Bottom line: the Venezuelans need to settle this. It's their country.
15
That the New York Times is in effect advocating for still another American fostered and supported regime change in a country that is of no possible threat to America is shameful.
19
One way to end the humanitarian crisis is to allow Venezuela to exist without massive sanctions. Pretending to send a few containers of food doesn't erase 20 years of savage destabilization of a sovereign government. That is what has done this to Venezuela.
America needs to learn how to run its hegemony in a more equalitarian way instead of the zero sum game they have engaged in since WW2. Bullying your way worked in the past but I doubt it is a long term solution.
In addition, the American foreign policy regarding Latin America has always been racist and elitist. When you once more march into Venezuela led by Big Oil, you will install the same elitist government you had before Chavez. The one that ignored 80% of the people while enriching the top 20%. See the problem?
17
Where is the written transcript so we can read this? One paragraph is not enough! Thank you!
4
I am a DEM and liberal however I have no idea where these liberals are that think Maduro is a good guy. I believe they/we think the US sould keep out of VZ while our dear leader talks about sending the military there.
10
Soy Venezolano tambien, el gringo maracucho,
and it's late in the game, very late...
Here in the U.S., we understand very little...
I was visiting remote Amazonas and every morning bongos-large boats- would disappear up the river loaded with young men with bags of personals.
I asked my hostess where they were going, they told me hunting, which seemed odd, they were unarmed.
As the week passed and I developed friendships with the locals, the truth came out. They were all going up the river to work in the National Guard's secret, illegal gold mines.
And this was years ago, before things got really bad,
before Chavez died of a cancer that many Maduro supporters- of which there are still millions- believe
was somehow planted in his body by the Capitalists.
At weekend cockfights I would meet guys there, with their friends/bodyguards, laughing, enjoying their sport, and then maybe a month later, reading in Panorama how the guy was gunned down in another mafioso "ajuste de cuentas".
Un amigo, a big rancher to whom I sold my place
in the Sierra Perija, used to casually explain how he would get loans from the Chavez gov to import powdered milk.
It was understood that the loan would purchase three containers, two of which would go into the supermarket's under price controls, the third was his...
Venezuela is a shameful, beautiful tragedy, but as they say
down there, more tangled up than a kilo of mop heads.
We enter at peril. They know how die.
2
Well, all I can tell to all the lefties living in USA and complaining about Venezuelan attempt to get rid off 20 years of the worst government in our history, please, do yourself a favour and take a plane (if you an) to Venezuela. Enjoy the paradise of having no electricity, no food, no medicines, no water
, all this with inflation over 1000000. Enjoy it. Take Sanders and Chomsky with you.
6
There is already a 47-page report given to the UN by Alfred Maurice de Zayas:
Title:
“Report of the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order on his mission to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Ecuadorwith suggestions for a civilized resolution of Venezuela's problems." https://documents.un.org
Quote:
"The U.S.-Canadian sanctions represent a cynical use of coercive economic power to attack a nation that is already dealing with hyperinflation and shortages of basic commodities. While said to be in the name of advancing democracy and freedom, the sanctions violate the Venezuelan peoples’ basic human right to sovereignty, as outlined in the UN and OAS Charters.
...
We call on the political leaders of the United States and Canada to reject overheated rhetoric and to contribute to the search for real solutions to Venezuela’s political and economic problems. We urge the U.S. and Canadian governments to rescind their sanctions and support the mediation efforts pursued by the Chancellor of the Dominican Republic Miguel Vargas, the President of Dominican Republic Danilo Medina, former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the Vatican, and supported by a growing number of Latin American nations."
https://documents.un.org
Why, New York Times, aren't you interviewing Mr. de Zayas?
Peaceful resolution of this conflict is his job!
14
There is a very big difference between Joanna Hausmann and the anti-imperialists leftists who are calling, with the Russians, for 'hands off Venezuela'. Hausmann is viewing the problem from inside Venezuela. First things first. The Bolivarian revolution ate itself and caused the entire collapse of Venezuelan society without any help from the U.S. That is a fact. The anti interventionists are viewing the situation from the U.S. and some, like Roger Stone, say things like 'let the Venezuelans work it out internally'. With a real Bobo for a dictator and a purchased Military hierarchy this has so far been impossible. Maduro and his Generals have to go in order for Venezuela to begin to function again. They will either come to their collective senses and head for Havana or they will and should go feet first. It wouldn't be the first coup in Latin America. I have been present at three others.
3
Re the headline: "What My Fellow Liberals . . . "
If they are supporting Maduro, they are not liberals. They are dead-end, reactionary socialists.
8
Noam Chomsky is a liberal?
That's news to me. He typically self-identifies as either an anarcho-syndicalist or as a socialist or both.
But, hey, it's your op-ed, your rules.
4
Why can't Venezuelan opposition win power without US help if the government there is so hopeless and unpopular? Any government in today's Latin America that is installed by the United States will not be seen as legitimate by much of the population and understandably so. There could be unmanageable and destructive civil strife for generations as a result. If this woman wants to free her country she should work with opposition to expand its base of support beyond white urban elites.
13
Venezuela: a nightmare of a country; hell on earth in living and dying color.
But who can stop this ongoing tragedy?
The U.N.? No.
The president? Probably not: We're divided: Some say, with more than a little justification, to stay out of it because we always make things worse. Others, of course, disagree on humanistic grounds: If not us, who?
I do not know.
I do not know.
I do not know.
Do you? Does anyone? Is it even possible to solve this problem?
I can see why people pray for divine intervention, because while we humans can often create and maintain hellscapes, we rarely find ways to transform them back to something benign and livable.
No wonder people become nihilistic. In this case, I am justifiably and correctly so described and categorized.
Thus, for my own mental health, I must focus on other things. For in the other direction lies madness and melancholia.
Godspeed, though, to all you problem-solvers out there. All the best. You may indeed have a solution. I hope.
2
What the Conservatives don't remember about Venezuela: That the US created the present situation and that any solution needs to acknowledge it.
14
Couple of thoughts:
1) Everyone needs to understand that the situation in Venezuela is not black and white. My first reaction to anyone talking about Venezuela is to ask them to point the country on the map. Then I'll listen.
