Can't anyone in this country accept that just because a country has a bad leader--who has failed in part because of his own vice and to as great a degree because of BRUTAL US sanctions, the unstable price of oil, and intense meddling on the part of the US and other western counties--that leader's failure DOES NOT GIVE US THE RIGHT TO CONTROL THE COUNTRY. Here we go again as in Chile, Honduras, Grenada, Haiti--down south---and don't get me started on the Middle East and the lies about WMD's. There are no good players in this crisis. Guaido and Lopez of the opposition have been involved in plenty of violent protesting in which Venezuelans died. The Venezuelan people need negotiations and help--not a takeover by the US and Canadian companies who want their old and precious metals.
That Trump, Pence, Pompeo and Bolton care about the welfare and freedom of the Venezuelan people is ludicrous. They don't care about the welfare and freedom of their own people. Hands off Venezuela!
18
@Tenfork
I think you miss the truth. Maduro is illegitimate. The last elections gave control to the opposition in the legislature. Maduro responded to this by claiming a right he does not have and dismissing them all and appointing his own people. I think this is him defacto resigning his legal position by claiming to be above the law.
The legislature that was elected is the only legitimate government there now. And I am led to believe that the default President in this situation is the leader of the legislature which I understand is Mr Guaido.
Maduro had taken over from Chavez who like him was also a kleptocrat.
18
@Tenfork The "brutal" US sanctions you speak of really are targeted at members of the ruling class. We have still been buying oil from them (unlike Iran), and their neighbors haven't cut ties, either. This is a wholly self-inflicted catastrophe. The Chavez and Maduro governments destroyed the country's cash-cow by milking the state oil company dry and driving away its former competent administration. The only shame is that the litany of former US abuses in Latin America and the Caribbean you mention makes it difficult for the US and our Latin allies to intervene in this case. The sacred cow of sovereignty only exists by the beneficence of the powerful anyhow- there is no natural "right" that says the US can't intervene...
5
@magicisnotreal
I do not wish to argue for Maduro's right to rule, but rather against my country's right to decide the fate of Venezuela because I do not believe the US has the best interest of Venezuela's people at heart. Check out Rubio's and Bolton's claims that this coup will be good for American oil compa nies and jobs. Maduro's election was marred by the opposition's refusal to run and the UN's refusal to oversee the election--although Maduro asked for their oversight. Again--no good players in this crisis. Venezuela needs help--not sanctions--and talks--not bombs, and I am afraid my country will subject it to the latter. The US does not mess with countries to bring them democracy: it messes in their affairs to push in its corporations. We have put in place or backed MANY brutal right wing dictators only because they serve our corporate ends. I do not miss the point.
5
This isn't about "aid" for Venezuelans but about the U.S. providing the opposition with a tool for political leverage, otherwise the aid would have been distributed though non-partisan NGOS like the Red Cross who already have networks in place to most effectively distribute it.
11
@Diego
There are certainly much worse things than trying to make a political statement by feeding starving people or curing sick people. Or is the fact that the US is involved make you claim it's evil?
12
@Diego unless the boxes of medicine and food are styrofoam props, the aid is desperately needed and will save lives. And why is engaging in political opposition against a ruthless dictator a bad thing?
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@Diego The Venezuelan government isn't letting private relief groups (Caritas, Red Cross) bring food in. Look at the picture.
4
Who is really responsible for the mess of Venezuela? As usual no one else but the great super power USA. Yes, we had imposed financial embargo on Venezuela when their great President Hugo was in power, and that embargo was continued with more and more punitive measures for the last 10-15 years, crumbling not only democracy but the daily public lives. In this period we also attempted several military and political cups to over throw the elected government. Now when the Country is almost at the dead stage we are blaming their rulers, it just like we are blaming Saddam Hussein, Gaddhafi , Assad and so on for the ruin of their empires.
4
@rosy dahodi There was no financial embargo until about a week ago. The Venezuelan government did this to its own people. The poor are starving, and anyone who can leave is doing so.
19
Hussein, Gaddhafi, Assad? I’d love to hear that explanation
@rosy dahodi. Sorry but Chavez was a thug who took my wife's job away because her media outlet asked his government why the 'great President' was only giving food aid and housing to those poor who attended his rallies wearing red shirts. The only reason Venez is in trouble is because of a narco dictatorship gone wrong. Chavez nationalized everything in sight, putting people with no talent in charge (PDVESA as an example), who, end the end, proved more corrupt that the previous bunch.
