Article snippet: It was an outlandish attack on Venezuela’s centers of power: A police helicopter swooped down from a clear sky while someone inside dropped grenades on the Supreme Court and opened fire on the Interior Ministry. The rogue police officers inside the craft waved a banner that referred to an article in the Constitution that allows for civil uprisings against tyrants. But if the assault on Tuesday was meant as a call to arms, it instead perplexed Venezuelans who have been protesting against the government and a devastating economic crisis. Demonstrators took to the streets on Wednesday, many voicing admiration for the stunt, but also wondering why anyone would engage in such a hapless attack. The police stayed in their precincts, showing little support for the dissident officers. Some people even wondered whether the government had somehow orchestrated the events as a distraction. “I wanted to cry,” said Vanessa Furtado, a 46-year-old swimming teacher, who saw the helicopter arrive and its occupants wave their banner — and for a moment thought the security forces were taking the side of protesters. But by Wednesday afternoon, as the government began to use the attack to intensify its threats against the demonstrators, Ms. Furtado started to have doubts. “I wanted it to be true,” she said. “But I had to ask myself if this had all been staged or wasn’t coming from the government.” On Wednesday, officials said they had located the helicopter, releasing a picture of it i... Link to the full article to read more