says as the symbol of the state and the unity people, you must go around and cut ribbons and console people. That's a role that he has defined for himself.
His father, that is Emperor Hirohito, now two emperors ago, began to define it, that the Emperor just stepping down, really put his heart and soul into that. VAUSE: It seems that Akihito came from this point of view that the emperor or the role of emperor was more of an institution as opposed to the, you know, the embodiment of the person himself, I guess, whereas his father, seemed to think that, you know, wherever the emperor was, physically, that's -- that was the emperor, that was the embodiment of the emperor.
And that's the big difference here, and that's how Akihito and presumably, his son, who is now emperor, will continue to, sort of, move this role forward.
GORDON: Yes, I do think his son will continue in the mode of his father. He hasn't said exactly those words. He said, publicly, that he's watching and learning from his father and that he admires and respects his father. I think he probably want to have a little room to improvise a bit.
But I think the basic style of the monarchy and the monarch that his father has put in place, I expect, will continue.
VAUSE: Thank you. We appreciate you being with us. We appreciate your thoughts. It is, you know, it's a fascinating couple of days here there, in Tokyo, as you watch it play out. Thank you for being with us, sir.
Well, new complaints for how the Attorney General summarized the Mueller report. And this person might actually have a case, because the complaints are coming from a guy called Robert Mueller. And it's all nonsense smiles and agreements right now on major infrastructure but, will the Democrats and the U.S. President try to work out where that $2 trillion dollars is going to come from.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:25:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: And the guy who wrote the report to the list of those complaining about the U.S. Attorney General's four-page summary of it. A source says Special Counsel Robert Mueller sent a letter to Bill Barr, concerned by Barr' summary, which Mueller said fairly captured the substance of the context of the conclusions.
In a tweet, House Intelligence Committee Chairman, Adam Schiff, says the summary was a false public narrative and wants to hear from Mueller himself. Barr is expected to be grilled by Democrat lawmakers doing an appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee later on Wednesday.
According to him, he's prepared an opening statement that says, "After the Special Counsel submitted the confidential report on March 22nd, I determined that it was in the public interest for the Department to announce the investigation's bottom-line conclusions -- that is, the determination whether a provable crime has been committed or not. I did so in my March 24th letter."
Amid the growing animosity between the White House and Congressional Democrats, there was a rare moment of bipartisan agreement at the White House on Tuesday. Everyone loves infrastructure, that is, until they have to work out where the money comes from. CNN Kaitlan Collins reports from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The meeting between President Trump and Democratic leaders today was nothing like their last face to face.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): We just had a very productive meeting with the President of the United States.
COLLINS: There was no shouting. There were no cameras and no ultimatums, like the last time, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi were in the Oval Office.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will be the one to shut it down. I'm not going to blame you for it.
COLLINS: But instead, what emerged was an agreement to pursue an ambitious $2 trillion-dollar infrastructure plan.
REP. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Even the President was eager to push it up to $2 trillion. And that is a very good thing.
COLLINS: The question now, is how they'll pay for it. Democrats say that discussion will happen in three weeks. And they are eager to hear Trump's ideas but Republicans already sound skeptical.
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): They're walking into a meeting today, saying you have to change the tax cuts to the American public and raise taxes on American public if they would to go along with an infrastructure bill. I think that's a loss.
COLLINS: While that meeting was happening, Trump's Chief of Staff was across the country, throwing cold water on the idea that any deal will happen while Democrats are investigating Trump.
MICK MULVANEY, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: If I'm suing you on one deal, are you likely to do another deal with me at the same time, probably, not. That's just human nature.
COLLINS: But Democrats say the investigations never came up.
SCHUMER: In previous meetings, the President has said if these investigations continue, I can't work with you, he didn't bring it up.
COLLINS: But the constitutional clash between the White House and Democrats over the sprawling investigations into the President is still very much alive.
REP. MAXINE WATERS (D-CA): He obviously has something to hide.
COLLINS: And Republicans are prepared to support Trump's strategy to ignore subpoenas from Democrats. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think there's a constitutional crisis he's ignoring, an equal (INAUDIBLE) branch of government.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, these guys are political hacks, right now.
COLLINS: Now, CNN got some of the quotes the President made during that meeting on infrastructure with Democrats afterward. Per Democratic source, he said "I would like to do something it may not be typically Republican."
And then the President trashed the last proposal on infrastructure from his administration, referencing his former economic adviser, Gary Cohn, specifically saying, "That was a Gary bill, that bill was so stupid."
