All this might be more persuasive if NYT had any moral authority in the matter. But note that NYT has failed to:
1) report on or even refer to the vast gains of ordinary people during the Chavez years, including dramatic reductions in poverty, homelessness and hunger
2) examine the actual effects of U.S. sanctions
3) report on remarkably brazen admissions by the likes of John Bolton and Marco Rubio on U.S. interests in Venezuelan oil, and
4) acknowledge that its editorial board supported and celebrated the last coup attempt, long before this crisis.
23
@jrd - - You hit that one out of the park. Thanks, it's worth saving to reuse.
This piece is just more pro-war propaganda. I'd be leaving too if I thought the US was going to instigate a civil war at minimum or an all out invasion at max.
2
@jrd
Also not true that Maduro is blocking the humanitarian aid. The aid is on a road/bridge that was never used in Venezuela. The whole thing is a sham orchestrated by the US. Check out Intercept podcast below.
https://theintercept.com/2019/02/20/regime-change-we-can-believe-in-the-u-s-agenda-in-venezuela-haiti-and-egypt/
1
Let's not forget how the US sanctions imposed on Venezuela has contributed enormously to this crisis and are making it worse daily.
27
@Gina DeShera the sanctions are new. The problems with scarcity started well before the sanctions, because billions of dollars of Venezuelan wealth were pilfered by politicians who all have big bank accounts worldwide while Venezuelans scrape by.
11
@Gina DeShera
No, let’s not forget that it’s been the Chavez-Maduro regime’s adherence to ruinous cronyism and Marxist-Leninist economics that’s caused the suffering in Venezuela, not US sanctions.
12
@Gina DeShera
US sanctions on Venezuela began in 2011, under Obama's presidency, and were largely symbolic, not affecting trade between Venezuela's nationalized oil company and the US. Later sanctions targeted members of the corrupt Venezuelan government personally, and were not aimed at crippling the country's economy.
By the time Trump came into office and started slinging sanctions of his own, Venezuela's economy was already in free fall. That didn't stop Maduro from using the USA as a scapegoat for his own incompetence and corruption.
8
The problem is not socialism or capitalism. It's corruption. Maduro, Chavez and their governments duped their people with handouts while they robbed the country. Now those chickens have come home to roost. Same old story.
6
I love how a ton of people are redirecting this back to Trump. Trump has nothing to do with the mismanagement of Venezuela's government and natural resources or their terrible rulers. Running away never solves the problem. Venezuela will not improve if the citizens do not stay and fix the problem. It's sad that the people have to live in these conditions, but giving the country a boat-load of money is not going to authentically stimulate their economy. If other countries want to be like us, then they need to adopt our style of government. It will help their countries prosper, increase national pride, and improve their economy, not to mention it'll retain their population and increase employment. But people love power and corruption.
5
Many commenters, in their defense of socialism, point to Denmark as a socialist counterpoint to the failures of Venezuela.
This is a false. Venezuela is a self proclaimed socialist country; Denmark would not make such a claim.
Denmark is a free market, capitalist country, albeit one with relatively high personal taxes which fund relatively generous social welfare programs. But the government is currently led by the pro-business, conservative (in spite of their name) Liberal Party. Denmark’s companies are privately owned (they may be listed on the stock exchange but are not government owned or controlled). The largest and best known companies include Maersk (shipping), Novo Nordisk (pharma), LEGO (toys).
Denmark is ranked as having the most free labor markets in Europe by the World Bank. It has no minimum wage legislation, and companies are free to hire and fire at will.
Corporate taxes at 22% approach the (new, lower) rate in the US. Unlike socialist countries, Denmark makes it easy to start a new company and encourages entrepreneurship.
Denmark does have higher personal tax rates than much of Europe (although France is higher). And it does have generous social welfare programs. While business are free to hire and fire, workers who lose their jobs enjoy substantial unemployment benefits.
Denmark is a small (fewer than six million people) country—smaller than Singapore. Danes know that a successful free market economy is necessary to support its welfare programs.
19
"The opposition and Mr. Maduro are at loggerheads over the delivery of humanitarian aid..." this is grossly misleading. The trucks parked on the Colombian border are not "humanitarian aid," at least not according to the International Red Cross and the United Nations. That's why both have refused to collaborate with the U.S. in this ruse - a ruse designed to foment a coup.
2
It is these real refugees fleeing the evil of socialism we should be welcoming with open arms, not the frauds storming the border.
To those bashing "socialism" and using Venezuela as an example of how bad it is, I suggest they look up the definition of the word "aberration." That is what Venezuela is. Sweden, Finland etc. are examples of how socialism works well and for the benefit of their citizens.
4
Guess Trump better get his “big beautiful wall” soon, or else the U.S. will be overrun by migrants from Venezuela (as the President will claim). If Trump read anything other than reporting on all things Trump, he would no doubt consider this story validation of his National Emergency proclamation.
4
Plenty of Venezuelan expatriates driving around Weston Florida in BMWs and Mercedes where did all their money come from
11
if Venezuela did not have oil nobody in the United States government would care about anything that has to do with Venezuela
9
The story that the NYT won't tell is how the US sanctions are driving the economic crisis, human misery and migration in Venezuela. US sanctions have made it virtually impossible to maintain the oil fields and extract the oil that has been the lifeblood of Venezuela since the mid-20th century.
And as President Trump weaponizes humanitarian aid and escalates his rhetoric of military aggression against Venezuela, the NYTs does exactly what it did in the lead-up to the illegal and immoral Iraq war - it provides biased and inaccurate analysis of the crisis.
Intentional or not, this gives cover to the worse foreign policy hawks tolerated since the Reagan administration - the Iran-Contra felon and genocide apologist Elliott Abrams and super hawk John Bolton.
12
US has aimed sanctions directly at Venezuela and prevented the democratically elected government from access to international credit. This is part and parcel of a siege placed on Venezuela for the audacity of electing a Socialist president. This siege is the latest US effort to inflict regime change. As in Syria, another government targeted, a human rights catastrophe is unfolding. These refugees will be at our border soon. Will the NYT be blaming Maduro?
10
A friend, writing from Columbia, confirmed the magnitude of suffering now happening: “... we see them every day. everywhere I've been: peru, ecuador, colombia. selling little candies or a handful of fruit, picking through trash for recyclables, washing windshields, performing mime, juggling at stop lights, standing quietly in front of supermarkets with a sign with only one word: "venezolano" - but very few begging. it is beyond imagining.”
3
A year ago eating out in the courtyards of restaurants in Colombia was a pleasure, now I ask for an inside table. The continuous stream of Venezuelan refugees trying to survive by selling candies, or just pleading for money is a nightmare. Restaurants are supportive, giving food and water, but until the toxic regime in Venezuela is replaced more and more people will be forced to flee and goodwill has its limits. On the other hand maybe this is a rehearsal for what will happen when climate change really bites and desertification forces people to relocate. More and more we have become concerned about borders, protecting our own national boundaries, none more so than in my own country Britain, with a Prime Minister who clearly has a problem with “foreigners”. If globally we don’t become more relaxed about this we will condemn millions more to the situation that the Venezuelans in Colombia find themselves. No security, no home and no prospects.
1
Just reading through the comments, I see many comments that scoff at the fact that socialism is not mentioned in this article implying that the socialist economic policies alone are to blame for this. I understand that many people have doubts about socialist policies but they can't ignore that the main reason that Venezuela has come to this state is because a corrupt man vows to maintain power and is putting others at harm in that pursuit. This is someone who has unconstitutionally dissolved the original supreme court and loaded it with loyalist. They have stripped all power for the national assembly which is closest branch of government to the people, similar to how the house of representatives is closest to the American people when compared to the Senate. He uses military and local thugs to crackdown on protests. He hoards all of the state's wealth for himself and his loyal supporters. Honestly, this is no different than other authoritarian regimes like the one in Russia and Poland. Russia is a so called "communist" regime. Poland has a far right nationalist president. And Venezuala has a "Socialist" government. All very different governing systems but all share one thing, corrupt politicians. Remember, there are many Nordic countries like Norway and Sweden that have Democratic-Socialist policies and they are thriving economically where income inequality is far less than most other countries. Solely blaming Socialism is naive.
- From someone who is not a Socialist
11
Socialism does two things, produces corrupt politicians, and makes everyone poor. Where did you get the idea that income inequality is a bad thing? How about i declare that i want to be an NBA player, and complain that LeBron James makes too much money compared to me? Does he not deserve what he's earned? Who gets to decide what his income "should" be? You? Some beaurocrat? How are you injured by Bill Gates' fortune while you peck out messages in a software he invented?
7
socialism is working pretty well in Sweden Norway Denmark just to name a few
13
Consider this: In 1982, the first Forbes 400 list had only 13 billionaires, and a net worth of $75 million secured a spot on the list.
In 2018, a record 204 billionaires weren’t wealthy enough to crack the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans. The cutoff to the make the list was higher than ever: $2.1 billion, up $100 million from last year.
Such a massive amount of wealth driven upwards— THAT is what foments corruption and high crimes. That is what undoes democracy, when multi-billionaires have enough lucre to buy a presidency, or even an entire government.
4
I notice with sadness that many on the right want to try and equate Venezuela's failed state to socialism. They will not, however, accept the considerable success of socialist programs in France, Germany, Spain, Norway, Iceland, and many other countries. Perhaps it goes against their belief system.
15
The US has led a massive political and economic Venezuelan destabilization campaign in Venezuela. One slice of that campaign, the financial strangulation since 2015, is documented here http://misionverdad.com/mv-in-english/financial-blockade-chronology-of-a-strategy-to-destroy-venezuela.
3
Venezuela is a beautiful country with beautiful beaches, Andes mountains, the Orinoco river, with unique animal life and plants. It has the potential to be a totally stable economic country. What prevents Venezuela from being a great country is the red communist government it has. Please don’t be nice and call Venezuela a socialist country. Those living in the capital of Caracas even have a problem buying daily toilet articles, bath soap, even food. Even children are dying from hunger.
