THC Science

Below is an evaluation of various sources used internationally which use "coup" or similar wording while directly describing Operation Gideon (2020), an event that has been directly compared to the 2004 Equatorial Guinea coup attempt in previous discussions.

Summary

A large percentage of sources determined to be generally reliable on Wikipedia describe the event as a "coup attempt", "failed coup" or use "coup" wording in some capacity. The use of such descriptions is also observed internationally, including by many newspapers of record and generally reliable Venezuelan sources.

While the Maduro government occasionally uses the term "Operation Gideon", it recognizes the event overall as an attempted coup.

WP:GREL

Legend

Newspaper of record

National broadcaster

Organization	Origin	Source	Headline	Body
ABC News	United States	[1]	N/A	"Botched Venezuela coup fallout"
Al Jazeera	Qatar	[2]	N/A	"Silvercorp USA, claimed responsibility for the failed coup d’etat"
Associated Press 1	United States	[3]	Trump denies ties to Venezuela coup attempt that leaves ex-special forces soldiers jailed	N/A
Associated Press 2	United States	[4]	N/A	"his bold plan for a private coup"
Associated Press 3	United States	[5]	N/A	"U.S. government regarding the procurement of weapons for the coup effort"
The Australian	Australia	[6]	Venezuela holds US mercenaries after botched coup	"Jordan Goudreau, left, claims to have led the failed coup"
BBC News	United Kingdom	[7]	N/A	"Operation Gideon was a deeply flawed coup attempt."
Bloomberg News 1	United States	[8]	N/A	"Venezuela easily halted a bollixed coup led by an American"
Bloomberg News 2	United States	[9]	N/A	"Following a failed coup led by an American"
Bloomberg News 3	United States	[10]	Two Americans Held in Venezuela Are Part of Failed Ragtag Coup	N/A
Bloomberg News 4	United States	[11]	The Mercenary Who Botched a Maduro Coup Is Lying Low in Florida	"Goudreau said he'd recruited secretive investors to help finance a coup in Venezuela", "Denman, too, said the coup had U.S. government backing", "center questions surrounding the coup", "spectacle his coup attempt generated"
Buzzfeed News	United States	[12]	N/A	"Alcalá reportedly openly touted the coup plot in Bogotá", "The Colombian government warned Alcalá to stop talking about the coup plot", "overthrow the regime despite this botched coup attempt"
CNN	United States	[13]	The failed coup attempt and the look of a Venezuelan refugee	"An attempted incursion and coup d'état in Venezuela"
The Conversation	Australia	[14]	N/A	"Juan Guaidó, the Venezuelan opposition leader, has also denied involvement in the thwarted coup attempt."
Fox News	United States	[15]	N/A	"the foiled coup attempt", "Guaido has denied any involvement in the bungled coup"
The Globe and Mail	Canada	[16]	A Canadian-American military man, a failed Venezuela coup and a Twitter video	"a thwarted coup attempt in Venezuela", "arrange the coup attempt", "this weekend’s coup attempt"
The Guardian	United Kingdom	[17]	How an audacious coup attempt in Venezuela backfired	"one of the least successful attempted coups in history"
The Hill	United States	[18]	N/A	"two American citizens allegedly involved in an attempted coup against embattled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro"
The Intercept	Brazil (edition)	[19]	Coup in Venezuela failed, but overthrowing Maduro is still the goal of the US	N/A
The Intercept 2	United States	[20]	N/A	"the May 2020 efforts of Silvercorp USA, a Florida-based private military company that launched a botched coup attempt"
Jacobin	United States	[21]	They’re Not Sending Their Best People to Stage a Coup in Venezuela	"bizarre coup attempt in Venezuela"
New York	United States	[22]	Why Would You Tweet About Your Coup?	"they filmed themselves doing a coup", "attempted a coup"
NPR	United States	[23]	After Failed Coup Plot, Maduro Touts Video Of Detained American Conspirator	"acknowledged plans to help carry out a coup"
Sky News	United Kingdom	[24]	Venezuela: Two US citizens held after failed coup attempt are named	"a failed attempted coup", "behind the attempted coup"
Sky News 2	United Kingdom	[25]	Venezuela releases new video of US airmen captured after failed coup	"talking about the botched coup on 3 May", "The failed coup took place in La Guaira"
The Telegraph	United Kingdom	[26]	Former US soldier involved in attempted Venezuela coup says 'Washington was aware' of plans	N/A
The Telegraph 2	United Kingdom	[27]	Venezuela 'coup plot leader' provided security at Trump rallies - reports	"The leader of the failed Venezuela coup had provided security for President Donald Trump", "He reiterated Mr Trump's denial of US involvement in the botched coup"
The Times	United Kingdom	[28]	Venezuela coup debacle: US mercenaries held by Maduro	N/A
The Times	United Kingdom	[29]	The rise and fall of Venezuela’s ‘low-budget action movie’ coup	N/A
Voice of America	United States	[30]	A former green beret led a failed coup against Maduro	N/A
Voice of America 2	United States	[31]	N/A	"he was unable to convince the Trump administration to support his plan for a private coup"
Voice of America/Polygraph.info	United States	[32]	Venezuela's Unproven Claim that U.S. Was Behind Bizarre Coup	"Bizarre Coup Attempt", "Goudreau, who since the failed coup attempt", "Silvercorp USA and participating in the failed coup"
Vox	United States	[33]	The “ridiculous” failed coup attempt in Venezuela, explained	"a band of rebels at his disposal plotting a coup", "the full general services agreement and attachments ... explicitly outline what was agreed to: a coup.", "announcing a coup attempt before it had really begun", "he orchestrated a coup attempt"
The Washington Post	United States	[34]	N/A	"Venezuela paraded on state television U.S. citizens captured during an outlandish coup attempt"
The Washington Post 2	United States	[35]	N/A	"failed coup attempt in Venezuela where the former Florida-based Silvercorp USA contracted with Juan Guaidó"