Now, the President and Democrats are both optimistic about this potential for a new infrastructure package, but of course, the question is going to come when those discussions about how this is going to be paid for, happen, if the Democrats and the Republicans in the White House, can still agree.
Kaitlan Collins, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: More on the breaking news from Venezuela, ahead this hour, including details on Nicolas Maduro's apparent plan to flee the country. Where was he going and who stopped it? That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:32:00] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm John Vause with the headlines this hour.
Japan has a new monarch. Emperor Naruhito inherited the imperial regalia just a few hours ago. He succeeds his father Akihito who abdicated on Tuesday. He's the first monarch to step down in two centuries (ph).
Special Counsel Robert Mueller sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General late last month expressing concern about his summary of the investigation. A source says Mueller complained the summary did not fully capture the context, nature and substance of his conclusions. The U.S. Attorney General Barr is set to testify before the U.S. Senate later on Wednesday.
The embattled Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro remains defiant in the face of growing protests against his government. At least 71 people were hurt on Tuesday after the national assembly leader Juan Guaido called on supporters and the military to rise up and overthrow the Maduro regime.
For more, let's head to Seattle in Washington State. Brett Bruen, president of the Global Situation Room and former White House director of global engagement.
So Brett -- we've spoken before about, you know, wrapping up the pressure on Venezuela. We now have this directive from the FAA, the Federal Aviation Authority essentially banning all U.S. Airlines from operating in Venezuela. They have about 48 hours to get out.
Is that going to likely be followed by other countries, and what will be the impact of this?
BRETT BRUEN, PRESIDENT, GLOBAL SITUATION ROOM: I think you're going to see not only airlines but international companies with presence and people still in Venezuela, looking to wrap up. Because what we've seen over the last several hours are some significant cracks in Maduro's hold. The fact is, your reporter was indicating that Guaido was able to have a number of military officials in Venezuela who moved over to his side. It's significant. He was then clearly able to bring a large groups of folks together on the streets of Caracas.
It isn't a slam dunk, but it certainly is causing a lot of consternation in Miraflores, the Presidential palace tonight.
VAUSE: What was interesting earlier, here on CNN we had Mike Pompeo the Secretary of State revealing details about what he said, you know, was Maduro's planned trip into exile which never was. Listen to Pompeo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: He had an airplane on the tarmac. He was ready to leave this morning as we understand it. The Russians indicated he should stay.
We think the situation remains incredibly fluid. We know that there were senior leaders inside the Maduro government that were prepared to leave. They told us as much over the past few weeks. And we are convinced that the Venezuelan people are going to get their democracy back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: You know, Maduro has denied that but, you know, let's assume he's -- you know, Pompeo is accurate. How did this situation turn from a case of Maduro about to fly off into the sunset of history and into Cuban exile to suddenly appearing on late night national television declaring victory? What did the Russians say to convince him?
[01:34:54] BRUEN: Well, there's a couple things at work there. One, Pompeo is playing a little bit of psychological warfare here by trying to diminish the confidence of some of that military brass that Maduro is going to stick this out. And so if they have doubts, perhaps they do will work on their own plans to get out of the country.
But at the same time, we have known for a while that Maduro is subject to strong Cuban influence, strong Russian influence. And clearly, I think over the last several weeks that has been exerted and it may well have been a key factor in keeping him in place for the time being.
VAUSE: You know, we also heard from Juan Guaido, the leader of the opposition speaking publicly around the same time as Maduro did. He has a very different message, obviously which is quite simple. This isn't over yet. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUAN GUAIDO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER (through translator): Tomorrow, May 1st, we will continue with this. We will continue out on the street in meeting points throughout Venezuela. We will be out on the streets. We will see you out on the streets, on our territory. This is not a coup in Venezuela but rather a peaceful transition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: There has a use by date to a course of actions, doesn't it How long does Juan Guaido have before, you know, people would just shut off and stop listening?
BRUEN: Well, he's been at this for several months. And each time he's been able to ratchet up the pressure. And meanwhile Maduro is in a bind. There aren't that many tools that he has left he can pull out except to crack down even harder, which unfortunately may squeeze those members of the military who are on the fence as to whether or not they are going to continue to support him.
So there is a blow back if he tries to push his people to hard, if he cracks down too much.