2
The NYTimes shows it political bias when the writer Richard Perez-Peña, wrote "Juan Guaidó, declared himself interim president last month and promised to organize new elections". The Venezuela's constitution bring that power to the Congress President, He does not declare himself interim president is the law. The only whose declare himself president was Maduro because: 1. Maduro born in Colombia and by the constitution he will not be able to run for president of Venezuela, 2. They declare the National assembly in "desacato" but never call to new election with the only idea to destroy the opposition majority inside the congress. 3. He create the new National Assembly (Cuban Style) parallel to the real one, again the law and the constitution. 4. He never call elections of new candidates for the CNE (National Election Committee) he keep the same characters since Chavez was alive. 5. The constitution said than he need to get the inauguration of the presidency on the national assembly (congress) but he did that on his "supreme court" assembly were the supreme court president is a two times assassin with conviction and proves of the crimes... Then ... Who is the self declared WHO?
2
Looks like a perfect situation for several large bulldozers leading that convoy
"aid" like what? guns?
As Italian I’m quite happy that we do not have already recognise Guaido as legitimate leader, I think that the only support we can offer is a negotiation table where they discuss about the next, Maduro or Guaido ( and both are asking the pope to do that).
Actually are more that 3 years that lot of Venezuelans are disappointed with the Maduro’s politic, but that shouldn’t be our business.
1
People are starving, and the "bolivarian" "socialist" government won't let relief in.
3
@Jonathan Katz
The stench is nauseating. Had the aid countries the interest of the people of Venezuela at hand, the better option would have been to work simultaneously with both Maduro and Juan Guaido in formulating a way for receiving and the distribution of the food and medicine to the people.
But the cynicism of the end run of Maduro created the foul odor emanating from it all.
the ny times and donald trump both hate and fear socialism. which side are on?
2
Maduro's cruelty is a mere addition to his corrupted, and incompetent, despotism.He must go, for the good of Venezuelan people. It has been argued that, to face institutionalized violence, a like force may be a right measure to restore justice.
12
@manfred marcus;Is that not an issue for the Venezuelans to work out themselves? Was that not our position on Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Palestine and Latvia among other countries? Where exactly do we have the lawful or moral right to decide what government a sovereign nation is supposed to have?
5
@RFMollison Indeed, Venezuelans themselves must stand for their freedom. But when those being abused, and starved, are unable to speak up, the international community ought not be complicit with their silence. This is called solidarity, our duty to denounce injustice when we see it. And world ethics must be our goal. Venezuela, at the moment, has lost it's ability to self-govern under Maduro's dictatorship and needs other nations to condemn it. It is in everybody's interest finding a peaceful solution, and the well being of Venezuela does affects the rest of us. As it should. I understand that some would prefer to look the other way, as long as it doesn't affect them personally; but if and whenever it does, who is going to be left, come to their rescue?
3
The Maduro end will come when he accepts the Swiss bank account and gets on his private jet to a nice retreat. The miserable people of his country have to wait this out, but at least they may get some medicine, food and toilet paper from outside.
4
@sftaxpayer .... If the Red Cross went in you would get into a conflict with the corrupt Maduristas who control food distribution in the country. The middle and upper ranking men in the army and the Chavista's decide who is 'good and bad' and hand over food as they see fit . They don't want competition. Maduro is not blocking the the highway, he is blocking life.
1
@sftaxpayer The problem is that he most probably already have a Swiss bank account paid for by Russia. The top military people on which his reign relies have probably the same too. Instead of private jets though they would be promised a tragic faith if they just surrender.
Russia has literally millions already invested in the country. If they manage to maintain control of the country the oil reserve they could take advantage of are worth billions. Do you think they care if the Venezuelans are starving (or if Maduro tortures his opponents)? Russia is all-in on this one, so unless Guaido’s allies play their card well, Maduro will win.
Is the Red Cross an international aid group or an international 'if the aid is o.k. with everyone on the ground' group? Their stance in this effort is astounding to me. Perhaps it needs a more detailed explanation.
5
The Venezuelans in NYT photos look well enough fed. Certainly, they look nothing like the Yemenis who are really starving.
There are real shortages in Venezuela, and life is hard. But that is the situation the US has worked hard to bring about to make its regime change plans easier.