Our country must learn from the fractures of Venezuela, WWII German Nazi empire, the Roman empire, and the Greek empire and other countries where the people gave too much power to their central government, and latter regretted their action but could do nothing to reverse their horrible future. Total freedom to do whatever you want is a fictitious crystal ball dream. Nothing is free, not even freedom. Everything has a price to pay.
5
Ain't socialism great? Have to wonder what AOC and Bernie thinks about this?
6
Seems that prior to the election of Chavez, I believe around 1998, the poor people were benefiting very little from the vast oil resources of their country when Venezuela’s oil was in the control of big oil companies. That is why Chávez, and now Maduro, was so popular with the ordinary folks.
6
Venezuela nationalized oil production in 1976. Until Chavez though, benefits flowed to the whiter upper classes. Things could have worked out except Chavez and Madura were totally incompetent at business and production of oil steadily declined.
The oil fields can be put back to higher production, but it take educated and skilled workers, not political cronies, to produce and refine oil.
I am definitely against any US intervention in Venezuela but if Canada or another South American country intervened that would be a good thing.
4
Maduro's Socialism proved that it is NAZI/STASI type socialism feeds on human misery.
You won't be remembered good by any measure mr. maduro, you are one of the most incompetent politician ever seen.
8
If we truly want to help Venezuela why not stop the sanctions and let them sell their oil? Further, rather than trying to overthrow their president to install someone favorable to our agenda, send a few of our renowned economists to help Maduro/Venezuela right their economy?
2
@e.s.
The US cares only about its national interest, and it intends to control Venezuela's vast oil reserves by putting its puppet Guaido in charge.
e.s., you might want to google what US economists did to Russia during Yeltsin's presidency.
or check out The Economic Hit Man.
all very depressing
May this planet survive US violence and plundering.
5
Bernie's vision of a socialist America.
5
A regime without a heart. None of the families that run from Venezuela are happy when they lost everything. This is not imperialist propaganda. These are human beings. We love you dear brothers. You helped many Colombians before. We remember that the last time was during the disastrous government of Ernesto Samper. Yes, the same guy that said"Aquí estoy y aqui me quedo". Yes, when interests rates went to 100% per year.
We love you dear Venezuelan brothers.
6
Millions are again fleeing yet another erstwhile socialist paradise, this time on foot, just as Cubans left their socialist paradise on rubber rafts. Maybe when that happens in the US, the refugees can use Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez new high speed rail system, driven by vegan engineers.
Or maybe we will be spared the lunacy.
12
@Chuck French
I guess that explains the vast exodus from Western Europe and Scandinavia....
You know, the places with all the things you hate -- high speed rail, mandatory vacations, universal health care, healthy food, free higher education, etc. etc. etc.
BTW, Venezuela has never been a socialist country. It's true the oil industry was nationalized in the 1970s (long before Cesar Chazvez), but private ownership was and is the norm.
10
I think you meant our, fortunately deceased, Intergalactic Supreme Leader Hugo Chavez. The only similarity between Scandinavia’s socialism and Venezuela is our taste for vodka and other hard liquors. Mom met dad while working for an oil company in Venezuela. I grew up in a functioning democracy prior to the expropriation, er, nationalization. It kinda worked because the government at the time kept the industry’s governance intact, the check and balances and its core mission.
4
@Anti Communist
before the US worked hard to oust first Chavez, and now Maduro.
And when the first US supported coup failed, the US funded opposition groups and did everything possible to make sure that Venezuela could not succeed.
Thank the US for the present situation in Venezuela.
The wealth/income inequality in the US and throughout much of the world is huge.
And the US Establishment intends to keep the wealth/income inequality huge.
There is no way the US Establishment could allow a socialist oriented government to succeed.
2
Imagine if in 1776 facing an oppressive king and military from the world's superpower of the day, we had simply packed our bags and walked to Mexico. Would would be of us?
Venezuelans that few oppressed need to stand up and fight, not flee.
The very notion of Democrats and liberal that we should allow citizens of failed states like Venezuela, Honduras, Libya, Syria to take residence in the US and Europe is what prevents real solutions.
We should make it clear to citizens of those countries that they and they alone are responsible for staying, fighting and fixing their countries.
Stop running from the problem. Confront the problem.
7
@Baron95 Ah! history: a) The Minutemen and the Continental Army had weapons equivalent to those used by the British army. Our Minutemen have slingshots, sticks and stones against an army with modern weapons, including propaganda in social media. It's an army that didn't spend months crossing the ocean in wooden ships. b) Washington's army retreated across the Jerseys in harrowing conditions at Fort Lee dragging civilians at their wake who packed their bags and ran for their lives. Our Minutemen (and women) are in the streets fighting right now all alone (there are no Marquis of Lafayette equivalents in Caracas throwing stones to the "Colectivos" a.k.a. government goons) c) What was John Adam and his son Quincy doing in Paris and Holland in 1777? What was Ben Franklin doing in Paris? A: Asking for help. Why didn't the self-made America go at it alone? Help is what Mr. Guaidó and his supporters are doing right now. The problem is being confronted fighting with, practically, bare hands. With a population of 36M, the weakest, sick and hungry have no choice but to walk from battle or face starvation.
Don't get me wrong, I don't condone wholesale migrations from failed states. Obama and the Democrats couldn't care less about Venezuela for many years even with mounting evidence. However, don't tell me that other nations with interests in Venezuela i.e. Cuba, China, Russia, Turkey, Iran and the USA are not co-responsible for what has happened and what will happen there.
4
I like the last paragraph...
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/02/trump-likes-beautiful-border-walls-venezuela-should-build-him-one.html
1
The US should probably do more to help than impose sanctions and depose the leader, but I am not sure that our government can be trusted to do anything positive. It will be up to the surrounding nations to help these poor people.
5
Yes, this is heartbreaking, but the USA bears much of the blame for this crisis. Sanctions are a war against a population, and our administration is now preparing for an actual civil war. This is about the oil and fears of socialism, which our administration has claimed is a great ill in S.A. It bothers me that too many do not realize that Guaido is not an innocent freedom fighter but a puppet willing to do Trump's administration's bidding. The United States should keep its hands off Venezuela, offer humanitarian aid, and stop the crippling sanctions. Most Americans are only hearing one-sided news, which is typical since most people pay little attention. I would like TNYT to give a more balanced account of this crisis.
6
“...They are fleeing dangerous shortages of food, water, electricity and medicine...
.....
Venezuela has the largest proven reserves of oil, of any country in the world...
And had competitive production facilities – until Chávez (go ahead and argue that Maduro isn’t a socialist – you also going to argue that Chávez wasn’t???) expropriated them...
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/business/worldbusiness/27oil.html
“...as a sign that President Hugo Chávez was pressing ahead with efforts to assert greater authority over some of the most coveted oil reserves in the Western Hemisphere. It came after months of negotiations in which several of the world’s largest private oil companies tried to salvage some kind of minority ownership role...
“...may not have an immediate impact on American energy supplies, but any increase in oil prices that does result will only help Mr. Chávez finance his broadening government social policies...
“...A possible vacuum in expertise could eventually be filled by Chinese, Iranian or other state oil companies. In any case, most energy experts believe that the Venezuelan state oil company will be hard pressed to sustain production levels without American expertise...
Only thing now free in the place – hundred-million Bolivar bags of Venezuelan currency...
PS
Our Progressives should get down there stat – their first move to straighten things out should be to ban non-reusable bags, for carrying around a hundred-million Bolivars...
7
How can we send supplies to Martha Socorro Duque, i.e. what is her address?
If these people just had some patience for crying out loud, the Maduro socialism would work for them. Oh ye of little faith!
5
Far from being concerned with the desperate exodus of millions of Venezuela's starving people, I believe the country's leftist leaders have deliberately orchestrated it. Maduro and his cronies have no interest in the lives of anyone other than their supporters, whom their policies favor. By pushing actual and potential political enemies out of the country, Maduro consolidates his power.
7
Where do you get your information? I’d really like to know.
What is missing from this article is depth, why they are fleeing. What happened to Venezuela? The answer is socialism. And let this be a warning to the fools now in our House of Representatives, and the fools who elected them. Socialism, they think, is all about equality, all about finally leveling the playing field, finally all about getting our fair share. In reality, it is about the power of the elite politicians (over the people) who live like kings and queens while the poeple starve. Venezuela began rich. Socialism destroyed its engine for producing wealth. Now look at the pictures. The rejection of Amazon in Queens is an example of how socialists think. Instead of getting 27 billion in taxes, NYC and state get nothing, and the people there lost out on thousands of real jobs. Complete socialist fools spearheaded a deep step downward for NYC.
11
I beg to differ, lots of real journalists are handing in reports available to any of us from the cities of Venezuela report some dissension on both sides, in atmosphere of tolerance for public protest, and general peace and quiet.
It is the US sanctions, in place for neocon/neoliberal politics, that are diminishing the availability of some resources in the country. And if some people wish to leave, so be it.
Who you gonna trust? Max Blumenthal's Greyzone with reporting on all sides of the issue or the NYT with Venezuelan equivalent of it's Russia scare nonsesnse?
https://grayzoneproject.com/
2
What we need is a coherent immigration policy. Domestic policy, We need a wall to prevent illegal people todo come and We need amnesty for those illegals who have worked hard and honestly for long time, and Foreing Policy, we need yo create an All-America Electoral anf CorruptionCourt, to prevent fleeing from their countries.
That Democrats want open borders is a canard.
2
5-years into a democrat socialist government of Bernie or AOC in this country, and you will see far longer lines of desperate millions lining to escape USA.
2
We complain about Russian interference in our elections,while we try to overthrow the current government of Venezuela! We should keep our bloody hands off of Venezuela and allow the people of Venezuela solve their problems on their own! Look at the results of our helping countries,the devastation and displacement of millions, in Syria, Libya,Iraq,Yemen!
4
And Socialism is working how?
5
Well, let's hope they don't get mixed up with the "caravan" of "rapists and criminals" ("although, I'm sure some are fine people") at the southern U.S. border. They just might be detained, and - if they had children - detained without their kids.
