White House warns Maduro as Venezuela orders partial closure of border with Colombia

The Hill ^ | 02/22/19 | John Bowden

[yesthatjallen]

The White House warned Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on Friday that any "egregious" human rights violations by troops under his government's command would not "go unpunished" as Maduro's forces seek to keep foreign aid out of the country.

The Trump administration issued the statement following media reports that two indigenous people died and others have been injured following clashes with Venezuela's military as the U.S. pushes to deliver aid to the country.

Around the same time Friday night, The Associated Press reported that Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, had announced the closure of several border crossings with Colombia, citing a perceived threat to Venezuela's sovereignty.

The White House urged Maduro to allow aid to "peacefully" enter the country.

"Egregious violation of human rights by Maduro and those who are following his orders will not go unpunished. The United States strongly urges the Venezuelan military to uphold its constitutional duty to protect the citizens of Venezuela. The Venezuelan military must allow humanitarian aid to peacefully enter the country. The world is watching," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in the statement.

Local officials told CNN that government troops opened fire on civilians protesting the border closures, though the news network could not independently verify the deaths.

"Instead of mediating, the military started shooting," the mayor of Gran Sabana, a town near the border, told CNN.

Maduro's government has argued that trucks of aid supplies contain supplies meant to support coup attempts against the Venezuelan government, which is facing a rival interim government declared by Juan Guaidó, leader of the the National Assembly.

Guaidó is supported by the Trump administration and other NATO countries, while Maduro's government is supported by Turkey and Russia, among other nations.

President Trump spoke with Guaidó last month and offered the Venezuelan politician his support, while not announcing any military support for Guaidó's bid.

[EagleUSA]

The paranoia and tyranny of communism. Ain’t it pretty???

[Fungi]

One good bullet......

[Jim W N]

???

Venezuela is a sovereign nation. Unless the U.S. is threatened, we have no business telling Venezuela we will punish them...

What am I missing here?

[SpaceBar]

Venezuela is a sovereign nation...

Keep telling yourself that but it's really just country-sized concentration camp at this point.

[Trumpisourlastchance]

What you are missing is the NeoCon takeover of Trump’s foreign policy.

He promises again & again that we would not be engaging in any more regime change wars, including very clearly in his Inauguration speech.

Now, we are declaring who a nation’s president is & threatening to invade that nation if the heretofore government still recognized by 3/4 of the world does not run away.

This is most certainly not what I voted for. In fact, it is what I voted against.

[Trumpisourlastchance]

I also voted for conservative judges, tax cuts, less regulation, protection of our constitutional rights & against PC. Fortunately, this is being delivered.

[sparklite2]

The camouflaged FReeper Neocons are breaking cover.

[DIRTYSECRET]

My idea(again): drop the aid/food from stealth B-1 bombers. Humanitarian/military assault-all in one. Win win.

[Fungi]

And Germany?

[butlerweave]

drone the bus driver with a bus

[SpaceBar]

If you think keeping a country from turning into a full blown Ukranian-style Holodomor when we can actually do something about it is ‘neoconism’ whatever that is (presumably a follower of George Will, Bill Krystol and the like) then your head is wedged so far up your backside you can see your tonsils.

[Paladin2]

"What am I missing here?"

An opportunity to put "Democratic Socialism" to the test as an object lesson about how not to Govern.

[sparklite2]

One of the tenets of neoconservatism is exporting democracy at gunpoint. Sound familiar?

Venezuelans need to save themselves, not be bailed out by the rest of the world. Without existential threat, they can be assured of going socialist again within a generation.

[Teacher317]

An opportunity to put "Democratic Socialism" to the test as an object lesson about how not to Govern.

I'm pretty sure that Venezuela has already thoroughly answered that test question.

[mac_truck]

What am I missing here?

[Teacher317]

Cute cartoon, but we are now a net oil exporter. Don’t fall for Libera lies.

[robowombat]

Paul Wolfowitz was resurrected to be the manager for the Venezuela crisis. At the time I asked rhetorically why Trump keeps hiring K Street Hacks for his administration. Now we are directly threatening another sovereign nation for actions which clearly fall into their purview. If the Venezuelans want to change their government badly enough they will do so. It is none of our business in telling them what to do. Now if Russia or China intervened in an open and obvious manner that is an American vital interest to eject them. The US should act to serve US interests, not the interests of K Street and the Neo-con constellation. World saving serves no positive purpose for the US, it does serve the interests of K Street.

[Don Corleone]

The paranoia and tyranny of communism. Ain’t it pretty???

And the young will embrace its false promises

[sparklite2]

Yeah, Paul Wolfowitz is a neocon of the first order.
Unfortunate choice.