The US has been funding opposition groups since its attempted coup against Chavez in 2002. Juan Guaido was probably picked and groomed by the US for this role.
It is never democracy that the US cares about, it is simply about the US intending to remain top dog in the world even if it means destroying whole countries and hundreds of thousands of lives.
That aid shipment is not so much for the aid, but to provoke confrontation
6
Bread not bullets, Medicine not morgues. Compassion not cluster munitions. Kitchens not killing.
4
@Lawrence, I will be agree with you if the two sizes have the same tools. The bullets are in the government hands but the majority is again the government (85 to 90%). We already have 20K Cuban inside the country, inside the military and in each government office and secretary, and that happen in 20th years of Narco-Communist. Then what is your idea of bread and not bullets now?
There are no soldiers guarding this blockage. Maybe no one in the military wants any part of it.
4
What a sad irony!
Of course, what was to be a blessing to the country, the oil, is what really drives mighty foreign party, as countries and multinationals companies to intervene in Venezuela under the pretext of relieving the country of a tyrannical government, even though those foreign countries that now want to intervene in the Venezuelan oil ... I mean, in Venezuelan society are the same parties who have already become accustomed to killing civilians around the world in the last 200 years.
6
@Unbiased guy,I think you miss the truth. Maduro is illegitimate. The last elections gave control to the opposition in the legislature. Maduro responded to this by claiming a right he does not have and dismissing them all and appointing his own people. I think this is him defacto resigning his legal position by claiming to be above the law.
The legislature that was elected is the only legitimate government there now. And I am led to believe that the default President in this situation is the leader of the legislature which I understand is Mr Guaido.
Maduro had taken over from Chavez who like him was also a kleptocrat.
3
There is an epidemic (or maybe it's always been true?) of world leaders who think the world circles around them. Other people are just objects to use, with needs that are to be avoided or quashed.
2
@Roy G. Biv ... Are you talking about the poor, impoverished and tortured in Venez asking world leaders for near 20 years for help?
1
How pathetic of Maduro to block aid from his own failing state.
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@Tony C
The purpose of that "aid" is not to help the Venezuelans, but to provoke serious confrontation to aid the US effort of regime change.
9
@Lucy Cooke How do you "provoke serious confrontation" or "aid...regime change" with rice, beans and corn flour?
5
Forget the purpose of the aid. What would be the result of the aid? Aiding people presumably. Maduro’s act of refusing the aid is entirely political as well. It underscores his failure. Whose political stance helps the Venezuelan people the most? Hint: not Maduro.
5
I can't believe the military hasn't bailed.
4
@EJ Why would they? They are being very well paid and well taken cared of by Maduro, the Cubans, the Russians, and Chinese. Intentionally, just to prevent the sort of coups that Chavez himself did back in the 90s. This will get ugly. Hopefully, Venezuela doesn't turn into Syria or Libya if Maduro and the military decide to fight back.
12
Incredible. The borders of states are not set. One is falling before us. We are actively protecting ours. Statecraft gears churn smoothly with human blood as the oil.
..it's the beginning of the end for Nicolas Maduro.
7
Go on lefties, defend Maduro after this, please. Tell us how the medicine is part of a sinister plot by outside forces (esp. the US), to carry out a coup against the peaceful, democratically elected government.
This image is truly Maduro in a nutshell.
33
This is a false dichotomy. Most on the US left will agree that Maduro is a terrible and corrupt leader. While the aid is much needed, do you honestly believe that Trump cares about ordinary Venezuelans? If you read modern US-South American history, the US has repeatedly supported dictators over democratically elected leaders to promote US interests. This often strengthened oligarchic power and limited economic mobility for ordinary people. For example, children would need to leave school to work in factories, mines, or farms to help their families. Without an education, the cycle of poverty repeats itself. Chavez and Maduro are a product of the brutal system that preceded them.
I hope Guaido may have a different vision than the traditional left and traditional right of Venezuala. If power were to change, the US should worry less about its interests and more about ensuring every Venezualen has a fair chance to avoid the rise of another populist demagogue.
2
Well, now we know whose side the general are on and its not the side of starving people. But we knew that already.
30
@Me
The generals are on the side of the law. The purpose of the aid shipment is an attempt to validate Juan Guaido as interim President and make Maduro in effect, irrelevant.
The Generals are following the constitutional laws. Those that are supporting this circus, are not.
1