It's funny just how hypocritical Republicans are (and when I say "funny", I actually mean "tragic"). They are totally, predictably, wholly political animals. They support Venezuelans leaving on foot because it helps their anti-Maduro narrative. But, in reality, these bigots simply don't want any more brown-skinned people in this country. What a tough spot for them! (Statement dripping with sarcasm.)
3
It's funny that the economic war that USA has been implementing against Venezuela for years is not mentioned in the article. Maybe the readers would make the connections and understand that this is not only Maduro's fault, but the result of a deliberate attemp by Washington to take control of Venezuela oil (nothing new here, USA has done the same in Lybia, Iraq and others countries) and to push China out of the region. The Times and Washington can fool many Americans, but they do not fool us in Latin Anerica. In the region USA has been toppling regimes, funding death squads, implementing torture, manipulating elections, etc for decades. Who is the biggest friend of USA right now in the region? Bolsonaro, the president of Brasil, a man that praises torture, openly hate blacks and homosexuals and is in route to generate an ecological disaster in the Amazon región.
2
Great, I hope they're not coming to the United States, we are officially closed at the border
2
Instead of fighting Maduro, Trump should have worked with him to help stave off hunger by letting aid go through. The grand stand against Maduro is purely for domestic political reasons to lock-in Florida state in 2020 elections. Trump doesn’t care about the millions of families suffering as long as he gets the Florida. The Venezuelans in Florida should know that Trump doesn’t care about them after 2020 elections, a lesson they should learn from government shutdown.
3
Mexico says don't intervene in the sovereign business of another country. I know the CIA overthrows other nations' leaders all the time, and even kills a few. But the blowback is unpredictable, so why do we feel we HAVE to intervene? It can't be about the oil, can it?
4
@Marty Rowland, Ph.D., P.E
Likely oil and other resources...gold.
At every juncture in history sanctions never hurt the people they intend to - instead they always hurt the poor - they made life more miserable for the poor. No country impose sanctions than the United States. Perhaps we should abandon that policy. Frankly I don't mind a lack of democracy, Singapore for example, if the country can feed its people. For what is freedom of speech without freedom from hunger.
4
The first thing republican presidents do when elected is sign an order that NGOs cannot use american aid and talk about family planning. We are drowning in a sea of humans and losing our humanity. overpopulation and climate change are causing teetering societies to fail. How can the people that campaign to outlaw family planning separate families to punish and deter?
4
This is sadly a clear example of the fact that just because people vote in a leader, doesn't mean that they are any good for the people, the country, etc. Unfortunately, our government with good intentions, has given millions, and billions, to the leaders of countries in Africa, the middle east, central and south America, with disastrous results. I have long believed that no direct money should be sent to any country, only telling all of these countries, that if they allow private groups to come in and build clinics, hospitals, train those that staff them, provide the supplies, and medicines, the same with schools, housing, clean water, and food, because in the end, these authoritarian, and narcissistic dictators, use most of the money that we have provided for living the high life, security protection, their military, and their families. It is very sad when we think of the billions that went to places like Iraq, etc. that was stolen, and they never did get electricity all day. Going into Iraq was flawed, but the aftermath, of what wasn't done for the people, and not leaving a lot of troops there, allowed ISIS to come in and take over the country, and getting them out, ended up, along with the war, destroying much of the infrastructure. The simplistic idea to just hand millions, and billions of dollars to these countries, is not only misguided, but dangerous, as it just keeps dictators in power for decades. We gave Russia billions in 1998, during the Clinton years, too.
3
I'm wondering where Pueblo Sin Fronteras is now. Groups such as Pueblo Sin Fronteras (Village without borders) managed to arrange the so-called caravans from Central America to the US border, providing organization, blankets, food, tents, water. Where are they now? What is the real impetus behind groups such as PSF if it's not to help true refugees like the ones depicted in this article.
2
It will not be a national emergency. We have not been attacked.
Votes in Florida are not a cause for war or invasion of another nation.
Before Mitch McConnell surrenders the Senate to Trump let every American bare in mind that our Constitution has not yet been suspended and that only Congress and not the president takes this nation to war.
It should be made clear before the Marines land that doing so without the pre-approval of Congress would be grounds for instant impeachment. If Trump bulls head the choice is clear,
It's one or the other, Trump's removal from office or a Trump dictatorship and the GOP will have the power to end this experiment in democracy as a viable form of government.
This president could destroy this nation and we may have a new civil war. Trump destroys everything he touches and Venezuela may be the excuse to set the stage for the coup d'etat he and his Russian sponsors and the source of his intelligence have been planning since since they defrauded the voters into "electing" Trump as president.
2
Retracting the Monroe Doctrine and pretending that this isn’t primarily an effect of US interventionism is off the table, I take it?
Can we hold a referendum to exit North America, maybe?
I guess America is going to have to learn how to reap what it has sown. And here I thought the global migrant crisis would still be a couple of years away.
2
When Americans comment on the Venezuelan crisis, it really is eye opening how ignorant we all are about the geopolitical forces in the globe. I am no better---I only know what i know because I was born in Venezuela. But it's eye opening how, from our computers, we spew forth judgement on things we don't understand.
So first thing. What is happening in Venezuela is about as much as the fault of socialism as genocide is usually the fault of an argument. Venezuela is not a socialist country, if anything, it is a kleptocracy. It's a narco state and the leadership is really just a criminal enterprise that managed to take over by enabling Russia via Cuba to rape national interests. They slapped a "socialist" label on their government but really they were selling the country for spare parts.
If the United States is guilty of anything it's of neglect. Since the 1990s, Putin has been quietly infiltrating Caracas through Cuba. The Cuba threads are so deep and entrenched that it's like to explain the pattern of spaghetti. Just know that Venezuela right now is peppered with a few things it did not have before 1999:
- Russian guns
- Russian missiles
- Russian tactics and rhetoric
- Russian MONEY
In fact, to understand this last salvo consider the following: It's not the US that has raped the Venezuelan oil industry-it's Russia. If Venezuela defaults on its interest only loans, guess who takes the rest of the industry? Rofnet, the Russian giant.
And that's why Trump is involved.
10
@Gwe
When you say “That is why Trump is involved.” do you mean because he’s in league with Russia or because he doesn’t want the goods getting away from the U.S.? Sorry to miss the meaning you intended.
As far as my reading of the rest of your comments, you’ve hit the nail on the head in every instance. Thank you.
1
71% of this country is Roman Catholic; another 17% is Evangelical Christian. That means a full 88% of a way-too crowded, impoverished country is under the sway of patriarchal organizations that preach fertility, which do not allow either abortion or contraception. I say let the Southern Baptists and the RC church hand out the necessary dollars for humanitarian aid, which is clearly an emergency. They own this disaster, big time. As for the USA and other modern countries, let's go in there with urgent medical care and get these women on birth control as the highest priority. Trump has wondered why the USA don't just go to war with this sovereign nation who has done nothing to us. I am for a war alright-- on the empowered entities who insist this birthing like mad rabbits must continue. Venezuela's commitment to democracy, the right of the wanna be president to claim his rule, their economy-- none of this matters one bit to us, and pales as compared to this staggering over-population and birthrate. This--my fellow humans-- is the textbook infanticide that these patriarchs accuse pro-abortion activists of participating in. Except in this case, the dead babies are truly dead or nearly dead human beings, not the fetus(s) the anti-abortion movement seems to worship. The human beings already on the hot and crowded planet? They clearly care for them not one tiny bit.
3
I have written to the photo editors at this paper in the past over their odd habit of presenting under exposed images, including sending histograms and examples of how raw digital images very often do not display accurately. I did it out of concern for the product. I received replies saying that if an NYT image looks too dark (a daytime photo that looks like moonlight) it is because they are loath to adjust the images.
So look at the photos here, they are practically HDR, artificial colors far too intense, nothing like one would actually see. My best guess is that, like the story's heavy bias, the photos are heavily manipulated for biased effect.
2
This is proof sufficient to awaken the leftists in congress and running for president. They need to understand that socialism in action is always different from the textbook theories they espouse or study in college.
1
@Kenneth Cowan Venezuela is not a socialist country. It is a dictatorship.
2
Cover photo says it all. I went to sunny VZ for 2 months both in 2017 and 2018, JUST to confirm what I saw in the news. I've been there 26 times over the last 30 years, an American married to a VZ national. While I saw no migration in my aforementioned 2 visits I can attest (compared to other visits) to deteriorating roads, traffic stops by military, price controls, black markets, begging, personal stories of migration, hyper-inflation, endless 1000' lines of elderly waiting for a monthly pension that won't you for a day, endless lines at grocery stores, empty shelves, pharmacies w/o even OTC medicines (GatorAid recommended for the runs), a man's wife dying of menigitis because there was no meds, an ice cream bar that costs more than an eldercare giver's 3 day salary, a physical therapist working 3 jobs at minimum salary, free gasoline and doctor's office visits paid ONLY in dollars. On my last visit, after I went "native" on the diet in the house I lost 15-20 Lbs. The place is a mess.
5
Sounds like we may actually have a national emergency on our hands, if 3 million migrants storm the borders. Imagine that. Who would have thought it?
3
Russia wants to set up a base in Venezuela to place military aircraft. This is obviously against the national security interests of the USA. Why is Russian Agent Trump going against the wishes of Putin here and trying to oust Maduro? Maybe he isn't colluding with the Russians? Hmmmm
3
When the government confiscates all the forms of private production or mandates the level of prices below the producers' cost of production, then nothing will be produced. And there won't be any jobs either.
15
@cy - And? Finish the capitalist lecture: The neighboring country's salivating bankers are then free to command their government to lie to it's people, and use their military to take over that set of assets? Is that capitalism?
6
@cy: Such is the fate of all kleptocracies, whether the government proclaims itself socialist, communist, or capitalist.
3
@mlbex - Except ours has no such fate.
Of course Americans wonder what "we" should do in the face of this political/humanitarian crisis. And, of course, we have no idea. What is scary is it is beyond my comprehension that Donald Trump will know what to do.