Likely WP:GREL


Organization	Origin	Source	Headline	Body
PBS NewsHour	United States	"PBS NewsHour for May 12, 2020." PBS Newshour, 12 May 2020, p. NA. Gale Academic OneFile	N/A	"inside the arrest of two American veterans in an attempted coup in Venezuela"
Columbia Journalism Review	United States	[36]	N/A	"after the planned coup was revealed, Jordan Goudreau, a former green beret"
Foreign Policy	United States	[37]	N/A	"What does a botched coup in Venezuela mean for Trump", "Nothing like a good coup attempt to break up the monotony of quarantine", "the coup plotters and the White House do seem to be operating from the same point of view"
Foreign Policy 2	United States	[38]	N/A	"a bizarre botched Venezuela coup attempt", "an attempted coup against embattled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro"

Think tanks


Organization	Origin	Source	Headline	Body
American Enterprise Institute	United States	[39]	WTH Happened with the Failed Venezuelan Coup? Discussing the Mercenaries That Tried to Take out Maduro	"AEI’s Roger Noriega joined the show to talk about the attempted coup"

International usage

Legend

Newspaper of record

National broadcaster

Generally reliable per WP:VENRS


Organization (description)	Origin	Source	Headline	Body
O Estado de S. Paulo (Brazilian newspaper of record)	Brazil	[40]	Americano preso na Venezuela confessa plano de golpe em vídeo (American arrested in Venezuela confesses coup* plan in video*)	N/A
Berlingske (Danish newspaper of record)	Denmark	[41]	N/A	"he has now attempted the most absurd military coup in recent times."
Helsingin Sanomat (Finnish newspaper of record)	Finland	[42]	A Private Coup	"At the end of last week, he attempted a coup in Venezuela."
Le Figaro (French newspaper of record)	France	[43]	N/A	"the organizer of the coup attempt"
Le Monde (French newspaper of record)	France	[44]	N/A	"Jordan Goudreau set the budget for this coup at $1.5 million"
Der Spiegel (German newspaper of record)	Germany	[45]	"Venezuela: Opposition leader Juan Guaidó battered after attempted coup"	"The star of the opposition, Juan Guaidó, is weakened after a failed coup attempt", "Juan Guaidó has withdrawn from the public after a failed coup attempt"
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (German newspaper of record)	Germany	[46]	N/A	"Arrest for attempted coup"
Süddeutsche Zeitung (German newspaper of record)	Germany	[47]	Coup attempt: Operation Question Mark in Venezuela	"the plan for an armed coup attempt"
Kompas (Indonesia newspaper of record)	Indonesia	[48]	Gagal Kudeta Venezuela, Tentara Bayaran AS Langsung Akui Perbuatan (Failed Venezuelan Coup, US Mercenaries Acknowledge Acts)	"This coup attempt by US mercenaries from Colombia was thwarted by Venezuela", "Trump denied US involvement in the Venezuelan coup", "Caracas said 11 other people were arrested and 8 gunmen were killed in the attempted coup"
The Irish Times (Irish newspaper of record)	Ireland	[49]	The Irish Times view on botched Venezuela coup: After the raid	N/A
ABC (Spanish newspaper of record)	Spain	[50]	Maduro acusa a la DEA de contratar a «narcos» en el golpe frustrado (Maduro accuses DEA of hiring "narcos" in thwarted coup)	"a contract signed with Venezuelan opposition leaders to organize the attempted coup d'état and assassination"
NHK (Japanese national broadcaster)	Japan	[51]	ベネズエラクーデター未遂事件で米元軍人ら17人拘束 (17 including former U.S. military personnel detained in Venezuela coup* attempt*)	"President Maduro of Venezuela in South America announced earlier this month that there was a coup attempt planned by the U.S. government and the rebels"
