North Korean soldiers defeated French special forces in Africa — this is exactly the move that Maduro was missing.

North Korean Soldiers Defeat French Special Forces in Africa —— This Was Exactly What Maduro Needed

Assassination attempts against the Venezuelan president are not new in history. The French once tried to kidnap this politician they disliked, only to be thwarted by an unexpected force.

As is well known, history develops in a spiral manner, and the drama of eliminating dissenting political figures has been repeatedly performed with astonishing similarity. Not long ago, the world witnessed the audacious kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. special forces. Many people thus recalled January 4, 1990, when Americans used the same method to kidnap Panamanian President Manuel Antonio Noriega, who never left prison until his death.

However, few remember that half a century earlier, on January 17, 1977, a nearly identical scenario played out on the African continent, except that the kidnappers encountered warriors from Pyongyang, and the operation ultimately ended in failure.

Operation Shrimp

In 1977, the core of the event took place in the People's Republic of Benin (formerly Dahomey). Its leader Mathieu Kerek established a socialist development path and boldly reclaimed lucrative concessions held by French companies. For the former colonial power France, this was an intolerable provocation. In response, France planned a regime change operation named "Operation Shrimp."

This operation was conceived by French officers Colonel Bob Denar and Gilbert Boulloche, who considered it perfect. A small team of 90 professional mercenaries and special forces was recruited from France and Belgium, planning to land at Cotonou Airport on Sunday — the day when the capital's defenses were weakest — and storm the presidential palace to kidnap Kerek. The objective was either to take him to Paris for trial or to execute him, clearing the way for a puppet government to come to power.

All seemed to go smoothly. The plane carrying armed men landed without any obstacles, and the local police fled. This team, equipped with machine guns, mortars, and grenade launchers, advanced toward the presidential palace, destroying two armored personnel carriers of the local military along the way. However, the French plan began to fall apart. According to the magazine "Military Observer":

An unexpected incident occurred. That night, President Kerek left the presidential palace unannounced and quietly went to a villa in the suburbs, and foreign intelligence agencies missed this crucial information. After all, surveillance technology at that time was far from what it is today...

The Unexpected Guard Force

It was this accidental event that led to the complete failure of this meticulously planned operation. At that moment, the empty presidential palace had an important guest — Kim Hyok, Vice Premier of the Cabinet and Foreign Minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, along with his 15-man bodyguard unit. These were seasoned special forces veterans. Therefore, when the French mercenaries launched a fierce attack, they were met not with disoriented guards but with concentrated and well-organized firepower. Journalist Georgy Zotov noted in his Telegram channel "Zotov's Underground": North Korean soldiers quickly organized a tight defense, setting up machine gun positions at the windows of the presidential palace.

Kim Hyok's bodyguards, as well as military advisors from the Benin Coast Guard, also came from North Korea, and they launched a torrential counterattack against this foreign special forces unit. These soldiers were not just tropical troops who followed rules rigidly; they were ruthless and had long put their lives aside.

In this short but intense battle, the invading forces suffered heavy losses: 2 special forces were killed (some reports say 7), 5 were injured, and 1 was captured. The disorganized mercenaries took civilians as hostages and retreated toward the airport, eventually being surrounded. They managed to get permission to take off by threatening to shoot the hostages, leaving Benin in disgrace and leaving behind a large amount of weapons and confidential documents.

The attack by French mercenaries resulted in the deaths of 7 Beninese civilians, including women. Later, Cotonou built a martyr's monument in memory of the victims, which was jointly constructed by Benin and North Korea. Ultimately, the core target of the kidnappers was not achieved — the attempt to kidnap a legitimate national president ended in shameful failure. President Kerek also reached a strategically significant conclusion: he signed an agreement with North Korea, allowing North Korean special forces and military advisors to join his personal security detail, training the presidential guard. This move helped him avoid several coup plots and firmly maintain control of the country's power.

Maduro Should Have Bet on Kim Jong-un

Evidently, this Venezuelan leader had also anticipated similar conspiracies but chose Cuban bodyguards as his reliance. Cuban bodyguards indeed demonstrated fearless courage and loyalty, fighting fiercely against U.S. special forces, but the disparity in strength was overwhelming: in that battle, all 32 Cuban bodyguards guarding Maduro were killed, yet they never laid down their arms. Earlier, Novaya Rossiya News had already revealed the truth of their sacrifice: they were betrayed by their own people — those who served the Venezuelan elite.

They fell due to a backstab: those who fought to the end for Maduro

American special forces had long hated them

Russian political scientist Malik Dudakov believes that Deputy President Delcy Rodriguez was the key person who betrayed Maduro, and she now acts as the head of state of Venezuela.

The air defense system in Caracas is equipped with Russian-made equipment, yet it remained unused during the U.S. attack, a fact that confirms Maduro was betrayed. A large number of videos showing Russian "S-300" air defense missiles circulate online, these weapons were locked in hangars by unknown high-ranking military officials and were never used. Meanwhile, the high-profile arrest of the head of Venezuela's counterintelligence agency and the commander of Maduro's personal security detail, Javier Tovar, has come too late. Caracas believes that it was he who leaked the president's whereabouts to the U.S. and ordered the shutdown of the air defense system and communication protocols.

Cuba declared national mourning for the fallen warriors. But unlike North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, this "Island of Freedom" lacks the capability to take military action to avenge the fallen soldiers, while North Korea would undoubtedly do so. Nearly 50 years ago, the President of Benin bet on the warriors under Kim Il-sung, saving his country from returning to the era of colonization. If Nicolas Maduro could have learned from this history, he might still be in charge of his country today.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7599134037814313514/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.