2) No, Venezuela did not become a hot mess because of "socialism", and it's intellectually lazy to draw comparisons to Venezuela when talking about Bernie Sanders or other liberal politicians' agenda here in the US. The US and Venezuela are two very different countries with different histories to draw any comparisons when it comes to politics.
3) Let's talk about oil, specifically let's talk about the "paradox of plenty". Societies that rely on oil and natural resources fail to develop, not only economically, but also politically and socially. These countries lag in political and social development. They have no incentive to invest into diversifying their economy, which requires investing in its people. And natural resource-based economies create an environment for corruption.
4) Maduro is a bad guy, he's incompetent, he's Trump on steroids. His incompetence has led to this mess. But the left is right to be wary of US intentions. The US doesn't have a spotless history in Latin America, and we have the $6trillion and counting mess in Iraq. The counter solution has to be working with other countries in the region, who are also not fond of Maduro.
30
Except she's not a liberal. A neo-liberal maybe, but still more of a neocon. Look her up on sites that don't favor Trump's regime change fantasies.
8
America has a horrible record on regime change. While Venezuela may indeed be currently ruled by a brutal dictator, it is not up to us to fix this problem. We are piling up our own problems to fix.
6
Tyrants like Maduro, Assad, even Trump, must be ousted, as they are a huge liability for their respective countries...and only add suffering to their people. But from saying so to doing it there is a stretch. Unfortunately, it takes a strong will of the citizenry to gather the strength and perseverance to see things through. And while the neighbors hesitate and procrastinate from needed action, the Russians are 'invading' Venezuela to prop up it's dictator and make a once- rich country it's serf. Oil may be a curse here!
2
Maduro might indeed be a very incompetent and maybe corrupt president. He might govern in an authoritarian way.
But he is the legitimate, elected president of Venezuela.
It is solely and alone the matter of the Venezuelan people to depose their president.
The USA should completely keep out of Venezuela.
In every country the USA "democratized" since 1990 (e.g. Irak, Afghanistan, Libya etx.), there is now turmoil and chaos.
Spare this to Venezuela. Respect her souvereignty.
7
If you want change, win an election, something you've been unable to do.
The people still remember the last time your party was in control and it wasn't good for the people.
5
Hausmann is either unaware of her country's history pre-Chavez and Maduro or chose not to touch on it. Had she done so, Hausmann would have described a nation that has long been plagued by extreme corruption, gross governmental mismanagement, abysmal distribution of wealth and a lack of public safety.
One need only examine the two terms as president of Carlos Andres Perez to understand why it was possible for Chavez to be elected.
The fact that Venezuelans did nothing to remedy its decades of crisis-ridden governments is on them. Fix the mess you created, Venezuelans.
She glosses over the fact that Elliot Abrams, convicted of Iran-Contra crimes, is spearheading efforts to install Guaido and overthrow the Venezuelan government. Abrams, a real champion of democracy.
Trump has abandoned Puerto Rico in its hour of need and made a career of vilifying Mexicans.
How can he be the man to rescue Venezuela.
As for the wacky American leftists, ignore them and focus on the real issues, Hausmann. Be an authentic patriot.
5
This video is absolutely brilliant. As someone who made many visits, both business and pleasure, to this lovely country in the 1990s, it's heartbreaking to see what Chavez and Maduro have done to what used to be the richest economy in South America. And its sad to see how Bernie and other figures on the American left weaken their moral authority by supporting tyranny just because Trump opposes it.
4
She is presenting a false choice -- suggesting that any opposition to U.S. intervention is support for Maduro. I recognize the humanitarian crisis and Maduro's flaws. I would hope that the U.N., or Mexico, or the Pope, would lead efforts to restore democracy.
However, to think that a U.S. effort lead but Eliott Abrams will create a legitimate regime is total folly.
Yes, by all means provide humanitarian aid, via Medicin Sans Frontiers or the International Red Cross -- and provide substantial support, comparable to the billions being withheld not a token amount for political reasons.
16
Excellent report by Ms Haussman that clearly explains the disaster that the Chavez and Maduro governments have brought to Venezuela, once a prosperous and democratic country. As a Cuban born US citizen the Hands off Venezuela Movement clearly reminds me of The Fair Play for Cuba Committee of the 60’s, an extreme liberal communist infiltrated group that promoted the Castro brothers and definitely helped zeal the disastrous communist dictators in that country that today has a very strong hand in Venezuela and in their military establishment, and personal protection of dictator Maduro.
4
@Abel Mestre
A fringe radical group in the United States did not help zeal the Castros' tyranny. However unpleasant, repugnant, nonsensical it may seem to some, the post reveal Communist revolution had support from many sectors. Less so today, where it relies on an overwhelming repressive apparatus and has lowered the living standards and aspirations of its citizens.
A generous immigration accommodation from the United States which siphoned off opposition did more to seal Cuba's sad trajectory than misguided zealots. Not to mentioned a failed invasion.
I wish the best for my Venezuelan brethren, but like my Cubans, they have to figure out how to get out of the mess they got themselves into or find themselves in.
Relying on duex ex machinas in the form of foreign interventions rarely work without addressing the underlying ills that got them there in the first place.
2
It seems ironic I suppose that the United Nations whose permanent home is on this side of the pond seems more concerned with issues on the other side. I'm not implying we can special treatment over here - rather equal.
2
This is Baloney! Hands off Venezuela. If it so bad in
Venezuela then our wonderful, good, kind, saintly, generous, benevolent government should lift the sanctions they put on Venezuela.
16
A minority of progressives care about foreign policy. So-called liberals don't; they stand back uninterested and let whatever invasion is cued up happen. Thank God for Noam Chomsky, Amy Goodman, Glenn Greenwald, etc. No one here is sanitizing a dictator. The solution is to lift the sanctions and let Venezuela sort this out itself. You don't want help from Eliot Abrams, believe me.
13
I just got back from Cuba where I spent a week on a "person to person" exchange, which was really more like a propoganda opportunity for dictatorial leadership through their goons to aggrandize themselves and their high-level supporters, while stirring up old stories about imperialist pigs. Cuba is in marginally better shape than Venezuela at the moment, but both are afflicted by dictatorial systems masquerading as being "for the people." Uh, not quite. The people are suffering in those failing states. Ms. Haussman is right to warn about the absurd posture of some on the American left as to Maduro and Raoul Castro. Note to clueless Lefties: As a comparative matter, all Americans are basically liberals in the classical sense. Maduro and Castro are not. They are tin-hat dictators implementing ruthless strategies to quash dissent.