VAUSE: What was interesting, we heard the defense minister appearing with Maduro in that national address a few hours ago. And here's one of three high ranking officials called out by the Trump administration. They were expected to come out in support of the opposition. And when they didn't, the national security advisor John Bolton actually called them out publicly by name. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN BOLTON, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: Figures like the defense minister Vladimir Padrino, chief judge of the Venezuelan court Maikel Moreno, the commander of the presidential guard Rafael Hernandez Dala -- all agreed that Maduro had to go. They need to be able to act this afternoon, or this evening to help bring other military forces to the side of the interim president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Bolton named them three times during that news conference. He then went to name them on Twitter as well, saying, you know, time was up. Venezuela's foreign minister tweeted back, "Dream on John Bolton, not today".
It seems the (INAUDIBLE) foreign minister may actually have it right. And the message from Maduro appearing with the defense minister by his side seems to be obvious. BRUEN: Yes. Though I will say what you have within the Maduro regime
are different camps, and Bolton is trying to exacerbate tensions within those camps. There may well be intentions by some of them to put their support into the Guaido camp.
But Bolton is just prodding and trying to push them a little bit farther and to try to break from within some of the support that Maduro still enjoys.
VAUSE: It's like that time when Bolton had 30,000 troops to Colombia on the notepad. He's very good at this.
BRUEN: Yes. He's been around the block, and he knows how this game is played well.
VAUSE: (INAUDIBLE).
Brett -- thank you. Good to see you. Brett Bruen there in Seattle.
Miguel Tinker Salas, also an expert on Venezuela and Latin America, professor at Pomona College in California. He is with us via Skype.
Professor -- thank you for staying up and taking the time.
MIGUEL TINKER SALES, POMONA COLLAGE: Good evening.
VAUSE: I guess, the question now has to be how much longer is Maduro prepared to keep this crisis going. It seems his support is eroding (ph), the country's economy is going from crisis to catastrophe. And you know, while Maduro denies it, the Secretary says -- Pompeo says Maduro was ready to leave all this on Tuesday by heading into exile. Because Maduro is the one person who could bring this to an end, right?
SALAS: Well yes. And also at the same time, if the opposition could come to terms and figure out how to negotiate instead of the all or nothing strategy.
I mean I think we have two different parallel issues here. One is Guaido, who has an expiration day. Starting on January 23rd -- we're going to bring this to an end within a week. Then it was February 23rd in Cucuta, Colombia, we're trying to bring in aid and calling on the military to break ranks. That didn't happen.
Then it's been now today, April 30th, now it's May 1st. He also has a shelf date, and increasingly the criticisms against Guaido from within the opposition are louder and louder. And that is an all or nothing strategy that bets it all.
And I think that there will be a downside for -- again for Guaido today because he overestimated his position. If he was going to have a coup, he would've had the generals standing next to him. You don't do a coup by making an appeal to generals to come join you.
[01:40:00] Likewise, Maduro has a problem -- the economy, the sanctions -- they're taking their toll. And plus inefficiency and corruption and again, low oil production. So again, those issues coming side by side will only aggravate the crisis, I think.
VAUSE: Yes, you mentioned Juan Guaido. Essentially to summarize he's overplayed his hand today -- or on Tuesday declaring that, you know, the military will choose the opposition. This is the beginning of the end of the Maduro regime. This is part of what he said on Tuesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUAIDO: Today, brave soldiers, brave patriot, brave men loyal to the constitution have heard our call. We have finally met on the streets of Venezuela. Operation liberty, to help in friendly committees. I invite them to activate immediately. I invite them to immediately cover the streets of Venezuela. The 1st of May has started today. The definitive end to the usurpation has started today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And as you say, that was a little bit premature. If you had a coup, you don't ask the general to join you when the coup is in progress. But was there a trigger, was there one factor which caused Guaido, you know, to make this move on Tuesday?
SALAS: I think it's the internal dynamics of the opposition. Largely, as I said, his call for the final day, the final onslaught in January, February. I've been seeing a lot of criticisms of Guaido from within sectors of the opposition. And in many ways, he's trying to consolidate his power by pushing the envelope as far as possible.
But again, he is overestimating, over playing his hand, and expecting the military to join him. It is very similar to sort of the false flag operation we are seeing from Pompeo and Bolton, naming Padrino by name, Maikel Moreno by name, Hernandez by maybe -- maybe hoping to cause tension within Maduro himself looking over his own shoulder.