4
@michael
What do you think we should do ??
Then ask what should we do about the millions of impoverished people in India, Syria, Iraq, THE entire continent of AFRICA, Indonesia...........
1
This is great journalism.
16
@Mike Merrill, MD - It's one sided lying. This is great journalism, please take a look:
https://grayzoneproject.com/
@CK Well, they do have oil, right?
Look around the world.
There are a few countries that have vibrant economies that can provide for their citizens.
Over the 50,000 year history of human civilization countries that had rule of law, little corruption & capitalism have succeeded in producing economic growth and producing the wonders of cell phones, jet airplanes, food, air conditioning, fresh water.
The focus should be on getting the impoverished countries to promote rule of law, no corruption & capitalism.
15
@Peter, right, like all that industrialization, growth and wealth creation with really really put a big dent in carbon dioxide output. Maybe nature is fighting back so let’s fight it too.
1
I have an idea. Have the millions caravan to the southern border of the US, sneak over the border and turn themselves in to border police. Then they’ll have beat the system and can live in the US for the next 3-4 years before their case is heard (or just skip the hearing as 40% of illegal immigrants do).
Maybe then dysfunctional Congress will come together and pass comprehensive immigration reform that covers border security and a path to citizenship (for those illegals who beat the system but can prove they are living here lawfully and productively).
Shame on Democrats for this standoff. 5.7B for border walls on part of the border is a blip on a $4.07 trillion budget. This was only about politics, not preventing illegal immigration.
11
@Pragmatist In CT
Well written!
@Pragmatist In CT Chuck Schumer offered 25 billion for border wall funding last year to Trump in a compromise bill, which Trump declined. The dysfunction lies with the head of state, who is pushing this false narrative of a bunch of desperate refugees being a national security threat to the country as justification to build a wall. This wall isn't going to stop illegal immigrants from coming to the U.S. How about the President drop this wall nonsense, and work with Congress on some real reforms?
1
@Pragmatist In CT
You're right that "This was only about politics, not preventing immigration".
No wasteful spending Wall is going to prevent (illegal) immigration. Fact.
It was - and remains - a ridiculous Campaign Chant to stoke ridiculous fears of a crisis that isn't.
BTW, where are all those promised Mexican pesos to pay for it, hmmm?
1
No mention at all of the US sanctions that have been crippling Venezuala's economy for years, precisely to initiate this crisis.
"Two men claiming the presidency simultaneously?" Seriously? Maduro was elected president by the people of Venezuala, while Guaido proclaimed himself president after no vote whatsoever. Maduro isn't claiming the presidency, he IS their elected president. If Guaido wants to be president, let him run for it in a general election. In a democracy, no one can just "declare himself Venezuala's legitimate leader."
Many people in this country don't care for our President. If I declared myself president tomorrow, would you describe America as a nation where "two men are claiming the presidency simultaneously?" Of course not. If I did that, you'd rightfully describe me as an anti-Democratic lunatic.
This is, once again, about oil and setting up a US puppet regime in a foreign sovreign nation. It has nothing to do with defending democracy.
12
Let's not forget Guaido was elected in the very same election Maduro won. If the election itself was illegitimate why is Guaido considered legitimate?
@mb84
Not true. The National Assembly whose president is Juan Guaidó was elected in 2015, Maduro´s fraudulent election took place in May 2018.
3
This is what happens under kleptocracies and dictatorships run by lowest-common-demoninator populists. We ignore their example at our peril.
11
It is likely that those with good reason fleeing V will disrupt the economic and social equilibrium in the other Central America countries leading to cascading migration to the US. If we are overwhelmed now with an inability to make decisions of immigration policy, I fear the border security will truly be a national emergency. Who will be blame then? We need adult leadership not from our elected officials but from ourselves and recognize that a workable policy is important.
7
@Paul Venezuela is in South America. Most of the Venezuelans fleeing are going to Colombia Peru or Ecuador not central America.
2
Remember, folks: this is happening because (Stephen Miller's "covfefe"-delivered addresses to the UNGA notwithstanding) furtive off-camera cake-eater Maduro is NOT a socialist, not because he is. Socialists fight to improve equality, not impound it, and others ought to sue him for defamation—if he doesn't get buried by his own people first.
This is also why border bigotry monuments and walls are atrocities: they don't prevent actual crime (airplanes and ships exist), but do help tyrants imprison their own people in the country itself.
4
@SR Walls serve one simple & practical purpose: channel immigrants through ports of entry. Simple, obvious and just.
9
@SR Clearly you don't see where socialism takes you. Once the Government starts to take over the running of business, economics disappear to be replaced by authoritarian edicts. I saw this in the 70s behind the Iron curtain, I see it repeated in multiple African countries that adopted socialist policies and now you see it in South America. What is more striking is the complete lack of accountability for the peoples suffering by Maduro and his cronies. Watch the BBC interview - its a denial of reality... Sickening
5
How could Maduro believe he should remain in office when the worst humanitarian crisis in the country’s history has occurred on his watch? If women replaced every male politician on the face of the earth, the world would be a better place and things like this would not happen.
8
Indira Gandhi was PM of India during a similar period of authoritarian rule and economic stagnation (but not hyperinflation since her dictatorship lasted only 2 years). Women are not immune to authoritarian tendencies, it may be they just have not been given the chance often enough.
1
@Devanson South Korea did have a female president who was corrupt and is in jail now...
1
@Devanson
Women aren't ever corrupt.
Now THIS is a national emergency!
16
This was not the result of sanctions or leftwing policies. It's the result of twenty years of economic piracy, runaway corruption, and disregard for constitutional rules and democratic traditions, led by two authoritarian leaders who would not tolerate any opposition.
Yet Americans standing on the sidelines cannot help but insert their own domestic politics into a humanitarian disaster of which they have only become recently acquainted.
It is all too clear from the administration's rhetoric that many of those who are calling for military intervention are doing so not because they care about the plight of the Venezuelan people, but because they want to paint this crisis as a battle between the forces of capitalism and the "socialism" they fear will soon become popular in the US, even though the socialism touted by the late Chavez and the one that Democrats are warming too have virtually NOTHING in common.
I also cannot fathom the stance of some of the hard left in the non-interventionist wing. Instead of distancing themselves from a regime whose crimes even they recognize, they have doubled down on the apologist fantasy that the current crisis was caused by US sanctions, when virtually any Venezuelan will tell you this crisis predates any heavy sanctions by more than a decade. They are playing right into Trump's hands, ensuring that not only will he win big among South Florida's exile community, but that their own moral credibility will be questioned for years to come.
61
@AJ Garcia excellent post. Absolutely spot on. I teach here in Venezuela. My fellow Americans inside the misinformation bubble should listen to AJ's words.
7
I agree with some of what you say. Many variables played a role in the collapse of Venezuela, not only socialist policies (although these were definitely in the mix). This said, the likes of Bernie Sanders, Jeremy Corbyn (of the UK’s Labor Party) and so many other leaders on the left did praise Chavez and his way of governing quite effusively. When they did so, already many Venezuelans were criticizing his administration for his bad policies, corruption and authoritarian tendencies. So, Sanders, Corbyn, etc. were either misinformed, naive, or they knew what was going on and were still supportive. Either way, not exactly what you’d want in your leader.
For example, you can read the following on Sanders’ website: “These days, the American dream is more apt to be realized in South America, in places such as Ecuador, Venezuela and Argentina, where incomes are actually more equal today than they are in the land of Horatio Alger. Who's the banana republic now?" Really, Bernie??
I still run into people on the left who support Maduro’s chavista government. It’s too easy to give the left a free pass on this one.
6
The problem is the structure of left wing socialist governments. He has the power to screw things up so badly in a state controlled economy. We have Trump here, but instead of ruining our economy, it is strong because the decision making is done by the private sector.
Most of these people were happy to vote for Chavez, take his handouts rather than work hard. They were happy to turn their noses up at Colombians. The rich Venezuelans moved to Miami a long time ago. Now these people threaten jobs in Colombia, which has its own problems.
Elections have consequences.
24
@Robert kennedy Perhaps some voted for Chavez some time in the past, but Chavez violated the Constitution to screw himself to the chair, and nobody voted for maduro, he has committed fraud in a variety of forms, and will be removed.
1
In Venezuela capitalism failed, as in so many countries. Where did capitalism pure not fail? The oil wealth did not trickle down to the people, they always lived in poverty regardless of oil prices, until Hugo Chavez. Capitalism failed the people in Latin America, including all the Banana Republics.
10
@R. Littlejohn
It is important to realise that Chavez called his transformative project "21st-century socialism”. Reportedly his goal was to take control of the oil industry and spread the wealth to the people. Which ultimately became the completely corrupt PDVSA. I don’t think that’s Capitalism.
15
@R. Littlejohn so here you have a description of the horrendous humanitarian catastrophe perpetrated by the socialist government and all you can do is to blame capitalism? The moral blindness of the hard left never ceases to amaze me. Why don’t you ask the Venezuelan refugees whether they would not prefer, say, the competent right-wing government of Brazil to the starvation under the Chavistas?
4
Where is the U.N.? This is a multi country humanitarian emergency.
13
@Born In The Bronx
The US is powerful. It does not want the UN involved.
The UN might not support Us installing its puppet Guaido.
2
@Lucy Cooke
UN does not support this kind of "humanitarian aid" nor Red Cross. The aid is with the intention to support Guido who proclaimed himself president, but he was not elected president by the people of Venezuela. This is why UN nor Red Cross will help with this "humanitarian aid"
What is going on in Venezuela is people fleeing death because of economic collapse. Trump’s Republican voters should pay attention. Thinking that they can be safe behind a thirty foot wall from people who are fleeing for their lives is just mindless. The intelligent solution is to relieve the pressure that drives those people if one can, and this country can. Fortunately, our borders are too far away from Venezuela to be affected but if they continue to press for policies like those offered by Trump it will reach our borders.
4
No. The intelligent response is to let them fail so they can make better choices.