9
Tell us about The Bay of Pigs fiasco . How did that intervention work out ? If you can't fix it don't mess with it .
3
The Russians and the Cubans are there to stop generals from talking to each other therefore isolating out any avenue of peaceful transition. Maduro is a horrible person. 50 nations, including most of the americas, are unified in this position. The video was amazing work.
5
The American left has no idea what they are talking about. Maduro is the worst kind of dictator. Stalinesque. I agree that the US has to proceed with care but let's call a dictator a dictator. Not much worse can happen in Venezuela. It's a kleptocracy.
7
Human rights abusers Bolton ( Iraq, etc) and Abrams ( Guatemala genocide) are leading the charge for regime change in Venezuela while your country maintains ties with tyrannical Saudi Arabia as it bombs civilians in Yemen into oblivion. History teaches us that U. S intervention WILL only make matters worse in Venezuela.
8
The dictator is dead. Long live the dictator.
Rinse and repeat.
1
I know many liberals. I don't know anyone who approves of Maduro and his policies.
6
Simple fact is many on the left see Maduro as reflecting leftist views so give him a pass on human rights abuses. Politics is more important that life and death situation happening right now
3
Noam Chomsky, wasn't he the guy who kept defending the Khmer Rouge long after their horrors were known to the world? How can he still be mentionable?
3
Accuracy counts. Chomsky and Herman wrote, in 1977:
"We do not pretend to know where the truth lies amidst these sharply conflicting assessments; rather, we again want to emphasize some crucial points. What filters through to the American public is a seriously distorted version of the evidence available, emphasizing alleged Khmer Rouge atrocities and downplaying or ignoring the crucial U.S. role, direct and indirect, in the torment that Cambodia has suffered."
That was and is undeniably true. There were certainly people on the American left who blindly rejected reports of Khmer Rouge butchery. Noam Chomsky, a lifelong cautious skeptic, wasn't one of them.
4
I’m a flaming liberal, but it’s clear Chavez became and Maduro is a dictator. A friend would rave about Chavez, blinded to the truth that he was a thug and completely undemocratic.
Like Trump supporters, these folks see only way they want to see and blind themselves to the truth. It happens not just on the right, but also the left. Scary.
5
Gracias Joanna.. vast majority of those repeating and proclaiming the 'Hands off' don't live in Venezuela.. they see all this disaster we are in from their comfort bubble, behind a keyboard..
3
Russia lands troops on the Americas. That is how you know Trump and Putin are best dictator pals. Do all Republicans love dictators who are nice to them? I say yes.
1
Many political feeds outside (and probably also inside) the US are so fixatedly anti-Trump (and even anti-US) that they support Maduro based on no other evidence than that Trump and the US oppose him.
It is doing enormous damage to their credibility.
It would certainly make life simpler for everyone if Trump would call Maduro a hero and praise him, that way at least we'd all know which side we were on ... but even the most ardently anti-Trump liberals have to admit that he is right in this case.
Now, that still doesn't mean he should do anything stupid like military intervention - that would only give credibility to the notion that Maduro is a great leader whose excellent policies have been foiled by the US.
The most accurate description of Maduro is that he is so bad, so incompetent, so corrupt, that even Trump can see it ...
18
Is incredible to read the ignorance and the lack of education in many messages. Yes maybe Trump is looking for Venezuela oil or yes maybe there is an agenda for that . Venezuelan make businesses with USA for oil for the last 95 years, America thought us how to drill and find oil and in 1978 they left because of oil nationalization but in 1992 government decided that mixed companies .
But what do you think China , Cuba and Russia are in Venezuela ?? Because of the weather ?? The difference in a this is not a business deal , this is genocide !! We are dying !!! Dying every day dies 69 people by gun shut many executions style, we are dying of hunger we are dying for lack of medicine We are dying !!!! This is not a political agenda is 26 million people in the worst economy crisis with out a war !!
3
Thank you Joanna and NYT!!!!
1
I think liberals, as a whole, understand the dreadful situation and horrible system in Venezuela. We’re just not sure the US should be actively involved—having been so unsuccessful at regime changes that turned out as advertised.
7
Countries have the right to recognise or not recognise other countries - no country in the world except Turkey recognises the “Republic” of Northern Cyprus - but no country, group of countries or any Organization has the “right” to not recognise the leader of an internationally recognised country.
In the case of the “tyrant” Maduro, countries which do not “recognise” him are quite content with their association with, and recognition of, for example, the leader of Saudi Arabia who has never been elected to anything and who is broadly and personally accused of the murder of a journalist, or with El Sisi of Egypt who came to power with a coup and whose police and army killed thousands of Egyptian citizens protesting that coup. Both are close allies and friends of the United States and the other countries that do not “recognise” Maduro and that employ sanctions and boycotts for geostrategic and financial advantage.
4
Just imagine: at the end of 2019 the US economy experiences a 2008 style crisis and the Trump administration - incompetent as it is - turns the situation into a disaster.
And then the EU decides that Trump's election was illegal after all - using all the Democrat propaganda about Russiagate and the electoral college - and finds some stooge who it then presents as the head of an alternative US government. In the meantime it confiscates some US companies and uses the money to pay for a massive campaign. How many Americans would support that?
The last time something like the US is doing now to Venezuela was done to a country was in 1939 when Stalin created an alternative Finnish government as a pretext for his invasion.
Ms. Haussmann may have good intentions. But this kind of expats is lethal to any country. Venezuela is very well capable of solving its own problems. Vicious - and at times mendacious - propaganda like this will only poison the local discussions and make it harder for Venezuela to reform.
4
After reading the article and these comments I am wondering, what the hard left has ever provided the world that is of any benefit? By the hard left I am not referring to true liberal values such as all people are created equal with innalianble rights. I'm referring to the left that is in favor of socialism, communism, and Marxism and the inevitable totalitarian rule tha inevitably accompanies those economic systems.
2
I believe this is a coup just like any other that we've seen in the past century in Central and South America.
There are always people from the country itself who want the coup - I just think they are in the vast minority and I've seen nothing that proves otherwise. I believe there is a small but wealthy elite that are closely aligned with the US - same as happened in the failed coup of Chavez
3
Perhaps you're missing the moral worthlessness of Omar and Chomsky. It seems blatant enough to me. I must say.
