Posted on 03/18/2017 2:10:43 PM PDT by Kaslin
It was only yesterday when Ed was talking about the decision by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to crack down on “illegal bakers” who were committing the unimaginable sin of making brownies using… flour. As ridiculous as the story sounds, it was only one more of many bricks in a constantly growing wall which should be telling us that this guy needs to go. The people of Venezuela are literally starving to death in the streets while Maduro and his cronies continue to eat well and live comfortable lifestyles. But what, if anything, can we realistically do about it?
The editorial board of the Washington Post has actually put forth some suggestions which deserve a serious look. I rarely get the opportunity to agree with the WaPo editors, so when they get something right I’m more than willing to step up and say so. In this case they go so far as to describe the situation as one where President Trump can actually “correct the mistakes of the Obama administration.”
AS VENEZUELA has plunged deeper and deeper into a economic, political and humanitarian crisis, its regional neighbors and the United States have stood back, refusing to adopt meaningful collective measures to pressure the authoritarian regime of Nicolás Maduro and instead hiding behind appeals for “dialogue” with the democratic opposition. Now the region’s leaders are being bluntly called out by the secretary general of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, who says the strategy has been a feckless failure and that collective action is imperative to restore Venezuelan democracy. The Obama adminisration ignored Mr. Almagro when he made a similar appeal last year. The Trump administration should listen to him.
Mr. Almagro, a former Uruguayan foreign minister, is anything but the right-wing fascist that Mr. Maduro’s propaganda describes. He is, rather, a leftist liberal democrat who has committed himself to defending the Inter-American Democratic Charter, a treaty adopted by the 34 OAS nations in 2001 that provides for action — including the suspension of OAS membership — when states breach democratic norms such as free elections, freedom of assembly and free speech.
The Venezuelan regime, says a 73-page report issued Tuesday by Mr. Almagro, “is in violation of every article of the Inter-American Democratic Charter.” As he put it, his report is “brimming with abuses, rights violations, curtailment of civil, political and electoral freedoms, poverty, hunger, deprivation of liberty, torture, censorship, and the whole catalogue of violations of political, social and personal dignity.”
There’s something to be said for a plan which could exert true leverage while not going completely overboard and making a situation worse. The Organization of American States isn’t a terribly powerful or frequently discussed entity like NATO, but they do retain some influence in the Western Hemisphere. Booting Venezuela out of the OAS (or at least seriously threatening to do so and providing a deadline for action) could really get Maduro’s attention because it would jeopardize funding and emergency management resources which he is no doubt heavily relying upon.
It should be easily within Donald Trump’s power to use the influence of the United States among other member nations and cobble together the votes necessary to make this happen. (The President gave indications in February that he was ready to step in and get involved in the deteriorating situation in Venezuela.) It would also signify a productive use of power and influence without getting too carried away. As the Washington Post article indicates, there are others in the OAS who are demanding “concrete action” to remove this tyrant from the presidential palace. But what does that even mean? I certainly hope nobody is talking about military intervention at this point. It’s not as if we aren’t already rather busy on that front and the last thing we need is to be getting involved in a land war in South America.
In the end, I wholeheartedly agree that Maduro indeed needs to go. But the only people who can make that happen are the citizens of Venezuela. Thus far they have been attempting to accomplish this through strictly democratic and admirable means, but their efforts have been thwarted by Maduro’s iron control of the judiciary and ominous influence over too many legislators. In the end, it may indeed prove necessary for Maduro to be removed by force. But as with all such revolutions, it is only the subjects of the tyrant who have standing to make that sort of radical change. If they did it, however, it would certainly open the door for the United States and other more democratically organized nations to step into the vacuum with assistance for the citizens and stabilize this rapidly disintegrating country.
Build the wall and let Venezuela figure out what’s wrong - if they ever do.
An original thought: Lead from behind.
Only an ignorant liberal could come up with that.
Fund the Contras, again!
We contribute cash to the Venezuelan regime each day by buying more than a million of barrels of oil from them each day.