7
This is just the chaos and destruction of another government that The Con Don, the Koch brothers, Steve Bannon, Putin, Netanyahu, Erdogan, Sisi, Duerte and their Robber Baron brethren around the world want.
Now they can swoop in and take over the resources and taxpayer treasure of Venezuela. The more civil unrest the better.
When will people in power with courage step up and remove The Con Don, Minister Pence and Traitor Mitch McConnell from OUR government so Speaker Pelosi can take over and stop OUR United States of America from being involved in the destruction?
NO WW3.
Please, Truly Good, Patriotic People in power - STEP IN NOW.
26
@njglea
The "esteemed" GWB, and Obama with his regime change supporting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have been responsible for wrecking more countries, and creating millions more refugees, than Trump.
Remember Hilary saying that Libya is a fine example of "smart power".
And Hillary stopped a UN sponsored end to the Syrian conflict in 2012, because it did not insist on Assad's removal.
Do you have any idea how much death, destruction and refugees occurred after 2012 in Syria?
Libyan, Afghan and Syrian refugees flooded neighbor countries, often heading to Europe, changing and destabilizing Europe.
And Honduras... Hillary supported a coup there, a coup wanted by corporate interests, represented by her friend Lanny Davis. After the coup, violence soared, journalists and activists were killed. but US corporate interests may have been happy, but ordinary people are fleeing... more refugees
9
@njglea: The powers that be vet potential leaders, and weed out any who will truly upset their apple cart. The people of America might raise such a hue and cry that they back off for a bit, but they're pulling the strings and won't let go.
@njglea
Does the repressive Venezuelan political party that has misgoverned the nation for two decades bear any responsibility or is this just another one of those blame everyone except the Leftists who are responsible for fouling their own country?
2
I read this and feel ashamed. We have so much in the United States; yet our President speaks only of a wall to keep these poor souls out. I don’t even recognize my country anymore.
153
@Elizabeth GreyI I invite you to donate your time, money and energy to fix Venezuela. The solution fix the words broken states is not to move everyone to the us and canada etc
28
@JamesHK I already "donated" my money, in the form of taxes. Trump has decided to use it to build a wall, instead. Or, did you mean I should start mailing my taxes directly to Venezuela?
16
These people are not coming to the US. I don’t understand the need to make any discussion about migration US-centered.
12
The Venezuelan problem is complex and has implications that go far beyond Venezuela and causation that brought us to this crisis point.
Unfortunately, Donald has proven incapable of handling complex problems or even listening to advisors who have in depth background in the subject.
Sadly, this is no different than China tariffs, Climate Change and today's Reuter report whereby Putin is challenging the US with another Cuban missile crisis if we bolster Europe's defenses.
At a time when Planet Earth needs the most capable leadership in the US, we have a carnival barker con man whose only concern seems to be to line his own pockets. Worse yet, he has throttled the normal processes which could be used to remove such a defective public servant.
If not for the NYT and Wash Post, we would already be an Oligarchy and Trump would squash all forms of opposition. The thought that he's the commander in chief and my beloved Marine Corps has to follow his instructions is appalling.
35
I believe there is a point where the armed forces will not follow Trumps orders
I have no idea where that point is, but we.’re surely getting closer
2
Maduro has certainly bungled things and shown he is a petty, grasping despot, but this economic crisis was set into motion by Chavez and would have happened under him had he continued to rule. It is fortunate for Chavez's legacy that he died when he did, a few years later would have made it obvious he was the architect of Venezuela's destruction. As it happens Maduro gets all the blame, and while he certainly deserves condemnation, he wasn't the one who caused this.
Chavez pinned the entire Venezuelan economy to oil products to capitalize on soaring oil prices in the early 00s. This brought in tons of money, which he then spent lavishly on social welfare (and on the military, since Chavez was intimately familiar with the need to prevent military coups) rather than investing in the country's economic infrastructure and diversifying their GDP. Maduro simply stayed the course.
Tying a parallel in this to American ventures into socialism is ill-fitting at best. The best analogy you can make is that Chavez thought oil was an infinite font of wealth and could be exploited to fund his welfare programs forever, and AOC seems to have a similar attitude about the fortunes of America's wealthy citizens.
15
If you look deeper into any economy dependent upon petroleum, they resemble Venezuela. Such economies ride an eternal roller coaster of price fluctuations and income fluctuations which makes all planning dependent upon commodity markets. They can easily slip into debt trying to enjoy the productivity from selling their oil. Saudi Arabia and Russia both share those same challenges. Neither has diversified their economies and both are dependent upon petroleum.
6
@Casual Observer That also works for any country that has an economy dependent on only one thing, oil, coal, minerals, what have you.
1
Since the truck driver who was decent enough to pick up these refugees could lose his job for so doing, maybe more of the numbers and letters on the back of the truck could be blurred out.
73
Note the young are not separated from their parents when they get to border of Colombia. There is no wall. I heard an interview a few weeks ago with a Colombian foreign minister - they are allowing the flow. Colombia recognizes that Venezuela absorbed millions of Colombians during their long civil war. They need to do the same. And many fleeing Venezuela now are returning Colombians. Respect for their humanitarian heart.
318
@Momsaware The streets of my U.S. city are populated by homeless and in some areas are encampments. Having a heart and providing practical solutions are entirely different. Similar to running a country on emotions rather than sound economic policies.
19
@Casual Observer Colombians fled to Venezuela in hordes during the civil war in Colombia.
3
@Momsaware They share a language and culture. This is different than being inundated by people who do not.
3
National misery caused almost solely by corrupt, incompetent political leadership. Sounds vaguely familiar.
10
Are there foot bridges across the Panama Canal?
Yes
No sanctions, this was created by the destruction of the agriculture and industry by the regime. It is a genocide 20 years in the making, and they knew it all along, that the price Oil was going to tank eventually, as it did 25 years ago, and at the time at least there was some agriculture and industry. It is a dictatorship, that is why 60 plus democracies have recognized the president of Congress as interim president, he is Juan Guaidó, the usurper is Maduro.
17
@Concerned Citizen, The US will bring the blessings of Democracy and vulture capitalism back to Venezuela. They know how to do regime change, they already have their man to replace Maduro.
4
@R. Littlejohn I'd rather have our oligarchy and corruption over what they are seeing. Paint me grateful.
@R. Littlejohn Whatever it brings it will be the result of elections, not of a bloody regime, torturers and killers, slavers. Maduro is a usurpers and will be removed, and I think it will not be peacefully, they have too many crimes to pay and are involved in huge theft and also many in the regime have narco involvement, they do not a place to escape..They killed too many people...
Blaming the people with too many children or the corrupt government of Venezuela doesn't solve the problem. Not long behind the families with six children come the families with only two or none without solutions plus the added pain of sanctions which only afflict the poor. Many once great countries have, to the despair of the their people, fallen through natural disaster, war, inept or murderous leadership, robbery, corruption, false religion. The world is awash in refugees. What is the UN doing? What should we all be doing as a world to help, prevent, provide, and repatriate? How can we ensure that there are no stateless people, and to honor humanity at least as much as we do citizenship? And if you want to blame those with too many children, be sure to support birth control and access to abortion. And if you want no child unborn, be sure to send money to Columbian organizations that are helping the refugees, or better yet, stand out on the road as they pass offering money, water, and food.
14
Here's my question:
At what point does it become immoral to stand on the sidelines and watch this tragedy unfold when you (a) have the military capacity to put an end to an immoral regime and (b) a new government under Guaidó asks for help? Venezuela is our hemispheric neighbor.
7
Probably never. But if you want to donate to a charity for Venezuelan relief efforts, please feel free. Help them with your money.
12
@RD: You are kidding? Maduro is using the army to keep relief aid out of the country. I guess the only way Venezuelans can get relief is to leave. Is the solution you envision one that involves every Venezuelan leaving the country?
5
Venezuelans can do what is best for them. Why on earth do you think I should have any investment in how Venezuelans solve their problems? I suppose I would ask you, what are you willing to do, yourself, to solve Venezuelas problems?
7
The Times does such a disservice to its readers as it reports on Venezuela "as if" this is a natural disaster, rather than the impact of Left-leaning policies that are anti-business, anti-capitalist, and profoundly anti-market. What happens when you create socialism in the Sahara? For a few years everything is OK, but then there's a shortage of sand. This tragedy is what awaits any country foolish enough to abolish the profit motive, foolish enough to disregard human nature. If people are not paid to work; if their labor is taken from them, they stop working and we all starve.
20
100% spot on. Thanks for saying it.
8
@Jason McDonald do you mean the profit motive where 3 billionaires own more wealth than 50% of the population?
1
@Robert M. Koretsky So what? If they got their money legally what difference is it to you? Envious?
1
I would suggest that people table their impulse to help the Venezuelan people with military action and airlifts etc. Peoples need to see the results of their own ideologies if they are to create something better. The idea that we can help these people by taking away thier suffering prevents them from fixing this problem themselves, which is exactly what they need to do. This vanity project of helping anyone that we identify as needing our help is so misplaced. Did we learn nothing from our misplaced desire to help the Somalis in the 1990's? Moat of them didn't appreciate or even want our help. They saw us for what we are...a people with a superiority complex.
8
@RD Sanctions have only one purpose, to create more suffering for the poor to make regime change possible. It has nothing to do with democracy and a fair and just society. What happened to the Arab Spring, how many democratic societies rose from the rubble? Only failed nations have been left behind, not a single nation gained anything. Not even the US has gained except our war profiteers.
5
AsI undet rstand it, Venezuela is sitting on one huge amounts of oil. But the experts--engineers, etc--were forced out and the industry collapsed.
They still have huge oil reserves. What they don't have is expertise. Combine that with massive cortuption and incompetence and what was once one of the richest countries has collapsed.
13
@Talbot The oil-rich nation benefited only the rich, the poor were always poor no matter the wealth of the nation. That is why they had a Hugo Chavez to start with.