I also believe that once we help the freedom loving citizens of Venezuela attain their highest aspirations by plunging the nation into chaos and civil war (and helping ourselves to their oil) we will show them how to create an honest, democratic society, run by elites who truly care about the common people, like the one we have here in the United States.
3
I know a couple of hard-core Brazilians, of the PT party, of course, who seem incapable of opening their eyes to the obvious misery the Venezuelans are living right next door, and the one and only reason for it: Maduro. When I point out that their defense of him reminds me very much of the GOP defense of Donald Trump they squirm a bit, but not enough to see how placing love of party and ideology over love of country and even of their fellow man is responsible for the misery.
2
I am glad to read (in Al Jazeera) that the Red Cross has obtained an agreement to get more supplies into Venezuela, reportedly in a manner which prevents either Maduro or Guido from using it as a weapon. It seems like, if the people had a few more calories, they would be more able to eliminate tyrants.
Imagine having someone like donald trump intervening in your nation and naming a "president". Just the idea that trump supports Guaido, and that Guaido is a puppet who will do trump's bidding, convinces me that, as bad as Maduro may be, Guaido may be even worse for the Venezuelan people. I wouldn't wish the current US govt on my worst enemy.
If only trump were this concerned about Puerto Rico.
Historically, any leader who does not kowtow to the US is called a brutal dictator and must go. It's an old story.
Our dismal record of regime change, especially in Latin America, has never worked well. We have a history of supporting corrupt, criminal govts with US puppets as their presidents.
Given the state of our own govt at this time, I don't think we should lecturing anyone about democracy.
2
The US empire has been meddling with Venezuela for decades and now is huffing and puffing to blow its house down and deliver it to its toadies.There are certainly big problems in Venezuela, but many of them result from US actions e.g. sanctions and funding the opposition. Venezuelans seem to be aware of theYankee lust for its resources and the Yankee determination to strangle any non-capitalist economic system. That attempt to strangle a different system is caused by the fear of fair competition with it. Otherwise --why not let it collapse of its own weakness? Like Cuba?
2
Is Ilhan Omar advocating that the US not send troops to Venezuela or to not have anything to do at all with opposing the Maduro regime? Anyone who supports the Maduro regime at this point has surrendered all right to be considered seriously.
Ms. Hausmann - First...are we certain that she is a Liberal? She immediately invokes the typically right wing trope "You don't seem to understand what's really going on (you Dummies?)" in expressing her dismay regarding narratives she proclaims Liberals espouse in opposing U.S. intervention in Venezuela - which are not the incentives Joe Q. Liberal actually express as basis for their opposition to U.S. intervention in Venezuela. She alluded to incorrect historical events - the precedent of U.S. proactively operating to insert right-wing Latin America regimes - to opine that what is happening in Venezuela should be contextualized differently. Most liberals agree with that assessment...the precedent that resonates with more than a few in the U.S. is the experience of proliferating conflict in Vietnam, no where near South America. The Soviet Union (Russia) had no pronounced presence in other Latin America countries (save Cuba) where the U.S. endeavored to enact the Monroe Doctrine...Russia (and China) are very prominent players in the intrigue roiling Venezuelan culture - as in Vietnam and Cuba.
In making her points, Ms. Hausmann was fairly successfully at conveying them ensconced in attempts at levity (mocking?) But from the very outset, she proceeded from a false premise (her incorrect assertion of what drives liberal resistance to U.S. involvement in Venezuela), thus deriving a conclusion that, quite clearly, is being rejected by many Americans as being valid.
The whole premise of this piece is bizarre. Why should Americans be involved in yet another attempt at overthrowing yet another leader, good or bad? We have an awful record when it comes to regime change and have no right to engage in yet another so- called humanitarian intervention. Maybe we should try holding our own war criminals to account first before we engage in yet another such arrogant attempt, but many Americans, including so- called liberals, seem to think that after each catastrophic intervention we start the new one with a spotless record and a clean conscience. Based on the comments I see here, it will never stop.
And by the way, some of the suffering in Venezuela is the fault of US sanctions and also the actions of some of the opposition. Maduro is no doubt an incompetent thug, but you have to be very naive to think that his opponents, including his American ones, are all sweetness and light.
3
I have never understood the left’s embrace of dictators. It is refreshing to finally hear someone that acknowledges that and speaking out against supporting them. These dictators certainly do not have the interests of the people at heart whether it is Venezuela or Cuba or anywhere else. It makes me sick watching celebrities, politicians and wealthy descendants of Camelot embrace them.
1
A humanitarian crisis, brought on and exacerbated by US government actions?
1
I find that certain members of the left (note I don't say democrats) are showing their true colors. Ideology first, humans second.
1
If you really want to know what the Trump administration thinks about the streams of refugees escaping Venezuela just look at what occurring at the U.S. southern border. They can't send those refugees back fast enough to the misery of their own countries. Don't be fooled by disingenuous claims of humanitarian concerns or democracy. It's about the naked plundering of natural resources, specifically the oil.
2
Right now, the American Empire is engaged in one of its many regime change efforts in Central and South America. Venezuela will be driven to bloody Civil War as the Empire and its Client States plunder Venezuelan assets and impose an Economic siege on the People of the Country.
Many non-aligned nations – the majority of countries in the world – do not support the USA determination to murder thousands of Venezuelans. If you want to see how this will play out, go back and look at the history of El Salvador and Central American nations overall.
Russia and more recently China seem to have decided to stand up for International Law and to actually resist the Empire. It would be great to see the United Nations stand up for International Law also.
3
Even if I didn’t think that this “Regime Change” effort in Venezuela was wrong, due to the fact that the US Neocons, who I don’t support, are in charge.
It’s would be hard for me to be on the same side as Marco Rubio and the Cuban congressional delegation from Florida along with my Senator, Menendez when it comes to Cuba and Venezuela.
In my view it is Personal with them, and they are using their privileged position in the US Government to further their vendetta against the Cuban Revolution.
2
The humanitarian crisis has been caused by US sanctions against Venezuela.
Why do you not report on the mass demonstrations in support of the Maduro government in Venezuela? Why do you not report the multiple anti-imperialist
protests in this country, instead of attacking those who want peace?