Again, in many ways, the only way to resolve this long term is that there has to be some kind of concerted negotiations in Venezuela. It cannot be an all or nothing's strategy, because again, someone is going to be left to pick up the pieces and the country will have no -- not able to actually forge together any sense of unity going forward, if this was continually a violent option instead of a negotiated solution.
VAUSE: Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of State for the United States, he did this interview on CNN, you know, talking about the plane ready to take Maduro a way to exile. He's also asked about the options being considered by the U.S. President Donald Trump. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POMPEO: The President has made very clear that all options are on the table. That certainly includes a military option. We are working to make sure that doesn't need to be the case, that we deliver this outcome for the Venezuelan people in a way that doesn't put life and limb at risk, and there is not violent.
But I don't think anyone should be fooled that if the President makes that decision, if he chooses a military option that the United States military has the capacity to execute that option in a way that will achieve the outcome of the Presidents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Yes, let's not be fooled (ph). They may have to capacity but there is no will, there's no desire, you know, for any kind of military force, at least, in the (INAUDIBLE) sense.
(CROSSTALKING)
VAUSE: An invasion in Venezuela would make Iraq look like a cakewalk.
SALAS: The U.S. military's overextended. It's already in Afghanistan, it's in Iraq, it's in Syria, it's in Libya. A conflict in the middle of South America, in the northern part of South America would destabilize the region, and create an immigration crisis, proportions of which we've never see before. And I think the consequences will be long term for democracy, not only Venezuela but throughout Latin America.
So I think that that really is not an option. I think they've talked about naval blockades. They've talked about all sorts of options. But they really have put their bets on Guaido and Guaido is not producing.
So this was really aimed at two audiences today -- one was an internal audience within Venezuela to keep Guaido's leadership viable. The other one was to actually make a further appeal to the U.S. and to that group of Lima to further intercede, to tighten up, ratchet up the sanctions or to ratchet up pressure on Cuba or other countries in the region.
VAUSE: As you say this just gets back to the need for a negotiated settlement for both sides to sit down and try and work this out because it's not going to happen unless they do that.
Professor --
SALAS: It will not, happen. The example of El Salvador is very clear. El Salvador in the middle of a civil war, you had a negotiated solution. There's no reason if people with good intentions sit down and try to negotiate a solution in Venezuela.
VAUSE: Ok. Professor -- we're out of time but Miguel Tinker Salas, we appreciate you being with us. Sir, thank you.
Next up on CNN NEWSROOM, why the U.S. President is threatening to impose a full embargo and all sanctions on Cuba. And how some Cubans are responding to his threat.
[01:44:47] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)\
VAUSE: A former police officer has been has been found guilty of murder in the death of a woman who called authorities for help. Mohamed Noor's lawyer said a perfect storm of events led to the tragedy that outraged the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Noor shot and killed Justine Ruszczyk who had called 911 to report a possible assault behind her home. As she approached the squad car in a dark alley, Noor claimed he feared for his partner's life, thought he was in danger and open fire. The killing led to the resignation of the city's police chief.
Ruszczyk was just weeks away from being married when she was murdered.
The U.S. President is threatening Havana with a full embargo and more sanctions if Cuban support continues for Venezuela. Trump tweeted, "If Cuban troops and militia do not immediately cease military end other operations for the purpose of causing death and destruction to the constitution of Venezuela, a full and complete embargo together with highest level of sanctions will be placed on the island of Cuba. Hopefully, all Cuban soldiers will promptly and peacefully return to their island."
American threats are hardly news for many Cubans. Veterans of the Bay of Pigs invasion tell our Patrick Oppmann that Cuba will prevail despite pressure from Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are greyer now and don't move as quickly as they once did. These are the Cubans that faced off against a U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba nearly 60 years ago and prevailed.
Every April, the Cuban government celebrates their victory at the Bay of Pigs. In 1961, afraid of the newly-installed government of Fidel Castro was siding with the Soviet Union in the Cold War, the U.S. sent a secret force of over 1,000 anti Castro Cuban to take back the island. The CIA disguise some of the invaders to make them seem like rebelling Cuban troops.
Unlike a long list of U.S. coups elsewhere in Latin America, the Bay of Pigs invasion failed. Thanks in part to the ferocity of the pro- government Cuban fighters like Atanacio Suarez Rodriguez, now 87.
"The planes were shooting up the road," he tells me. Everything they saw, they were painted like Cuban planes but it was a lie. They killed a lot of our comrades because it said Cuba on the planes.
