Is Venezuela The Next Foreign Policy Crisis?

The Daily Caller ^ | December 4, 2015 | Keith Naughton

[Cincinatus' Wife]

"... Venezuela is the true end point of socialism and the politics of class warfare. Not hope and peace, but misery and violence. Socialism in Venezuela was not successful,just propped up by massive oil reserves.

In order to be elected in the first place, the Chavista Maduro resorted to widespread intimidation, shackling of independent media and outright voter fraud. He has resolutely continued the failed socialist policies of Hugo Chavez,resulting in 200 percent inflation,massive shortages of basic goods,skyrocketing violence and a general descent into a de facto police state.

Chavez used oil to build political ties with the small nations of the Caribbean basin,in particular Cuba. In partnership with the Castros,Chavez allowed Cuban intelligence services to penetrate his own nation and help expand the oppressive police state......

Maduro may not be able to steal enough votes to keep his ill-gotten majorities in the Venezuelan parliament....then again he may not need to. This is a man and a regime that has had no problem arresting its opponents on trumped-up charges. As long as the bureaucracy and the security services are in his control,policies are unlikely to change. Losses at the ballot box could be easily followed by mass arrests of the legitimate victors.

[SNIP]

Obama certainly will not pressure the Cubans to stay out of the conflict. He cannot possibly bring himself to admit that socialism is a failed project and that its most extreme forms cannot exist without an oppressive police state.

While it may be possible that Venezuela starts the process of regime change and begins to extract itself from its domestic morass,there is no objective evidence that says that Maduro and his Chavista thugs will accept the will of the people and the failure of their policies.

Instead,we should expect another foreign policy disaster right in our neighborhood. And no answers from President Obama-yet again.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

They vote today, Sunday.

Nov. 27, 2015: Killing ramps up fears of Venezuela poll violence

"Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said the fatal shooting of an opposition leader appeared to be a gangland score-settling, dismissing claims it was politically motivated ahead of elections.

An attacker shot Luis Manuel Diaz dead on Wednesday evening in the central Guarico region at a campaign rally for the December 6 legislative elections, party officials said, ratcheting up fears that violence could erupt in the lead-up to the polls.

The event was also attended by Lilian Tintori, the wife of a jailed opposition leader and a high-profile critic of Maduro.

"They want to kill me," Tintori told a news conference later. "I hold Nicolas Maduro directly responsible."

The European Union expressed concern about rising violence linked to the elections.

"Yesterday's assassination of Mr Luis Manuel Diaz, the regional secretary of the Accion Democratica party, marks a further deterioration of an already tense situation in the run up to the parliamentary elections on 6 December 2015," the EU said in a statement......."

[miss marmelstein]

The leftists who live in rich, democratic societies will simply yawn and say “Oh, they just didn’t do communism right.” And then they’ll look towards a new country veering wildly to the left...

[Reno89519]

Who cares. Venezuela is just another of many 3rd world cess pools.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

You’re kidding, right?

[Southack]

"The European Union expressed concern about rising violence linked to the elections."

In contrast, Obama doesn't even read the security briefs that make it to his Blackberry...and he sends Biden to his Presidential Briefings so that he isn't bothered, which is to say that Obama has no clue about the rising levels of violence inside Venezuela.

[Reno89519]

No, I'm not. Look, we can throw lots of money and lives at these 3rd world cesspools and at the end of it all, they are still just that, 3rd world cesspools and we are out lots of money.

Or, put it another way, what do you propose we do about their internal politics? Invade them?! Unless we occupy them as a colony, keep their oil and resources, what is in it for us? Is any of it worth a single American life? No, didn't think so.

Block Venezuela, maybe arm everyone from Venezuela that is presently in the US, legal or not, and send them ALL home to fix their own country. Not that's a win-win that I can support.

[Mariner]

Let it burn.

[cpdiii]

Who cares. Venezuela is just another of many 3rd world cess pools.

I lived and worked there for 2 years before Hugo Chavez. It was great. I feel sorry for Venezuela today. Even when the opposition wins the election it will be stolen by ballot box fraud or Maduro will simply use the military and police to remain in power.

Venezuela will not be saved by the ballot box. If it is saved, it will be with weapons and much blood.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Whose asking anyone to throw money at this?

In recent years Venezuela has been a window on how to destroy a healthy economy in the name of social justice.

It's taken a long time because the people were armed.

More than Half of Police Killed in Venezuelan Capital Targeted for Gun

"Late Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez banned private gun ownership in 2012, citing the escalating murder rates that have continued to climb under current President Nicolas Maduro. Both commercialization and importing of guns was banned, though firearms of all shapes and sizes are believed to be readily accessible in Caracas' worst neighborhoods still.

GunPolicy.org, a University of Sydney project that tracks gun possession internationally, claims that there are 3,250,000 privately owned guns in Venezuela today, despite the ban. Of those, between half and 1.5 million are registered-meaning they are owned by law enforcement officials, the only Venezuelan citizens allowed to possess such weapons. The other weapons are not registered and difficult to track.

As a result, criminals have increased efforts to snatch up any and every type of firearm that comes their way. A report from WLRN, a South Florida news outlet, notes this month that those tracking weapons in Venezuela have found that many are not small self-defense weapons, but "heavy artillery" and "weapons of war" that find their way to the Latin American black market. This creates a significantly less safe atmosphere in the country, as criminals arm themselves at disproportionately high rates............."

[ETL]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

....democratic societies will simply yawn and say "Oh, they just didn't do communism right."