2
Neither Noam Chomsky, nor Bernie Sanders, nor Ilhan Omar has "sanitized" Maduro or called him "friend". Ms. Hausmann has perhaps taken the outbursts of very few fringe liberals and made them into a collective libel against all liberals who reject US intervention or question the self-declared "legitimacy" of Juan Guaido.
Does Ms. Hausmann think that every time a country goes into a similar crisis the US should send its military forces to correct the situation? Or is it just Venezuela, for some reason?
Please don't take a blind swipe at liberals because they speak their mind. You may not like what they say, but that doesn't mean you have a monopoly on empathy with the suffering of the Venezuelan people.
2
just a very non-scientific observation based on looking at video footage. the majority of supporters of juan guaido (crowned king by the united states and northern european countries) mostly are light skinned...
the vast majority of maduro rallies are populated by much darker skinned people - obviously belonging to what used to be the underclasses of venezuela...for me, this simple fact speaks volumes about the lengths the elites will go to in order to maintain their social superiority. for all their heavy handedness, chavez and maduro were the ones to finally break the elites and their grip on power...
2
Not a black and white situation. Yes, Maduro is a tyrant who deserves to be the victim of a coup. No doubt about it. But then, how democratic minded is our Donald?
What do we actually know about the new guy? The US just gave him control of Venezuela's $ in the US? Is it now in a Swiss bank account? Let's follow the Benjamins and notice that where the US is concerned, rarely have our policies in Latin America not involved making the poor poorer, at best, and mass death of the poor, as in Guatemala under Rios Mott, at worst.
Somoza, Batista, Pinochet, Stroessner, the list goes on when it comes to US support for right wing dictators in Latin Am. Why, we even have a chain of fancy clothing, Banana Republic, that honors the phenomenon. So excuse some of us liberals for wanting to know more about this opposition leader and his party.
Estados Unidos de America does what is best for Amerikkkan big business, ALWAYS, and its always fake rhetoric when our Mobuto and Bolsonaro loving politicians spout off about "freedom" and "democracy." We could care less.
So rather than just writing a blank check, lets support regime change that originates at home and has nothing to do with American big business. Lets not repeat the mistakes of the Bush axis of evil in Iraq. No blank checks.
1
How would bombing help the Venezuelan people? Doees anybody remember Chile and American regime change with Pinochet?
2
Hey, you ever notice how we’re always interested in military intervention to solve humanitarian crisis’ when the country has oil, but disinterested if not? Never lifted a finger for the humanitarian disasters in Sudan, Rwanda, and Yemen.
2
What liberals don't get about Venezuela is very similar to what they don't get about Cuba. Decades of making excuses for the Castro regime has not done anything to improve the lot of Cubans. Doctors are trained so as to be used as human commodities to be traded for oil and yet all we hear is how terrific Cuban healthcare is. It is hopeless. People believe what they want to believe in spite of all the facts.
1
Chomsky and Omar aren't liberals. They are far to the left of liberals. Why, however, they can't see that Chavez and now Maduro are making the people of Venezuela suffer greatly has all to do with ideology overwhelming reality. In this they are like their right wing counter parts the Trump supporters. Whether Trump is competent enough to do anything useful in Venezuela is unclear, but it doesn't make Maduro any better.
What seems missing in this are actual policy proposals. Other than, "don't ignore Venezuela" I see no concrete proposals. Few Americans want to see a full blown military intervention so what proposals are on the table here?
1
Send humanitarian aid NOTHING ELSE. This is just trying to be a justification for regime change. We, because of our sanctions, are responsible.
2
@Donald Forbes
Mr. Forbes, I am a Venezuelan citizen, one who fled the country, trying to build a B path for my children in case of. You have no idea of what the situation for living looks like in the country. You do not feel in your flesh what it means sending a 100,000 barrels of oil to Cuba everyday in exchange for medical and secutity services and people keep dying due to lack lack medicines or cuban generics that are overdue; useless equipment at hospitals,parapolice groups killing whoever protests or does not deserve the qualification of REVOLUTIONARY; empty shelves wherever you go. Having one of the biggest complexes to produce hydraulic clean energy and also enough reserves of natural gas to even provide our neighbors, finding people seeking for wood to cook or salt to try to preserve perishable food items. I am 64 years old and I can tell you for sure what have been the changes during these last 20 years. These people are not liberal, they are communists. They uses two very powerful tools to control people, food and security. Besides, look at the numbers of members of radical group members of the middle east operating in Venezuela and how on behind a false mask of bakery ops, construction co. Farm good suppliers, launds dirty money on behalve of you do not whom to. Just in a few words, you do not have an idea what is to look for something to eat in the garbage while the ones in command come to Aruba and or to Miami to do their grocery buying.
1
@Anibal Gordon What you don't seem to understand is that the US is responsible for the misery south of the border. We can afford to send humanitarian aid and let the people of Venezuela solve their own political problems. That goes for Russia also.
1
Simple message humanitarian aid and support democracy. Everyone should agree. The question is how to do it in the face of Madura and the Venezuelan army along with Russian and Chinese support. Very complicated. If you rule out the military then you are left with diplomacy. Are we prepared to trade Crimea and the S. China sea for Venezuela? How about lifting of Russian sanctions or Chinese trade tariffs? In the end Americans really don’t care about Venezuela or Central America compared with other issues. Republicans and Dems know this, so nothing will happen aside from the political posturing on cable news. Only when large oil companies see an opening will US take action. Jairo should make them an offer.
1
I do not consider Noam Chomsky a liberal, he is far-left. I see Ilham Omar as inexperienced at best, and again, I see her as left of liberal. I consider myself a liberal, and both of the people you name, and the attitudes you cite, are not those of me or my friends.
1
Putin apparently understands the concept of quid-pro-quo. We lie to the Russians, promising them NATO won't expand into the former Soviet border states. Then Clinton/Albright take NATO to the Russian border, Hillary authorizes NGOs and others messing around with Russian elections. Now the US gets a minor taste of that kind of behavior and perhaps will learn the kindergarten lesson that actions have consequences.
4
@JPE JPE sounds like Clinton and Albright forced NATO down the throats of the new members.
