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They later planned to take power in March, the former officer said, but that plan leaked.
該前任軍官還透露，他們后來又計劃3月份奪取政權，但該計劃被泄露了。
Finally, the dissidents looked to the May 20 election, during which Mr. Maduro was re-elected, as a new target date.
最后，持不同政見者們又將目光瞄準了5月20日的大選，也就是馬杜羅參加連任競選那日。
But again, word got out and the plotters held their fire.
然而，計劃再次泄露，密謀者們只得繼續按兵不動。
It is unclear how many of these details the coup planners shared with the Americans.
關于政變的這些細節策劃者們到底對美國人透露了多少尚不得而知。
But there is no indication that Mr. Maduro knew the mutinous officers were talking to the Americans at all.
然而，目前沒有任何蛛絲馬跡能表明馬杜羅知道反叛軍官們與美方來往之事。
For any of the plots to have worked, the former commander said, he and his comrades believed they needed to detain Mr. Maduro and other top government figures simultaneously.
這位前指揮官表示，他和他的戰友們一致認為，上述任何一次行動要想成功，他們都需要同時扣押馬杜羅和政府其他高層。
To do that, he added, the rebel officers needed a way to communicate securely.
而要做到這一點，他補充到，反叛軍官們就需要安全的溝通渠道。
They made their request during their second meeting with the American diplomat, which took place last year.
去年與美國外交官第二次會面時他們提出了這一要求。
The American diplomat relayed the request to Washington, where senior officials turned it down, American officials said.
那位外交官向華盛頓轉達了請求，但被高層回絕了，據美國方面的官員們透露。
“We were frustrated,” said the former Venezuelan commander. “There was a lack of follow-through. They left me waiting.”
“我們很失望，”那位前委內瑞拉指揮官說。“他們沒有展開后續行動，就讓我干等著。”
The American diplomat then met the coup plotters a third time early this year,
今年年初，那位外交官和政變策劃者們展開了第三次會面，
but the discussions did not result in a promise of material aid or even a clear signal that Washington endorsed the rebels’ plans,
但討論并沒有達成實質性援助的承諾，連能清晰顯示華盛頓贊同叛亂分子的計劃的跡象都沒有，
according to the Venezuelan commander and several American officials.
據那位委內瑞拉指揮官和幾位美國官員透露。
Still, the Venezuelan plotters could view the meetings as tacit approval of their plans, argued Peter Kornbluh, a historian at the National Security Archive at George Washington University.
但喬治·華盛頓大學國家安全檔案館的歷史學家彼得·科恩布魯表示，委內瑞拉的政變策劃者們還是可以將那幾次會面視為美國默許了他們的計劃。
“The United States always has an interest in gathering intelligence on potential changes of leadership in governments,” Mr. Kornbluh said.
“美國一直都對收集有關其他國家政府領導層可能發生變化的情報有著濃厚的興趣，”科恩布魯說到，
“But the mere presence of a U.S. official at such a meeting would likely be perceived as encouragement.”
“哪怕只是一位美國官員出席這樣的會面都可能被視為對他們的縱容。”
In its statement, the White House called the situation in Venezuela “a threat to regional security and democracy”
在一份聲明中，白宮稱委內瑞拉的形勢“威脅了地區的安全和民主”，
and said that the Trump administration would continue to strengthen a coalition of “like-minded, and right-minded, partners from Europe to Asia to the Americas
還表示特朗普政府會繼續強化“由來自歐洲、亞洲、美洲志同道合，思想正確的合作伙伴組成的”聯盟，
to pressure the Maduro regime to restore democracy in Venezuela.”
對馬杜羅政權施加壓力，迫使他們恢復委內瑞拉的民主。”
American officials have openly discussed the possibility that Venezuela’s military could take action.
美國官員公開討論了委內瑞拉軍隊采取行動的可能性。
On Feb. 1, Rex W. Tillerson, who was secretary of state at the time, delivered a speech in which he said the United States had not “advocated for regime change or removal of President Maduro.”
2月1日，當時擔任國務卿的雷克斯·W. 蒂勒森發表了講話，期間表示美國并沒有“倡導改變政權或推翻馬杜羅總統。”
Yet, responding to a question afterward, Mr. Tillerson raised the potential for a military coup.
然而，后來在問答問題時，蒂勒森先生又提高了發動軍事政變的可能性。
“When things are so bad that the military leadership realizes that it just can’t serve the citizens anymore, they will manage a peaceful transition,” he said.
“當局面糟糕到軍事政權領導層都意識到它再也無法為公民服務時，他們就會選擇和平過渡，”他說。
Days later, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who has sought to shape the Trump administration’s approach toward Latin America,
幾天后，試圖塑造特朗普政府對拉美所持態度的佛羅里達參議員馬克·盧比奧，
wrote a series of Twitter posts that encouraged dissident members of the Venezuelan armed forces to topple their commander in chief.
發了好幾條推文，鼓勵委內瑞拉武裝部隊持不同政見的成員推翻他們的總司令。
“Soldiers eat out of garbage cans & their families go hungry in Venezuela while Maduro & friends live like kings & block humanitarian aid,” Mr. Rubio wrote.
盧比奧寫道：“在委內瑞拉，士兵們吃的都是垃圾桶里撿來的食物，他們的家人還在挨餓，馬杜羅和他的朋友則過著國王般的生活，還阻止人道主義援助。”
He then added: “The world would support the Armed Forces in #Venezuela if they decide to protect the people & restore democracy by removing a dictator.”
之后他又補充道：“如果委內瑞拉的武裝部隊決定推翻獨裁者，保護人民，恢復民主，那么，全世界都會支持他們。”
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