8
@Talbot Unfortunately, despite there being a lot of it, it's not high-quality oil. Venezuelan oil is "heavy" with a lot of impurities. It's harder on refining equipment, and it's more expensive to refine. It's usually cheaper that Saudi oil for that reason. When the entire market crashes (and it always does, because oil markets have always been cyclical), companies can buy better oil more cheaply from other countries. When you can buy light, sweet crude for $30 a barrel, you're not going to pay $30 a barrel for Venezualean oil. Venezuela's oil market has always been vulnerable for this reason.
2
Failed economic policies, whether by right wing or left wing governments, are based on either "mistakes were made" or "lies" by the powerful, cause human suffering, pain, famine, and death all over the world.
The families at our southern border from Central America who seek asylum are fleeing from death and economic disorder in their places of birth. Venezuelans, whose country's economy relied its oil resources, are fleeing in huge numbers to avert death from starvation and lack of life's basic necessities.
Elsewhere in our hemisphere, Haiti is still in ruins, Puerto Rico has not recovered from Hurricane Maria, Argentina's peso has fallen 50% against the US dollar in 2018 alone, and the 2nd largest economy in the Americas, Brazil is just barely getting over a recession from 2014-17.
The government of the United States could do much to help the development of economic health for so many nearby countries, but does little.
Instead, we criticize China, which has helped build infrastructure in SE Asia, Central Asia and East Africa. Roads, rails, dams, and bridges endure long after the Chinese workers return home.
Once upon a time the US helped build the Pan American highway from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. Which is better, building roads, bridges, and railroads, or a wall?
And would you rather have a bridge, a road, or railroad, or bombs dropped on your country?
32
@JMT Beautiful post.
4
@JMT But what about those who are suffering here? We need to put American needs first and not those of other countries.
9
Feel free to organize charity and relief efforts. Or better yet, rally donations and mobilize efforts to build infrastructure projects in the Pan American sphere. What are you willing to do, with your own resources?
10
Why not just airlift food and medicine. Here there and everywhere in Venezuela. This country can have a role in the world. And not just another sanctions regime. We did the Berlin airlift. At that time we were not too concerned about semantics. But about starving people.
8
Madurai won’t allow relief supplies into Venezuela but we citizens could organize to fund relief in Colombia.
2
The U.S. is exacerbating the situation. Trump's foreign policy toward Venezuela is adding fuel to the fire they are fanning. Not in my name, please.
13
There are numerous comments that this is in part or in whole the result of U.S. sanctions. Being unlearned on the topic, I did a little research. As far as I can tell, the first U.S. sanctions were imposed less than two years ago. In addition, it is a very U.S. centric view of the world that some sanctions by the U.S. would have a large impact. The Russians and Chinese are quite involved in Venezuela. Other countries are free to do what they want as far as trading with Venezuela. The bottom line appears to be that Maduro and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela along with their Cuban handlers have wrecked the place. The descent of Venezuela started a long time ago with Chavez and Maduro accelerated the trend.
25
You nailed it. Thank you for doing some research. Most people commenting have no idea of the history and simply view the Venezuelan crisis as another opportunity to bash Trump.
11
@Robert
You need to do far more research.
Sanctions began under Obama.
"Since Hugo Chavez’s election in 1999, the US has continued to explore numerous ways to interfere in and undermine his socialist government. This is consistent with the track record of US overt and covert interventionism across Latin America, which has sought to overthrow democratically elected governments which undermine US interests in the region, supported right-wing autocratic regimes, and funded, trained and armed far-right death squads complicit in wantonly massacring hundreds of thousands of people.
For all the triumphant moralising in parts of the Western media about the failures of Venezuela’s socialist experiment, there has been little reflection on the role of this horrific counter-democratic US foreign policy in paving the way for a populist hunger for nationalist and independent alternatives to US-backed cronyism."
https://www.resilience.org/stories/2019-02-04/venezuelas-collapse-is-a-window-into-how-the-oil-age-will-unravel/
You should know that the US has backed one failed coup in 2002, and financially backed opposition groups ever since groups.
Guaido is made in USA.
1
@Born In The Bronx Bravo! Don't tell the rest of them though. Their bubble has a kevlar coating.
1
Stop the sanctions and stop politicizing foreign aid.
11
@Ed Watters Why shouldn't we politicize foreign aid? It's our money, we can give as we wish or not. Why stop the sanctions either for that matter? The country has an abysmal human rights record and has for many years. We don't want to invade, but we can do what we can to help ordinary people. Anything that will stop Maduro.
Can we expect millions of Venezuelans caravanibg to our border now? And if a economic or political crisis befalls Mexico what would the turnout at our border look like?
Perhaps Trump is right about a national security threat and a need for border walls. He is looking into the future. Good planning.
13
@Jim
If they're working for days/weeks over 12,000 foot passes with not much more than a bottle of water and rags on their feet, what makes you think a 30 foot wall at the end would stop them?
17
@Roger S, you’re right. Needs some razor wire too. It’s the little details that make the biggest difference. But with manual laborers with strength and stamina like that flooding the American labor pool, even robots here need to fear for their jobs. Day wages for such workers may actually be less than the cost of electricity to run the robots.
5
@John Doe My yard needs cleaning. Rates should be coming down in the Southern States. Keep them coming!
The wealthy will destroy a country rather than share the wealth.
66
@Z not the wealthy who left many years ago, the corrupt politicians where the ones who stole the wealth of the country, who confiscated productive private companies to enrich themselves. They destroyed the economy, now there is nothing to create jobs and wealth.
8
@imf
This is a convenient re-writing of history, one the right-wing in our own country are using to full advantage with Trump as the megaphone.
4
Venezuela has been on this path for many years, long before Chavez and Maduro came to power.
The core probem has been gross economic inequality, corruption and a lack of public saftey.
I visited Venezuela twice on reporting assignments, the last just before Chavez was elected. I found Caracas to be a model of modernity in many places, but the hillside slums were so dangerous not a single cab driver would take me there.
There was a good deal of grumbling among the non-white masses who felt that the ruling white elite had run the nation simply to line their pockets.
That unrest is what allowed Chavez to come to power.
Venezuelans created this crisis, now they alone should be left to fix it by whatever means necessary.
American involvement in Latin America has rarely resulted in positive change.
99
@Ricardo Chavira Yes. This is the result of Chavez’s “21 Century Socialism”. Venezuela must now fix what they have created.
7
@Ricardo Chavira
The problem is that Venezuela is OWNED by a handful of extended families who can trace their pedigree to 15th century Spanish conquistadores. This "elite" does indeed run that nation, runs EVERYTHING in order to line THEIR pockets. It's what THEY do. It's what they have ALWAYS done. THEY feel they are entitled to it all.
7
@Born In The Bronx : I think Ricardo's point is that gross income inequality, maybe the result of the "curse of oil" is responsible, and both Chavez and Maduro have made it worse.
7
This country is leaning left. When this country fails, Canada will need to built a very long wall. They should start soon.
7
@Duane Mathias
The US is leaning left more than right? What do you base this on? Who's been in power for 2 years??
8
@Duane Mathias As it is, we have right-wing anarchists leading the government destroying the working middle class and leading the nation over the cliff. Capitalism is in need to be rescued again
To answer your question, I'd encourage you to look at conservative media to see the near ceaseless observations on how the democratic party is pulling hard to the left, along with the entire main stream media. You might find Fox news, commentaries by Tucker Carlson, PragerU on youtube, National Review, The Federalist, and PragerU on youtube to be good resources
1
It’s so sad - as the article pointed out, it appears conditions in Venezuela will get worse before they get better. I pray for the people.
9
Thank you for this article, brings me sadness to read what Venezuelans have to endure, it’s not even their own fault that they have to hitchhike hundreds and even thousands of miles and another women having a miscarriage along her journey while fleeing the country. It brought me a smile to my face to read how in Colombia people who already don’t have much are doing their best to help their fellows Venezuelan neighbors with improvised shelter and healing and cleaning up their painful blisters from walking miles and miles long. Thank you Colombia for being an example of kindness and compassion. Praying for my beloved Venezuela, with so many dying and so little help.
24
People jumped out of the WTC when the fire got too hot.
In 1948 Soviet forces blockaded rail, road and water access to allied controlled West Berlin. We responded with an airlift of food and fuel that went on for almost a year.
I'm against military action. I'm for an airlift protected by the military to bring these people food, clothing and medicine.
If we can find money for a wall we can find money for a humanitarian disaster in our hemisphere.
54
Why is there always this impulse to bail everyone out of messes they create? How can any sovereign nation ever learn what works and to reject what doesnt work when the modern day missionaries who think they are helping are actually helping prevent these populations from learning what they need to learn. Talk about a vanity project!
9
@RD
The impulse is called empathy. It's a common trait in humans.
20
@RD This is an incredibly cold response. I agree that modernity is often all too quick to try to escape consequences for their missteps. But you are talking about letting thousands die so that the people of the country can learn a lesson (as if the country has acted monolithically - which is never the case). Aid isn't like going from a backpack and a bottle of water to living in a mansion and driving a Bentley. Lessons can be learned without thousands or people dying.
10
As hard as it is for us Americans to grasp, both the staggering numbers and unimaginable suffering in this story are common across the globe. Why don’t we see it, feel it, and respond as a world superpower should?
We have nearly limitless access to information, but the media still sets the day’s agenda. The Jussie Smollett hoax will be much more familiar to us than the dire need for humanitarian aid in Venezuela...
Even here, a traditional media platform blunts the emotional impact of what we’re reading by its limited scope: Some of the informed comments on this article shed light on factors not mentioned by its author, such as the role American sanctions play in fanning the flames of economic crisis.
We read a few curated photos, no video, and a small sliver of the price these innocent people have paid.
What would it take for the world to become a better place? Seeing these people, hearing their stories, and choosing to find solutions instead of escalating conflicts.
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@Dan G
So, do you believe Jussie Smollett?
Even if the media concentrated on the humanitarioan crises, would we get the full story? It’s complicated, and it’s complicated on purpose, so no one knows the truth.