The fact is that the new NATO countries had had enough of Dictators, judiciaries working for the government and police states and wanted to join NATO to avoid another dark hole of repression. Eastern Europe wanted Sex, drugs and Rock and Roll. Poland and Hungary might want to remember that.
1
Until recently I was strongly of the opinion that the US needs to leave Venezuela to the Venezuelans, lest we end up doing more harm than good, as seems to be our practice. But for me the introduction of Russian troops into the country changes the equation. I don't really see how this challenge from Vladimir Putin can be ignored by the US government. The situation in Venezuela is becoming a proxy battle between the US and Russia, if it hasn't always been so, and not something the US can walk away from, even if it wanted to. By accepting this "help" from Russia, Maduro has basically guaranteed the continued and increasing intervention of the US. Maybe this is by design, as the threat of the US boogyman in the country helps Maduro shore up his position there. It's only too bad Maduro isn't as clever in actually running his country.
7
@Anatomically modern human. Ok. You are good with the USA waging economic war on the Venezuelan people and really doing much more harm than good. There is no Good being done - just regime change and that will become very bloody.
Russia is doing no more than standing up for International Law - as it did in Syria. Somebody has to stand up for the Weak and dispossessed against Imperial aggression and it seems that Russia is taking up the challenge - with China and India's tacit support.
3
@Robert Jennings
Ah, yes, that stalwart sentinel of international law and beacon for human rights, the Putin government! Tell it to his domestic victims -- Alexander Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, Boris Nemtsov, Sergei Magnitsky, Natalia Estemirova, Sergei Yushenkov, Paul Klebnikov, Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova, to name but a few. Tell it to the thousands slaughtered indiscriminately in the Second Chechen War, and to the many survivors there since left to the tender mercies of Putin's understudy, that other champion of human rights, Ramzan Kadyrov. Tell it to the passengers and crew of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, blown to bits by a Russian missile. Tell it to the LGBTQ of Russia and Chechnya.
Something tells me the weak and dispossessed among our readers are giving your comment a bit of side-eye. I know I am.
1
"Those who have served the revolution have plowed the sea." Simon Bolivar 200 years ago.
Of course US economic warfare is not helping the situation.
4
Oil revenues are up lately, which I think Venezuela might best invest in a new election. Venezuela, please put to rest all doubt and let international observers validate the outcome. Personally, I hope the most forgotten Venezuelans win as they did with Chavez. But let the election prove that Maduro is the "right" person. If not, let him go. Above all, the US needs to avoid military intervention. The Monroe Doctrine is dead.
10
@jim guerin.
Maduro called for international observers for the past 2018. The opposition asked international observers not to come although Henri Falcon ( an opposition figure) was running against Maduro. U. S officials personally tried to disuade Falcon from running. Please just don't take my word for it, research/verify what I just told you.
8
@Jay Henri Falcon is a weak "opposition" leader, along with the other one Javier Bertucci. The government had politically incapacitated the strong ones. The opposition asked the UN not to send observers since they didn't want them to legitimize the election. Why? Well, in 2015 the opposition won the National Assembly elections. As a response in 2017 the government created the "Constituent Assembly" as a parallel assembly. Smartmatic (the company which provided the tech for the elections) declared that the elections for the parallel assembly were tampered with, and then ceased operations in the country. Ever since then any electoral activity done in Venezuela is put under heavy doubt. This includes the presidential ones of 2018. Please just don't take my word for it, research/verify what I just told you.
5
@jim guerin Apparently you didn't pay attention to the video. Elections have been rigged for years here. There is not an autonomous power left in Venezuela except the national assembly (legislative). Maduro's regime has bought almost every high government official from electoral power, judicial power, and if that was not enough Maduro simply decided the national assembly was no good and created a second one with his own puppets. Venezuela is in a HUGE humanitarian crisis. We are up against a totalitarian communist dictator that is slowly killing the population with 7 digits hyperinflation + food scarcity and more recently power blackouts.
If this was your case, would you want the rest of the world to stand by and watch?
1
This was a really poorly done video essay--seemingly just self promotion by Ms. Hausmann, swatting at a liberal straw man. I am a liberal living among liberals (in Berkeley!). And yet I know no supporters of the Maduro government--certainly the fringe characters that reported "no human rights abuses" in Venezuela speak for no liberals I know.
Bernie Sanders is shown hesitating to answer a question--the response to which was not included. We don't know what he said--it is not shown. This is worthy of Fox News.
Similarly people are asked where they are from, as if Americans should have no say as to whether the US invades another country.
All the liberals I know condemn the Maduro government, and, I believe, pretty much know everything that was said in this essay--but probably don't think that an invasion by the US would be a good idea, which of course the Trump administration has "left on the table." I am guessing this is the overwhelming majority of liberals' view.
21
@Jeff, but sadly, it isn’t.
Trump has a plan. He's going to start a war with Iran next year so he can run as a war president. In order to that, he needs to secure Venezuelan oil before he can set the Middle East on fire. The people and land mean nothing to him. The Russians have stepped in because they know what this is leading up to and they intend to stymie his plan. Trump wants that oil and he wants it now so he can stay in power and win reelection next year. It will be interesting to see how far he will go now that his plan is falling apart before it really started. The overthrow of the current regime is very time sensitive in the scheme of things so we can start bombing Iran next year on schedule.
10
@Dino Reno As much as I agree with you that this video is an attempt at justifying a blatant oil grab under the guise of humanitarian intervention, I have to disagree that this is specific to Trump. The historical record of the US is riddled with many dozens of instances of meddling in other sovereign states' affairs, especially in South America. In fact, the last time we tried to coup Venezuela was in 2002, using the same tactics we are now (except for the cyberwarfare on their electrical grid; that was a new and inspired development on the part of the State Department). The problem here isn't Trump, it's the machinery behind our economy. These coups and wars will always rear their ugly heads under any president because this is what managing a global imperial supply chain requires. In fact, I doubt very much that these events in Venezuela have a lot to do with Trump's specific decision-making. He inherited the same foreign policy machinery Obama had at his disposal, and they have been eyeing Venezuela ever since Chavez won. It's the same gaggle of neoconservative generals and neoliberal economists that call the shots, with a healthy dose of torture training at the School of the Americas. Not much has changed since the Reagan years, and not much changed then from the Panama affair, and not much changed then from the Monroe Doctrine. I'd say we're actually still following Monroe Doctrine when it comes to South America, and we will so long as our economy remains the way it is.