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (national broadcaster)	Canada	[52]	Ex boina verde canadiense implicado en intento de golpe en Venezuela (Former Canadian green beret involved in coup attempt* in Venezuela)*	"A failed coup attempt involving a group of soldiers and mercenaries", "he confessed that he was at the center of a frustrated coup attempt in Venezuela", "he didn't physically participate in the coup attempt"
France 24 (French state-owned international news television network)	France	[53]	Silvercorp : des barbouzes derrière le coup d'État avorté au Venezuela (Silvercorp: barbouzes behind the failed coup in Venezuela)	"Money is also a cause for discord: while Jordan Goudreau estimates the cost of the coup at $1.5 million, the opposition did not pay the desired sum."
Radio France (French national public radio)	France	[54]	Venezuela: the failed coup to overthrow Maduro	N/A
Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (Public service broadcasting organisation of Portugal)	Portugal	[55]	Golpe falhado na Venezuela. Mercenários norte-americanos não foram enviados por Trump (Failed coup in Venezuela. American mercenaries were not sent by Trump)	"The truth is that Trump denies any involvement and Goudreau assures that he has never been able to convince the Trump Administration to support his bold coup d'état plan in Venezuela."
Efecto Cocuyo (independent opposition news website)	Venezuela	[56]	N/A	"he could never persuade the Trump administration to support his bold plan for a private coup"
Efecto Cocuyo 2	Venezuela	[57]	N/A	"accuse Guaidó of being the mastermind of the attempted coup d'état"
El Cooperante (Venezuelan outlet)	Venezuela	[58]	N/A	"the coup attempt, launched the so-called Operation Gideon", "'Operation Gideon,' as Goudreau called the failed coup"
El Nacional (opposition newspaper)	Venezuela	[59]	N/A	"Operation Gideon was a deeply flawed coup attempt"
El Nacional 2	Venezuela	[60]	N/A	"Operation Gideon, as the coup attempt in Venezuela was called"
El Nacional 3	Venezuela	[61]	N/A	"a failed coup d'état in May 2020"
El Nuevo Herald (Miami Spanish-language newspaper)	United States	[62]	N/A	"Former Green Berets imprisoned last year in unsuccessful coup"
El Nuevo Herald 2	United States	[63]	N/A	"connection between Heath and the failed coup"
El Nuevo Herald 3	United States	[64]	N/A	"failed coup d'état in Venezuela last May. The coup was led in part by the security company Silvercorp"
El Nuevo Herald 4	United States	[65]	N/A	"four months after the launch of a failed coup"
El Nuevo Herald 5	United States	[66]	N/A	"last year's failed coup against the regime of Nicolás Maduro"
El Nuevo Herald 6	United States	[67]	N/A	"Heath was arrested four months after a failed coup"
El Nuevo Herald 7	United States	[68]	N/A	"was arrested four months after a failed coup"
El Nuevo Herald 8	United States	[69]	N/A	"The story behind the failed coup is full of intrigue"
El Pitazo (Venezuelan opposition news site)	Venezuela	[70]	N/A	"the attempted coup d'état and assassination"
El Pitazo 2	Venezuela	[71]	N/A	"the attempted coup to Nicolás Maduro"
La Prensa de Lara (Venezuelan regional newspaper)	Venezuela	[72]	N/A	"sought to carry out a coup d'état"
La Prensa de Lara 2	Venezuela	[73]	N/A	"sought to carry out a coup d'état", "the coup plan consisted of"
La Prensa de Lara 3	Venezuela	[74]	N/A	"soldiers who were part of that coup"
La Prensa de Lara 4	Venezuela	[75]	N/A	"sought to carry out a coup d'état against Nicolás Maduro"
La Prensa de Lara 5	Venezuela		N/A	"a coup attempt against the Government of President Nicolás Maduro"