If Venezuela had no oil at all, would there be a crises? No, it would be like any other South American country mostly agrarian. So, what about the oil? The prices collapsed but who caused that? Saudi Arabia.
The takeaway here in the media and a lot of commenters is that Venezuala caused this themselves by having too much, “socialism." They were giving too much to the general population. This is simply the huge U.S. media corperations, waving the flag for captialism, the status quo, and more profits. “See, what happened there, do we want that here?” Nothing works like fear, trumps logic every time.
5
@Prant The Saudis are our friends, their societies are just as poor as in Venezuela and other oil powers. The American oil giants are in charge. There will be regime change anytime a government leans left, that includes elected governments like Chile and Iran. Socialism is the demon capitalists oppose.
Just like desparate people from Africa and middle east fled into Europe, this might create another wave of refugee crisis on the US border. The real solution, is to help these nations stand on their own feet, and by that I did not mean by violence.
27
I am an amateur radio operator. I have had contacts with other ham radio operators in other countries while those operators were living under stressful conditions. I even once had a contact with a ham operator in Serbia while his city was under a bombing sortie.
I am regularly hearing Venezuelan hams on the air, in relative normalcy. While I have no doubt there is great distress down there, it appears that it is not universal among the entire population.
13
@RM I would imagine that the people you are operating with on ham radio are hardly representative of 99.999% of Venezuelans.
11
@Bob Burns
I don't know if you have any knowledge of amateur radio, but it is typically a middle class activity, typically one owning or controlling a home located on at least a half acre or so of real estate.
It is not an elitist activity, like yachting or polo playing.
7
This is what the collapse of civilization looks like, folks. It ain't pretty. Climate change will be driving much more of it as the planet becomes too hot and dry in many places to grow food. We're already seeing desperate people fleeing their homelands in search of better climes. Corrupt, inept leaders like Venezuela's president makes dealing with these issues much much harder.
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@Helena This is not a crisis made by climate change or nature, but a man made one, caused by greed and corruption.
21
@William
US greed and corruption in its determination to control Venezuelans oil
7
@William Tate - I wouldn't be so quick to rule out the role of drought, the disappearance of 4 of Venezuela's 5 glaciers, and the resulting water and electricity shortages. (Despite being a major oil producer, much of Venezuela's power is hydro, and lack of water means lack of power.) You can read more about it here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/where-climate-change-fits-into-venezuela-rsquo-s-ongoing-crisis/
8
There are 36,000,000 Venezuelans.
They will soon be arriving at the US Border.
Why do Democrats insist on Open Borders?
We can't afford to educate our children or provide health care for our citizens.
How can we provide for 36,000,000 more??
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@Peter
No quibbles on future potential arrivals, but we choose not to provide healthcare for our children not because we can’t afford it, but because the GOP doesn’t want to do so.
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@Peter
I sit here and cry reading about these families starving and dying, desperately seeking refuge. Then I read these comments that show only concern for self i.e. 'not in my backyard'. Heartless.
27
Uh, we have medicaid and medicare and social security and those alone threaten to bankrupt us. I think it would help to see the reality of Cost, as in if it costs more than you take in...you can't afford it.
3
Hugo Chavez destroyed the Venezuelan economy by sale of petroleum and other products way below cost to encourage mass popular support. That has led to the loss of repairs of petroleum equipment and pipelines and massive leakage of oil into Lake Maracaibo. The complete mismanagement of the Venezuelan economy by Hugo Chavez and now Nicolas Maduro has turned Venezuela into a failed state. Very sad...
31
This is one of the ugliest chapters in our global history for my generation. I beleive that how we treat the poorest, humble, and most honest people in this world is a direct reflection of where we are as world.
16
I have sympathy for the hard lives these people have. But a common theme here that must be addressed is that they all have far too many children. 3, 4, 5 and beyond..when they are still barely adults. What do they expect their lives, and their children’s lives will be like? Furthermore, this is a big part of why people here are opposed to unfettered immigration...its simply irresponsible. this cycle of poverty and misery will simply continue unabated, unless archaic religious philosophies are amended and intellegent reproductive practices are employed.
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Child mortality rate is off the Charts in Venezuela along with maternal deaths during pregnancy.
There is virtually no birth control including condoms available to those poor people you are afraid of invading our shores.
The idea that women don't want to plan smaller families in third world countries is absurd. President Trump actually signed an executive order banning any NGO outside of the USA seeking US funding that's been made available through Congressional legislation to pledge not to support abortions any where in the world even with money not coming from the USA.
Family planning is a key component of the UN population fund that the US is a donor to. The US is restricting its mission by using money as a weapon.
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Do you think religion is the cause of their unaffordable children? I think it may be poverty, lack if education and lack of women's rights. Either way it's a terrible situation.
13
Wow. Truth. Thank you for pointing out what should be obvious to everyone.
11
What an amazing picture. So much humanity and so much despair.
4
I can concede that some of the economic plight of Venezuela is caused by international capitalist forces arrayed against it. For example, it’s hard for anyone, individual or nation, to buy much without credit. But even Cuba with some of the same forces arrayed against it, never sunk this low. The corruption of the Maduro government seems unprecedented.
If Socialism cannot withstand the assaults of international capitalism, then it cannot triumph. Some socialists explain, harkening back to the old Trotsky-Stalin dispute, that this is why the revolution has to happen in many powerful capitalist countries at once. Really? How many? If you expect that to happen, might as well expect the return of Jesus.
5
The article makes it sound as if Colombians were not helping or supporting Venezuelans fleeing their country. There may be isolated cases of disdain, but for the most part all of us have helped one way or another the thousands and thousands of Venezuelans in our cities and neighborhoods. Not to mention the great effort that our government is making together with the US to alleviate the situation.
29
How did this happen? They did everything to make the people richer: heavily taxed the rich to redistribute wealth, confiscated businesses and nationalized industries, made healthcare free, raised the minimum wage countless times, made it illegal to be rich and to be poor. And socialists we so successful taking over in North Korea, Cuba, the USSR, China, Cambodia, they all became richer than greedy evil free countries. It makes no sense.
14
This is a human tragedy, brought on by years of political incompetence in Venezuela. Yet as I read the comments on this article, I'm astonished by the self-absorbed Americans who paint this as either the fault of our president or an indictment of the left.
Americans: This is not about you!
Now that I got that off my chest, can someone tell me what aid groups are supporting these desperate people?
26
@Rich The U.S aid that Venezuela is stopping at the border should be used for a refugee camp in Colombia.
9
@Rich
International Rescue Committee
Catholic Relief Services
Caritas
All respected aid organizations that have campaigns for Venezuelan refugees, and who partner with on-the-ground/in country organizations to provide assistance. I'm sure there are others.
I believe Doctors Without Borders is active in Colombia, but I don't know if they have specific programs for Venezuelan refugees. Venezuela is no longer listed on their "countries of activity" page.
6
With Exxon and others vying for Venezuelan oil and its neighbor's oil in a yet untapped reservoir they share in common, how can the powers be so common, as to not report what the real driving issue is in Venezuela? Sanctions, and other pressures on a legitmately and democratically elected government is typical of what the US has been doing in the past decades. Why are so many fooled? Is it because the mouthpieces of power are not telling us? I am a small business capitalist who wishes for it to be regulated and a democratic socialist in that I want the least of us to be cared for. I'm hoping for the monopolies of banks, oil and the war machines to be broken up. I am not a radical in this. I am an American who is ashamed of our behavior, especially now towards Venezuela who in reality is/was far less socialistic than France is.
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@Carolyn Egeli Respectfully, the sanctions are not the root cause. The Venezuelan economy failed to diversify beyond its oil sector and took on lots of debt to fund Chavez's social programs in the early 2000s. When the price of oil collapsed in 2014, their economy was ruined. They started printing more money to service their debt, resulting in hyperinflation that put food out of reach for everyday Venezuelans. Recent US sanctions are an effort to squeeze Maduro and force his resignation, but the US is also working with Guaido to distribute food aid.
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@MPO
Food, out of reach, in a tropical country where it rains a lot and nearly every tree or bush produces something edible.
THAT is a failure of humans,
21
@MPO Of course, 30 billion dollars worth of sanctions has had an impact. The sanctions limit the Venezuelans export markets for oil and they have not been able to renegotiate their debt. Oil was discovered there in 1908 and has been there main export since then. It is not a new issue. The bridge they say the Venezuela is blocking to prevent aid entering the country has never been used and has not being blocked. Historically, "aid" to countries in Latin America has been a euphemism for arms and dirty wars. Why do you think Elliot Abrams was brought in? Do you think Trump gives a hoot about these people? Its oil and all of the money American oil companies can make. Listen to the recent podcast at The Intercepted to get a better picture of what is really going on. You won't find it out reading articles like this.
19
Thank you, Nicholas Casey and Jenny Carolina González. I hope Bernie Sanders, AOC and, all politicians who oppose the US supporting the constitutional acting president of Venezuela read your article.
Trump got one thing right, that is his foreign policy approach to Venezuela. A country occupied by foreign armies: Cuban militias, Colombian ELN and FARC in a framework of organized crime. We are talking about a dictator committing genocide.
8
This article never mentions that the USA has been applying economic sanctions against Venezuela for decades, and more intensely in the last five years.
Sanctions are war without bombs. Sanctions are like a tourniquet on a people: They cut off the circulation of their economy and devastate them.
Venezuela has not wanted to be co-opted by the USA's imperial idea that Venezuela is its back yard to do with it as it pleases. So America is punitive to Venezuela.
Contrary to our coordinated media's portrayal of Mr. Guaido's emergence as a legitimate acting president in Venezuela, this coup is being committed by the cabal of Trump, Pompeo, and Bolton.
Guaido is yet another pro-USA puppet installed by us to do our bidding. This has been in the making for years and now it is coming to a head.
Venezuela is not socialism. It is the devastated remnants of a people destroyed by systematic sanctions over decades.
No coincidence Venezuela has the largest oil deposits on earth.
oz.
50
@oz. Iran and North Korea are sanctioned. Russia is sanctioned. Cuba is completely embargoed. Why does only Venezuela have a massive humanitarian problem?