13
@Liliana de Fier
My opinion doesn't matter, but the overwhelming opinion of the actual Venezuelans that have responded on here are nowhere near what you are saying. Maybe we should all just listen.
10
@Josh, because again, Americans think they know better. I work with many Venezuelans living in the US who want/need the help of the world and welcome support for Guaidó.
1
I'll just restate what has been pointed out by earlier posters: Ms. Hausmann's father is an advisor to and supporter of Guaido. This isn't a pure plea for help for the oppressed, it's a political ploy by a partisan.
28
@Douglas No, it is not. It's how most Venezuelans think. The plea is real.
4
I visited Venezuela many times in 1983, while I was living nearby as an exchange student in Colombia. I went back in 1987 and 1990. All of this was of course during the pre-Chávez era. I clearly remember an older Colombian man explaining to me once that Venezuela was a model country characterized by "the rule of law, like the United States." His image of Venezuela baffled me at the time, because of the extreme poverty that overshadowed everything I had ever seen in Venezuela. I have seen nothing comparable to that poverty in the many other countries I have visited. 35 years ago, I thought something was seriously wrong in Venezuela. Now that all Venezuelans and not just the poor are struggling, some people are calling for a U.S. military intervention. I suspect that such an intervention would only help the relatively wealthy, so I am holding out hope for some other solution.
8
@Dan We would all prefer another solution Dan and we all hope another regime in Venezuela would do more for the poor but how long can people live in Chavez's devastated society without a violent reaction?
1
US policy toward Venezuela, like that of all major powers re Venezuela, is about oil and how their own oil moguls can best gain access to it. That, unfortunately, is the plight of any nation, or areas within nations, that have oil deposits. People above ground cease to matter.
16
I keep being amazed by the comments on Venezuela. Why is it so difficult for many to understand that ten percent of the population has fled, that people are starving, without medicine, and now, without electricity. The U.S. did not do this. Yes, there are some U.S. sanctions which have been recently imposed. However, people have been fleeing long before these sanctions. And, other countries can step in to help work around the sanctions if they so desire. People are simply blinded by their hate of Trump. This is a disaster aided and abetted by the Cubans. You can have your own opinions, but, facts are facts.
30
@Robert
Though the US has been targeting Venezuela with a creeping list of sanctions since 2005, culminating in the total embargo against the State Oil Company recently, nobody is saying the plight of Venezuelans is caused by US actions. Your statement that "people are simply blinded by their hate of Trump" is hyperbole. I believe that most of the people you refer to would just as strongly object to an American intervention in Venezuela even if Obama was the president. No, this is not about Trump.
The posters criticizing Ms. Hausmann's video appeal are not blind to the suffering of Venezuelans; but they are wise enough to know what happened in past interventions. They know that the blatant interventionist threats against Venezuela are not the right approach and that Trump's support for Guaido is but a cynical use of a Venezuelan internal crisis to engineer regime-change in a foreign country for pure geopolitical purposes.
I am not in a position to determine the legitimacy of Guaido's self-declared presidency, but I know that the worst thing he did to his campaign and supporters was to associate himself so strongly with Trump to the point of calling for for a US intervention. No self-respecting patriotic leader should ever do that.
15
@Robert Robert, this is a clear sighted analysis.
Look at it from Venezuela out. Not the U.S. in.
The seeds of destruction are contained within and I think Ortega's time is coming.
@Robert
Take the log out your eye before you focus on someone else's splinter. The issues you mentioned pale in comparison to the suffering brought upo the people of Yemen by the absolute monarch of Saudi Arabia, who is aided by the United States. Our weapons shipments to the Saudis are even ending up in the hands of terrorists: https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/02/middleeast/yemen-lost-us-arms/.
I admit I was in knee-jerk mode concerning staying out of Venezuela, but I was under the impression that the opposition candidate was a right winger, and that Trump's attempts to get him in power was just to ensure more right-wing authoritarian nonsense. But, I had no idea that the left was so off the charts with this issue.
Another sticking point seems to be the Russians, but from what I can tell, they're a minuscule amount and are there mainly as a jab into Trump's eyes rather than an actual military force.
We need to do as the author suggests and aid them in whatever way we can.
4
Joanna, I cannot thank you enough for making this video.
As a venezuelan who barely left 2 years ago and still has family in my country including my own father, I am disgusted at how both left amd right around the globe have used our country for nothing but imuplse their agenda and ideologies.
People are dying and suffering at a huge rate, and lately the whole conversation seems to be around what Trump, Elliot and Rubio say and it's making me sick.
Everyone out there, talk to a venezuelan. Thanks.
25
@Luis Avila I with you Luis. People in their comfortable abodes with a bulging stomach and refrigerator pontificating about Latin America are sure not looking at the situation from the point of view of the Venezuelan worker. Ellos tiene que eschar a uno quien sabe......un Venezolano
1
@Luis
In Mexico Mexicans solved the problems of the Mexicans, without hoping for help of the U; S., dude.
What happens in Venezuela is exactly the same as in Brazil: a few rich, many poor and banned from downtown; condemned to live in the favelas in two different worlds.
I was born and raised in Venezuela. I have lots and lots of family living in Venezuela.
I love arepas. I love baseball. I love listening to gaitas. I am a proud Maracucho (someone from Maracaibo, Venezuela)
I understand first hand the pain and suffering Venezuela is going through and I am in total agreement with Joanna and I hope her article brings a better understanding to all those who are trying to form an opinion of this subject.
I just got off the phone with my mother and believe me when I tell you Venezuela needs all the help it can get. Things are bad and getting worse by the hour there.
Thanks Joanna! I hope to read and watch more of your commentary on the Venezuelan crisis.
33
Hausmann talks about the Venezuelan people as if they all thought the same way. She shows footage of a small anti-intervention demo in the USA, and then a larger anti-Maduro protest in Venezuela... apparently hoping that we're not aware of the massive anti-intervention marches and rallies in Venezuela itself...
She also shows Bernie Sanders pausing for thought before answering a question. I only wish more politicians would do the same.
21
@Colin Robinson oh no, not all venezuelans think alike. Most of us do, but not all.
I'm not sure what you call "massive" about anti-intervention rallies in Venezuela. But in any case, most people who go to those rallies do so under threats to either their families, their livelyhood or their own lives.