Yes, exactly.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/262228-reid-gop-cowardice-on-guns-leaves-america-vulnerable-to-attack

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says Republicans are increasing the odds of another terrorist attack on American soil by blocking legislation aimed at taking guns out of the hands of citizens suspected of holding terrorist sympathies.

“By blocking efforts to give law enforcement the tools they need to keep guns out of the hands of FBI terror suspects, Republicans are leaving every American community vulnerable to an attack by terrorists armed with assault weapons - just like the attacks we saw in Paris and San Bernardino,” Reid said in a statement Saturday.

“Republicans should be ashamed of themselves and their cowardice,” he added.

Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked an amendment to the ObamaCare repeal bill that would have blocked people on the no-fly list from being allowed to purchase guns.

Conservatives feared the amendment would strip Americans of their due process rights............... [12-05-15]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Sept 2, 2015: Why China is lending $5 billion to struggling Venezuela

"SITTING in front of a blown-up Chinese watercolour portrait of Hugo Chávez, President Nicolas Maduro announced a new $5 billion loan from China in his weekly television programme, which aired on September 1st. In the two-hour show ("In contact with Maduro","En contacto con Maduro"), he briefly announced that the deal had been signed, before panning to footage of marching Chinese soldiers and a clip of himself playing drums with Chinese dignitaries........"

Feb 20, 2015: Russia Boosts Arms, Training for Leftist Latin Militaries

Moscow defense minister inks deals with Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua for joint exercises

Russia agreed to provide military training for three leftist regimes in Latin America and increase military visits and exercises following a visit last week to the region by Moscow’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu, Pentagon officials said.

Shoygu met with defense and military leaders in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua and signed several agreements on warship visits and military training during the visit, which ran from Feb. 11 to 14. It is not clear whether any new arms deals were completed during the visit.

Defense officials said the Russian leader is seeking bases in the region for strategic bomber flights that Shoygu recently promised would include flights over the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean.

U.S. intelligence agencies closely monitored the visit but a Pentagon spokeswoman played down the Russian military encroachment.

"Just as we have bilateral and multilateral relationships around the world, so do other nations," Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen M. Lainez told the Washington Free Beacon. "All nations are free to choose their associations as they see fit."

The U.S. Southern Command, the command responsible for maintaining security in the region, also played down the visit.

"We respect the sovereign right of nations in the region to seek constructive relationships with the international community," said Col. Lisa Garcia, a command spokeswoman.

Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), a member of the House Permanent Select Intelligence Committee, said "the Russian bear is out of hibernation from Damascus, to Donetsk, and from Pyongyang to Peru.".................

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Obama doesn’t surround himself with people who care about this country or our national security.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/18/politics/transgender-white-house-obama-first-staff/

“...”President Obama has long said he wants his administration to look like the American people. I have understood this to include transgender Americans,” NCTE Executive Director Mara Keisling said. “That the first transgender appointee is a transgender woman of color is itself significant. And that the first White House transgender appointee is of a friend is inspiring to me and to countless others who have been touched by Raffi’s advocacy.”.....

And if any of them have a clue....

“Somebody needs to throw a bucket of cold water on President Obama and his “lead from behind” cohort of foreign policy advisors. The few White House national security staffers who see what’s happening to American power and prestige in the Middle East have finally gone public with their alarm at the direction of our foreign policy...........”

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/10/foreign_policy_realists_in_the_white_house_decry_weakness_and_indecision.html

[ETL]

“We are creating a new world, a balanced world. A new world order, a multipolar world,” Chavez told reporters during a visit to Communist China, one of many. His “new world order” includes [RUSSIA], China, Iran,... and a significantly weakened United States, he explained.

Resurgent Communism in Latin America
by Alex Newman, March 16, 2010:

http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/world-mainmenu-26/south-america-mainmenu-37/3122-resurgent-communism-in-latin-america?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=
______________________________________________________________

From the Russian News and Information Agency:
July 27, 2006
"'I am determined to expand relations with Russia,' Chavez, known as an outspoken critic of what he calls the United States' unilateralism, told the Russian leader, adding that his determination stemmed from their shared vision of the global order.":
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060727/51913498.html

[Reno89519]

All this care usually leads next to someone wanting to spend US tax dollars. I say, No. Let them kill each other, I don't care. All we need to do is stop them from coming here. Period.

Otherwise, if we are going to make it our business, then lets take over the country, own the resources, and clear out or kill the people you are so worried about.

[rrrod]

This is an explosive situation and of course obama will definitely side with Chaves/Maduro communist. Also the Cuban military and secret police are all over Venezuela as are the N Koreans and Iranians to a lesser extent.

While the people of Venezuela have nada the state run grand hotels (of another era) are running Tv ads all over S America showing great food, golf courses and so on.

There is only one country capable of helping militarily is Colombia and unless attacked this wont amount to much. A new coalition may be formed soon bringing in the new gov. of Argentina but that wont help the current crisis.

[rrrod]

well stated.

[rrrod]

You are correct. I live part time in Colombia and have met lot of Venezuelans that have been able to escape. There are a lot in Medellin. I also know some Colombians stuck in Venezuela.....tough situation. I wish them all the best and hope they can turn their country around. There will be blood but unfortunately not enough of the commie blood.

[tflabo]

I guess blaming the Imperialist Yanquis Estados Unitos doesn’t quite ring the bell for the big stump Maduro anymore. Lying leftist socialistas rundown to empty eventually.