McClatchy DC (sister agency of Miami Herald)	United States	[76]	Ex-Green Berets jailed in bungled Venezuela coup may have been duped, negotiator says	"Two former Green Berets jailed in Venezuela for last year’s botched coup", "the McClatchy Washington Bureau detailed how some members of the Trump administration had prior knowledge of the attempted coup, and how loyalists of Venezuela leader Nicolás Maduro infiltrated the ranks of the coup plotters", "Silvercorp was involved in training Venezuelan deserters for their coup attempt"
The Miami Herald (Miami newspaper)	United States	[77]	N/A	"The failed coup has been a propaganda coup for Maduro"
Tal Cual (Venezuelan opposition news site)	Venezuela	[78]	N/A	"'Operation Gideon', the frustrated coup attempt"
El Universal	Venezuela	[79]	N/A	"J.J. Rendón, assured that the purpose of this coup attempt was to use third parties to capture the President", "if the coup was successful "
La Vanguardia (Spain's fourth largest newspaper)	Spain	[80]	Venezuela sentences two former U.S. soldiers to twenty years for a failed coup	N/A
El Periódico de Catalunya (Catalan newspaper)	Catalonia	[81]	"The failed coup against Maduro, a parody of 'Rambo'"	N/A
Kronen Zeitung (Austria's largest newspaper)	Austria	[82]	US-Söldner gesteht „Umsturzpläne“ in Venezuela (US mercenary confesses "overthrow plans" in Venezuela)	"Venezuela's head of state Nicolas Maduro apparently narrowly escaped a kidnapping and a simultaneous coup a few days ago."
Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (leading press agency in Italy)	Italy	[83]	Golpe in Venezuela contro Maduro: "Altri quattro terroristi arrestati" (Venezuela coup against Maduro: "Four more terrorists arrested")	N/A
Dainik Bhaskar (Fourth most circulated newspaper in the world)	India	[84]	वेनेजुएला :अमेरिका पर तख्तापलट की कोशिश का आरोप, गिरफ्तार अमेरिकी नागरिक ने सरकारी टीवी पर मादुरो के अपहरण की साजिश की बात मानी (Venezuela: America accused of coup attempt, arrested American citizen confessed to plot to kidnap Maduro on state TV)	"He told that America was planning a coup in Venezuela."
Der Bund (Swiss daily newspaper)	Switzerland	[85]	N/A	"such a clumsily executed coup attempt"
Australian Associated Press ("one of the few remaining non-government newswires in the world")	Australia	[86]	US mercenaries claims Trump government is behind failed Venezuela coup	N/A
Infobae (Spanish language international news website)	United States	[87]	N/A	"the attempted coup d'état against the leader of the Venezuelan regime"
Clarín (largest Argentine newspaper, second largest in Spanish-speaking world)	Argentina	[88]	N/A	"the frustrated coup attempt that would have taken place at the beginning of May 2020", "to generate violence and attack members of the Venezuelan government to achieve a coup d'état"
Clarín 2	Argentina	[89]	N/A	"as the head of the failed coup of May 3 and 4"
Caras y Caretas (Uruguayan magazine)	Uruguay	[90]	Colombia's implications revealed in a coup attempt against Maduro	"Goudrau and Alcalá, along with other coup plotters"
Semana (Colombian magazine)	Colombia	[91]	History of the failed coup in Venezuela	"his ideas of a military coup", "two leaders of the coup fell", "the logistical support of the failed coup", "The coup attempt was so poor"
El Espectador (Colombian newspaper)	Colombia	[92]	N/A	"accused of financing an attempted coup d'état"
Veja (Brazilian news magazine)	Brazil	[93]	N/A	"helped organize a coup attempt in Venezuela"
Página 12 (Argentine newspaper)	Argentina	[94]	N/A	"security company participated in the failed coup in Venezuela", "the self-proclaimed Venezuelan president knew perfectly well the coup attempt"
