Source: Venezuelanalysis

By Lucas Koerner
Caracas, February 16, 2015 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – New revelations  in Venezuela have linked U.S. private security firm Blackwater, now known as Academi, to the aircraft that was to be used as part of Thursday’s thwarted “Blue Coup” attempt.
The four-stage plan included economic war, an international media offensive against the Venezuelan government, political destabilization fomenting ungovernability, and finally the use of a Super Tucano aircraft to strike “tactical targets” in the capital, such as the Presidential Palace, teleSur, and military intelligence
The coup was planned for the one-year anniversary of violent opposition protests known as the Guarimba and was to come one day after a public statement by leading opposition leaders calling for a “transition”.
According to U.S. aviation records, the EMB-314B1 or “Super Tucano” aircraft in question was acquired  from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer by the firm Blackwater Worldwide in 2008 allegedly for the purpose of pilot training. Registered under the serial number N314TG, the aircraft is, moreover, the only one of its kind sold by the Brazilian firm to a private company.
The Super Tucano is a light, highly agile Brazilian aircraft designed principally for pilot training and counterinsurgency operations. The aircraft has an operational range that extends from the U.S. to any point in Colombia, and has been widely used in Colombian counterinsurgency operations, including in the 2008 assassination of FARC second-in-command Raul Reyes in violation of Ecuadorian sovereignty.
While Venezuela does have its own fleet of 12 Super Tucanos, all aircraft are currently grounded and undergoing major repairs, stated President Nicolas Maduro, whilst offering further evidence regarding the foreign origin of the aircraft.
Blackwater has a checkered human rights record. Several of its contractors have been indicted in U.S. courts for their role in the 2007 massacre of Iraqi civilians, and Jeremy Scahill, national security correspondent for the Nation, has documented the firm’s role in the CIA’s global assassination program.
National Assembly President Accuses Canadian and UK Officials of Involvement
On Friday, National Assembly President, Diosdado Cabello, alleged that officials at the Canadian and British embassies had links to the failed coup attempt, in a new round of revelations surrounding the attempted putsch.
Cabello claimed that a Canadian official by the name of Nancy Birbek was investigating the contingency plans of the Arturo Michelena airport in Valencia.
“On Monday, together with another Canadian embassy official, this woman identified as Nancy Birbeck, was inquiring about the capacities of that same [airport] for special cases. Is this woman asking about the capacities of the airport for cases of contingency?”
The National Assembly President went on to indicate that he also had evidence that an official from the British embassy as well as a staff member of the U.S. embassy charged with overseeing visas had links to the thwarted coup plot.
For his part, President Nicolas Maduro has alleged that the U.S. government is behind the coup, accusing U.S. embassy personnel of attempting to “bribe” Venezuelan armed forces officials. The Venezuelan head of state also claimed that one unnamed U.S. official was responsible for authoring the “script” that was to be publicly broadcast by military officials on the day of the coup claiming that the armed forces had risen up against the government.
International Outcry 
In the wake of Thursday’s foiled coup plot, the Bolivarian government of Nicolas Maduro has received a raft of messages of support from regional leaders and civil society organizations alike.
On Saturday, the Latin American Parliament, a regional consultative assembly representing the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, issued a statement condemning the thwarted coup attempt. President of the regional body, Angel Rodriguez, called for a comprehensive investigation by Venezuelan prosecutors and advised Venezuelan citizens to remain “alert” in the face of destabilization efforts by “extremist groups” which he indicated were backed by the United States.
Moreover, the Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) Ernesto Samper also rejected the coup attempt and expressed support for President Nicolas via his twitter account.