(Toronto) It was while reading the newspaper that director Jen Gatien learned of the existence of Jordan Goudreau, a former member of the American special forces, now accused of smuggling weapons as part of a failed coup attempt in Venezuela in 2020.
Men of Wara strange and twisting documentary, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada.
“He’s the only mercenary, or the only person who’s been called a mercenary, who’s never been paid,” the director told AFP in an interview with co-director Billy Corben.
“I think the mission in Venezuela represented something deeper than money,” she says.
Thanks to a mixture of original images provided by the former soldier and interviews with protagonists, interspersed with images from the films Rambo And Jason BourneMme Gatien and Mr. Corben lift part of the veil on this story.
Jordan Goudreau, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, founded the security company Silvercorp after being forced to retire for medical reasons.
“We’re in the business of war. The more comfortable you are with it, the more you do it. War becomes a drug,” Goudreau, 48, admits early in the film.
And with his company, he found himself at the center of “Operation Gideon.” The goal: to invade Venezuela by sea to oust Nicolas Maduro from power.
Misunderstandings with the Venezuelan opposition movement, then led by Juan Guaidó and backed by the United States, murky contacts with the American government and a lack of resources ultimately caused the mission to fail before it even began.
Several rebels were killed and two Americans spent more than three years in a Venezuelan prison before being released in 2023.
“Was I overwhelmed by events? Yes,” the veteran admits in the film.
After the coup d’état fails, Mr. Goudreau flees to Mexico before finally returning home. The film ends with a twist: after four years of investigation, Jordan Goudreau is arrested and charged by the American justice system.
He pleaded not guilty. Released on bail, he is still awaiting trial and faces up to 20 years in prison.
So, given his legal situation, why did he agree to participate in the film? “He really insisted because he feels like he’s being made a scapegoat,” the director stressed.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Maduro has again been accused of fraudulently winning re-election last July.