L'essentiel (Luxembourgish newspaper)	Luxembourg	[95]	Coup attempt: Two US mercenaries arrested in Venezuela	N/A
El Sol de Mexico (part of the largest newspaper company in Latin America)	Mexico	[96]	Juan José Rendón, de asesor de Peña Nieto a golpista en Venezuela (Juan José Rendón, from Peña Nieto's adviser to coup leader in Venezuela)	N/A
Jawa Pos (one of the oldest national newspapers of Indonesia)	Indonesia	[97]	Terlibat Upaya Kudeta, Dua Tentara Bayaran AS Ditahan Venezuela (Involved in Coup attempt, Two US Mercenaries Detained by Venezuela)	"The drama of the coup attempt began with a conflict on the coast of La Guaira"
Navjivan (Indian newspaper founded by Gandhi)	India	[98]	कोरोना संकट में वेनेजुएला में तख्तापलट की कोशिशें तेज, क्या अमेरिका खेल रहा है कोई खेल (Corona crisis in Venezuela, coup efforts intensified, is America playing a game)	"Since the beginning of May, so-called infiltrations and armed coup attempts have been going on in Venezuela."
Het Parool (Dutch daily newspaper)	Netherlands	[99]	Venezuela schermt met neerslaan coup (Venezuela fences with a quelled coup)	"According to him, the coup"
de Volkskrant (Dutch daily newspaper)	Netherlands	[100]	Verijdelde coup in Venezuela is cadeau voor Maduro (Foiled coup in Venezuela is a gift for Maduro)	"Maduro holds up photos of Americans who wanted to commit a coup"
Sinar Harian (Malaysian daily newspaper)	Malaysia	[101]	Rampasan kuasa: Venezuela fail aduan ke badan antarabangsa (Coup: Venezuela files complaint to international body)	"Venezuela will file a complaint with the United Nations Security Council (UN) about the coup plot using mercenary soldiers and presented evidence at the International Criminal Court (ICC)"
The Dominion Post (New Zealand newspaper)	New Zealand	[102]	US pair held after coup debacle (Page 21)	N/A
Brasil de Fato (online newspaper and radio agency)	Brazil	[103]	N/A	"the beginning of Operation Gedeón, a new coup attempt in Venezuela", "as part of the coup plot", "people directly involved in the coup plot are Venezuelans and Colombians", "Antonio Sequea was arrested by Fanb, as one of the coordinators of the new coup operation. On 04/30/19 he participated in another coup attempt with the opposition leader Leopoldo López"
La Razón (newspaper)	Mexico	[104]	Tras fallido golpe a Maduro, dimiten 2 asesores de Guaidó (After a failed coup against Maduro, 2 Guaidó advisers resign)	N/A
Il Fatto Quotidiano (Italian daily newspaper)	Italy	[105]	Venezuela, US will do 'everything' to bring home the two Americans involved in the attempted coup against Maduro: 'But we are not involved'	"A group of military opponents of the regime claimed the attempted coup via Twitter"
Il manifesto (Italian communist newspaper)	Italy	[106]	The clearance aisle mercenaries whose Caracas coup failed spectacularly	"There was a code name, there were automatic weapons, landing boats and transport vehicles. There were fighters and consultants from the land of stars and stripes—all the canonical ingredients of an old-fashioned coup in 'America’s backyard.'"
Diario Co Latino	El Salvador	[107]	Coups in Venezuela and Bolivia	El primer golpe fue organizado por Jordan Goudreau (The first coup* was organized by Jordan Goudreau*)
Al-Manar (Television station of Hezbollah)	Lebanon	[108]	Trump and his war minister deny the US relationship with the coup* attempt in Venezuela*) ترامب ووزير حربه ينفيان علاقة الولايات المتحدة بمحاولة الانقلاب في فنزويلا	"denied having any relationship with the U.S. coup attempt in Venezuela", "foiling the coup attempt", "tried to enter Venezuela to carry out a coup and the kill political leaders in Caracas"