Rich Eating Well in Venezuela, Basque Executive Shows
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3435902/posts
VENEZUELA Trade Partners
Exports:
US 26.6%, India 13.7%, China 11.7%, Cuba 6.4% (2015)
Imports:
US 18.4%, China 15.3%, Brazil 9.7%, Colombia 5.9%, Mexico 4.2% (2015)
CIA World Factbook
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ve.html
I hope this happens. I hope Trump puts pressure on Maduro to shape up his governing or be removed from the Organization of American States. This would jeopardize further funding of emergency management resources. One of the few reliable sources of financing during Maduro’s severe recession.
If Trump decided to get us involved in this matter, he will need to make sure the entire event is fully explained to the American public from his perspective. You know the Dems will call it ‘interfering and misguided attempts at nation building’.
Why should we do anything.......?? they voted for Chavez and Maduro and they are getting what they voted for.
Look in your gas tank.
Around 10% of that gas was made from Venezuelan oil.
Trumps the type that will listen to any offer. Thing is, Venezuela is like TWD. They’re slowly turning like N. Korea.
The play maybe to tighten relations with neighboring countries like Columbia. Get some tight relations going in the caribbean and latin America — so that when Venezuela falls, we’re there to influence it’s putting back together.
Our previous strength allowed us to fend off China to the west and muddle in Euro-asian politics for decades. Now we are not so strong and the thought of a two front war is no longer feasible. It was never a good idea though.
Our latin american Influence is in jeopardy. Our European influence is fading quickly and Pac Rim influence has become too expensive.
Nationalize CITGO for the future benefit of the peeps.
I expect PT to make the right move on Venezuela at a time of his choosing.
Maduro is an authoritarian communist as was Chavez. Courts and law mean nothing if you have the Army at your back. This is ended only by the gun barrel of a rifle. The normal populace do not have the rifle. The Army and criminals and criminal elements that work for the government have the rifles.
Flood Venezuela with rifles and sidearms and ammunition for both. Armies are trained to fight on a battlefield. They are not trained to fight a million snipers with quality weapons. The people of Venezuela are hungry and angry. They will use the weapons.
Kaslin is right, this must be decided by the people of Venezuela. Give them the tools to decide their fate. It should be noted that when the noncoms and enlisted no longer will obey orders to fight, the Generals without exception will dispose of the President. It is called survival.
ps
I lived a couple of years in Venezuela back in the late 70s. It was good. The nation was corrupt but no more corrupt than our nation, perhaps less. They had a thriving economy and the shelves of the stores were full of anything you wanted. Yes, there were poor but they were not starving. The pharmacies had any medicine that was needed. You could get quality medical care if you could pay for it. Today no one gets quality medical care unless you are part of the ruling elite communist cast.
It is so sad that a nation of such incredible wealth is an economic disaster today. They have the worlds largest reserves of conventional oil. If you consider shale oil the USA is the largest.
I will go back to Venezuela one day after Maduro is either dead, in prison or exile. Until then, Columbia is beautiful.
Maduro is an authoritarian communist as was Chavez. Courts and law mean nothing if you have the Army at your back. This is ended only by the gun barrel of a rifle. The normal populace do not have the rifle. The Army and criminals and criminal elements that work for the government have the rifles.
Flood Venezuela with rifles and sidearms and ammunition for both. Armies are trained to fight on a battlefield. They are not trained to fight a million snipers with quality weapons. The people of Venezuela are hungry and angry. They will use the weapons.
Kaslin is right, this must be decided by the people of Venezuela. Give them the tools to decide their fate. It should be noted that when the noncoms and enlisted no longer will obey orders to fight, the Generals without exception will dispose of the President. It is called survival.
ps
I lived a couple of years in Venezuela back in the late 70s. It was good. The nation was corrupt but no more corrupt than our nation, perhaps less. They had a thriving economy and the shelves of the stores were full of anything you wanted. Yes, there were poor but they were not starving. The pharmacies had any medicine that was needed. You could get quality medical care if you could pay for it. Today no one gets quality medical care unless you are part of the ruling elite communist cast.
It is so sad that a nation of such incredible wealth is an economic disaster today. They have the worlds largest reserves of conventional oil. If you consider shale oil the USA is the largest.
I will go back to Venezuela one day after Maduro is either dead, in prison o exile. Until then, Columbia is beautiful.
Arm the citizens. Let them hang the commies from street lamps.
Exactly.
How about minding our own business
In Oregon we destroy bakeries that won’t bake a cake.
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