[01:49:49] The celebrations this year have added resonance as tensions between the U.S. and Cuba are once again simmering. The Trump administration has implemented the toughest sanctions in Cuba in decades. For the first time allowing U.S. companies (INAUDIBLE) assets after the Cuban revolution to sue foreign investors for using their property in Cuba.
National security advisor John Bolton in April told a gathering of Cuban exiles that thought on the U.S. side of the Bay of Pigs that the administration will place more restrictions on Cuban Americans selling money to relatives on the island and on Americans visiting Cuba, all with the hope of depriving the Cuban government of badly needed hard currency.
BOLTON: We have a responsibility to tell the truth about the dangers of these evil collectivist ideologies. The immense human suffering they cause and the perils of their spread. Together, we can finish what began on those beaches.
OPPMANN: U.S. and Cuban relation were supposed to be on the mend. Following then President Obama's historic visit to the communist island. Where he said it was time to move on from the bitter past of conflicts like the Bay of Pigs invasion.
This is the beach where hundreds of CIA-trained Cuban exiles came ashore with the mission to topple Fidel Castro. The very kind of Cold War history that Barack Obama said he looked a came to Cuba to bury forever.
President Trump though had other ideas, and once again, the U.S. and Cuba are in at each other's throats.
The Cuban soldiers here are old now but still defiant.
"If they come again they will be defeated," he tells me. Cuba has to be respected. For these veterans of a long war that neither side fully won, history is now repeating itself.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN, the Bay of Pigs, Cuba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Next up on CNN NEWSROOM from Notre Dame to Notre Dame --
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: It would be business as usual no more at Facebook. At least that's what Mark Zuckerberg has promised when it comes to privacy. And in front of 5,000 people, Zuckerberg told us a major shift is coming.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK ZUCKERBERG, CEO, FACEBOOK: Now look -- I get that a lot of people aren't sure that we are serious about this. I know that we don't exactly have the strongest reputation on privacy right now, to put it lightly. But I'm committed to doing this well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Facebook is focusing on private direct (ph) encryption and secure data storage among other things to protect the data and privacy of more than two billion users.
Paris is on alert taking precautions ahead of expected violence during May Day protests. May shop fronts have been boarded. The Yellow Vest moment which has been active and sometimes destructive in previous protests is expected to turn out in full force. And they may be joined by the international (INAUDIBLE). More than 7,000 police and security officers will be deployed around the place (ph).
And international corps has joined now to help rebuild the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. And it's not just a call for money but for ideas as well, imagination, new suggestions and fresher eyes. And among those answering the call, students from Notre Dame. Here's Ben Wedeman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[01:54:53] BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Pencil on paper -- it's very old school. Yet, perhaps it's the best way to capture the scorched majesty of Paris' 800-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral.
French prime minister Edouard Philippe announced an international competition to redesign the roof and 300 foot spire the flames destroyed, a task the government flush with about a billion dollars in donations hope to finish in five years.
Architecture students from Notre Dame, a university in the U.S. state of Indiana, are here to draw and study this medieval marvel and plan to join the competition.
Texas native Ethan Scott (ph) hasn't come up with a specific idea just yet, but he's thinking.
ETHAN SCOTT, ARCHECTURE STUDENT: Gothic -- it could be bigger. It could be gilded. It could be stone. It could be marble. But I think something that respects what is still there.
WEDEMAN: A balance between old and new is what's needed, says classmate Jessica Most from San Diego, California.
JESSICA MOST, ARCHITECTURE STUDENT: I think it is important to also stay relevant to what historically was there as well as keeping it modern.
WEDEMAN: Keeping it modern, however, has its limits. Already, some designers have posted their ideas on line. Some are interesting. Notre Dame architecture student Mary Ratsinsky (ph) from Boston, Massachusetts puts it this way.
MARY RATSINSKY, ARCHITECTURE STUDENT: It's kind of horrifying.
WEDEMAN: Paris-based Heritage architect Mary Anne Tech (ph) is confident sober heads will prevail, that a masterpiece like Notre Dame which took 100 years to be built won't be revealed in a rush.
"It's not a train station. It's not a museum," she tells me. It's a special place and I believe we should provide the special place all the means necessary to express itself with genius and audacity.
The outlines of genius have long been there, it will just take a brilliant mind to fill in what the fire erased.
Ben Wedeman, CNN -- Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thank you Ben.
And thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm John Vause.
Please stay with us. The news continues with Rosemary Church, after a very short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:00:02] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Nicolas Maduro and Juan Guaido battling for support and legitimacy.