It is because of Chavista socialism, gross policy mismanagement under the Chavista ideology, and the corruption that thrived under it.
Look at it holistically. This is self-inflicted.
4
Sanctions have NOT been applied against the nation of Venezuela for decades! Over the last dozens years some very wealthy Venezuelans involved in the narcotics trade have faced individual sanctions!
3
@oz. Please do not spread lies. The US sanctions have been in place only for less than a month. The sanctions against individuals involved in gross corruption and crimes against humanity have only been in place in the last months. The Venezuelan people do not need more lies in the name of socialism.
3
While I feel for any migrant who has to flee violence and poverty, it is odd that Venezuelans matter to us...but almost no other migrants fleeing violence and poverty matter to us. In fact, WE AMERICANS have helped create a lot of the violence and poverty from which migrants flee.
11
Why aren’t refugee organizations helping these Venezuelans at the Columbian border? We have food stock pile there. What’s going on?
9
Is it a “Caravan”? Are we supposed to be afraid? I better watch Fox to find out.
47
Too bad we can't be part of a needed regime change in our own hemisphere. The economic crises combined with spectacular population growth (1955-6.7 million, 2019-33 million) needs addressing at every level.
11
@Al Venezuela is a country with fertile land and mineral riches to contain easily 200 million people. If they had economic activity, not to mention democracy. All lands give 3 plus harvests a year, because of the tropics. And the Oil, the iron the gold, the aluminum...Chavez and his goons destroyed even those industries, every single thing... And are a dictatorship.
1
Venezuelans are forced out of their country due to poverty and a collapse of their government's economy.
The USA supported a coup but will not take any responsibility for the results in supporting a puppet government. This is what's missing in the news reports. Many of the exoduses around the world could be avoided with the help or lack of promotion of the USA.
10
Yet another reminder that we Americans are among the luckiest people in the world. Not that we’ll heed these reminders.
16
@Mike Sullivan. It should also tell us that we need to take an active, positive role in the world that will help people solve their problems at home. Make no mistake, everyone of these folks will come here if given the chance. We can't be the depository of the planets unhappy people anymore.
13
One lifetime(70 years ago)there were 5.5 million people in Venezuela that needed " food, water, electricity, and medicine".
Now, at 33 million in Venezuela, there are six times as many that need the same things. The biosphere, and ourselves, are being destroyed by the tsunami of humanity.
97
@Marigrow. Too bad the primary issue facing Venezuela and the planet will not even be whispered about. Population and its effect on planet and every aspect of our lives is taboo from both the left and the right. Any solution to Venezuelans problems and indeed the wider planet is a waste of time if it doesn't include human numbers.
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@Marigrow
Blame the church for preaching against birth CONTROL.
102
The photos say it all about how Venezuelans are suffering. They make words (like “poignant,” “heartbreaking,” and “tragic”) to describe their plight trite.
According to the UN Refugee Agency, today, “An unprecedented 68.5 million people around the world have been forced from home.”
Every exodus is a shameful reminder how we fail each other as human beings.
14
@Elliot Silberberg The horror is that there are too many people in the world. When I was born over 50 years ago, there were 3 billion people on the planet. We are now approaching 8 billion and our plant, animal and insect life are on the brink of extinction because of human greed and hubris.
39
@Sasha Love: the planet cannot support 8 billion people and we see the results every day in climate change and global warming and melting glaciers.
Yet the left argues for open borders, massive illegal immigration, amnesty, DACA, etc. They argue we should pave the National parks and cover each state with massive high rise slum apartments to house the hundreds of millions they hope to import here.
The earth was a paradise with about 2 billion people -- the USA a paradise with 150 million -- we should seek, by low birth rates and attrition, to get back to those levels.
1
thank you for this very insightful story tragic and hopefully ending soon
5
What a terrible life these people are being forced to live. This piece moved me to tears, especially the story of the woman who miscarried while enduring the stress of fleeing. I don’t know much about the situation in Venezuela other than what I read or hear in the media, but what I do know is that Trump’s interest cannot possibly be humanitarian. Like everything else that he wades into, there must be some financial, geopolitical or other benefit for him personally that we don’t yet know about. It’s so far out of his wheelhouse that it becomes suspicious. Perhaps a war will benefit his rich buddies and he will get kickbacks? In this case, although he probably didn’t intend it, his personal interests may end up helping others as a side effect.
73
oil. Venezuela has larger oil reserves than saudi arabia.
33
@middle american
"Venezuelan" oil is not light, sweet crude. It's heavy and dirty; difficult to extract and difficult and more polluting to refine. There are few refineries that can handle it. It's not the "gold mine" everyone thinks it is when they think "OIL".
21
@Frau Greta thank you for your compassion. I personally detest Trump. I don’t care if he does business with all the Venezuelan oil. I much prefer Trump to having Putin, Xi, Hezbollah, the Cubans, thr FARC, the ELN drug dealing guerrillas installed in my country ruining it to the ground. 700 billion dollars stolen from the people. Isn’t that enough?
9
When millions fled Europe because of political and economic turmoil, they were lauded as heroes for leaving their homeland, family and loved ones. Today, we don't seem to hold that same opinion of these new immigrants. Not sure what the difference is, and why.
28
@TC Superficial differences are often just skin deep.
1
I am still waiting for a report on how US sanctions are harming Venezuela. Only that could give a true impression of how much of Venezuela's plight is due to mismanagement and how much to sanctions.
Unfortunately we keep getting this kind of human interest articles that seem designed to bring the implicit message that Maduro is incompetent. Their long term goal seems to be to raise support for a US invasion in Venezuela.
62
@Wim Roffel U.S. sanctions are not the principal reason for the situation in Venezuela today. Maduro IS incompetent. He and his pals HAVE siphoned off millions of dollars, some reports say billions. Who knows. They DO prevent foreign aid and foreign participation in their economy, and they are doing a spectacularly poor job of running things themselves. Sorry, but everything in the world is not about the U.S.
2
What a desperate, painful story! It truly shows that the actions of the one (or few) power hungry and inept can destroy the lives of millions. As always with such stories, I wish that I had answers, but I don't. As usual, the external world is divided with China & Russia siding with Maduro, so pressure brought by the UN is unlikely. I don't know how much further other nations can squeeze Maduro for such actions often (at least in the short term) tend to mainly hurt those they are trying to help.
Sadly, though he certainly looks better now and many countries including the US have put their support behind him, we have no way of knowing how Guaido will turn out. Tim and time again we have supported the opposition only to later rue the day...
10
@Anne-Marie Hislop If you choose to inform yourself you will find that (1) the External World is NOT divided into China & Russia siding with Maduro. The United Nations recognises that President Maduro is the legitimate President of Venezuela and other major Countries e.g. India also support President Maduro. (2) There are signs that the attempted Regime Change by USA is failing so maybe the USA will now try to get bloodshed and a Civil War under way.
9
@Robert Jennings
I am informed and pointed out Russia & China because they are large, influential countries and sit on the UN Security Council. Canada and a group of S. American countries (the Lima Group) led the way in supporting the opposition. Part of why I say I don't know what we can do is because I do not see many other options. Furthermore, my closing thought has to do with my hesitation (based upon history) whenever we chose to publicly stand with an opposition leader It is always a dangerous gambit, but at this point we have taken that path.
2
@Anne-Marie Hislop. I apologise if I sounded rather curt in my reply to you. The LIMA group is a creation of the United States and behaves accordingly. Please keep in mind that the United States does not have any special rights to interfere in the business of other Sovereign Nations and in my view it not good enough to say that the United States has some sort of exceptional privileges in this matter. That would be to argue MIGHT is RIGHT. Therefore one option the USA has is to allow the Venezuelan People [who elected President Maduro] to exercise their own Agency, as an independent people, in this matter.
4
Three million is a staggering number even if you discount any 6 degree separation scenario. Now that is a real humanitarian crisis!
13
Buen trabajo Nicholas.
This too needs telling. You helped me to remember.
Just twenty some odd years ago the shoe, if you had one,
was on the other foot.
The horrible, unending violence between the ELN, the FARC
and the black helicopters, sent millions of Colombians
fleeing to Venezuela, where they could find peace, work,
and free medical care.
If you had a farm, a finca, in Zulia you hired Colombians.
There was no other choice.
The Venezuelan people had so many good paying employment options that agricultural work or helping to run a dairy farm was out of the question.
And Chavez offered refuge (though he denied it) to the ELN and the FARC, who were being pounded by Bush's Plan Colombia, as long as they behaved and helped with social problems.
Colombian immigrants were welcomed to Venezuela.
Chavez showed admirable largess.
The Colombian government should remember this and open their arms to the Venezuelan refugees.
44
What is the level of criminal incompetence when a politician runs the country with the highest oil reserves into the ground like this?
118
@Kara Ben Nemsi
It's not light, sweet crude.
It's heavy, dirty crude. Difficult to extract, difficult and dirtier to refine. It's no picnic.
8
@Kara Ben Nemsi
The US has worked hard since 2002 to oust the democratically elected Venezuelan president, first Chavez, now Maduro.
The US has funded opposition groups, supported one failed coup, and who knows what covert actions.
The US has had its boot on Venezuela's neck since 2002.
No wonder Venezuela is a mess.
And I'm sure the US is proud and poised with Guaido, eager for the kill.
The US will not stand for and socialist government to succeed, and certainly not if it has oil.
9
@Lucy Cooke Strange that flawed Chavista ideology and the mismanagement / corruption that thrived under it had nothing to do with the current state of affairs.
The US has been promoting Democracy -- something that has been absent in Venezuela for a very long time. Isn't it strange how most Demoracies in the world support Guaido and most Authoritarian regimes support Maduro?
2
The crisis in Venezuela will rob many generations of people, who have remained in the country, from enjoying the spoils of the rich oil reserves that now belong to China, Russia and others that continue to subsidize a broken regime. It's really a shame, as without these 3rd party interventions, the government might have collapsed a long time ago.
32