Additionally, most rallies from the oposition are shot up by Maduro's paramilitary (colectivos), so yeah. There's that.
16
@Colin Robinson Colin, isn't it a bit weird that all the Venezuelans are in accord with what Joanna says in her video and those who know nothing nothing about Latin America and couldn't say 'donde esta' in Spanish are all experts? Lose twenty four pounds because you can't find enough food then come back and give your 'opinions'.
2
Where are the outspoken leftists that make clear that they oppose the Maduro regime as strongly as anyone else and that his failure is due to corruption and incompetence not to his perversion of socialism? The left wing supporters of Maduro are a sham, Bernie, AOC and the lot, and by their incomprehension and /or knee jerk liberalism are setting up Trump for another win.Heaven help us.
17
@Bruce Glaser There are no outspoken leftists talking about Maduro's "regime" and corruption because we analyze our media and our sources carefully. For instance, Joanna Hausmann's father is the director of the Center for International Development, a CIA think tank responsible for making "suggestions" on how to manage Latin American economies. Their "research" is directly responsible for the coup in Honduras in 2009, which toppled a democratically-elected leftist and replaced him with a military junta. Maduro was elected with a 55% majority, while the opposition party Guaido belongs to boycotted the election and then lied about being banned from running. The elections have been observed by a series of independent international watchdogs unaffiliated with any government, and none of them (except the ones who weren't even in the country) found any reason to suspect ballot-stuffing or bribes. In fact, many rated the transparency of Maduro's most recent election as being significantly higher than that of the US 2016 election. And as for Bernie and AOC? They do talk about Maduro's corruption, but they're not pro-Maduro (or even leftists), they're just anti-coup. This video was produced to get people to support a breach of sovereignty by the US intelligence community, not to support an underdog in a totalitarian dictatorship. The idea that the US will ever or has ever suppported the truly democratic alternative is a farce and has been proven wrong by history repeatedly.
17
@Liliana de Fier I will repeat a comment I made. People are right to be critic of Joanna's background, but at the same time they should talk to many Venezuelans which come from many backgrounds, from the poor to the rich. Of course most Venezuelans that managed to get to the US are probably not poor since... well is incredibly hard to get there with a monthly salary that ranges between 1$ and at most 10$ and no papers. In any case Im pretty sure most Venezuelans will show their discontent at the current government and they will acknowledge the links between the government and corruption. For example why are lots of the governments officials' families outside venezuela living the high life, in example, Chavez's daughter. Why did the government needed to buy 12 sukhois in 2015 when the public universities needed (and need) desperately that money?
Anyone that wants to understand the Venezuelan situation can do it with google translator and knowing what to search: news in digital newspapers like "el pitazo" ,"caraota digital", reuters venezuela, prodavinci, youtube videos, report documents like the venezuelan encovi, the ovv (violence venezuelan observatory), or the ONU one of 2018. Or heck you could ask me over a facebook search. Maybe a good resource would be to research what Venezuelan Universities say about our current situation: the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), the Simon Bolívar University (USB), and the Andres Bello Catholic University (UCAB) are good examples.
1
Liberals are, in the end, selfish. They don't care about Venezuela, they care about their own self-image. People have been fleeing Venezuela for years, and what have the Liberals in the US done? Nothing. Why? Because they are afraid of being judged, and being found wanting.
14
@Mannyv
Please clarify. It's not clear what you mean.
@Mannyv Years? Then what did the Republican House and Senate do? What did Bush do? Nothing as well.
Sorry, not a Liberal but we heard this song and dance before.
Remember, Iraq and Afghanistan. Don't worry, the families of the dead Americans, Iraqis, and Afghanis do remember.
Both of those interventions were to be short and sweet.
Instead, they turned into Long and full of Tragedy.
Face it, we send American troops and we will reap the Whirlwind for the next decade.
Those countless Billions of US dollars can better be spent on Affordable Health Care for all Americans, Combatting Opioid Abuse and Stopping Climate Change.
As for Maduro, he has control of his Military and everyone else who has guns in Venezuela. The same strategy that the Maniac in Syria had and it worked for him despite US Intervention.
This is just a Dog and Pony Show for Trump who needs his posturing for his Cuban American supporters in Florida.
His Jihad against Socialism is just to shore up his Political support for his Re-election campaign in 2020.
41
@Richard Pontone
The invasion of Afghanistan was a direct result of 9/11. I remember the executions in the soccer fields of Afghanistan when the Taliban controlled the country. We can leave but we should take the Afghans that sided with the U.S. who would face execution. Short of that we may not be able to win but we should not let the country be controlled by the Taliban and again becoming a safe haven for terrorists by maintaining a limited force there.
Regarding Venezuela, we should use our relationship and allies if we have any to put pressure on the Maduro government without invading the country. No one in the U.S. liberal or conservative supports another military engagement.
Yes, I am a liberal.
6
The more the world shows its colors, the more people can only see black and white... (or red and blue, for that matter)...
2
A more pragmatic view of historical US involvement in Central America and the CAribean might reveal that the only times these poor excuses for countries have ever been prosperous and humane places to live.....has been when the US actually DID invade, occupy, and run them.
I modestly suggest that we pull our military out of the Middle East...and devote the majority of our military to planning an outright invasion of Guatamala and El Salvador. These places do not qualify as "nations"...they have devolved into regions of chaos...failed states as the State Dpt likes to say.
Make sure that Venezuela and Cuba observe the results.
We will convert these Central American Failed States into US Territory....enforce property rights, making sure that the locals get a fair shake in the allocation of land,,,,then everything goes up for sale...American Style!! Its how the west was won!!
2
@Wherever Hugo
Yep, nothing like being a US Territory...just ask Puerto Rico!
But you are right about this....we have more and more failed states, not over in the Middle East or Africa or somewhere, but right outside our door. That problem is growing frightfully fast. A silly wall won't fix that.
@Wherever Hugo
A bad joke. Try to dig up an example of a country the US invaded and improved in the opinion of it's people.
On the other hand, there are lots of SA countries the US damaged badly. Chile is the one we handed over to Pinochet who slaughtered hundreds in a few days and continued the slaughter for years. Chile elected the socialist daughter of one of Pinochet's victims, Michelle Bachelet, and did very well.
Does anyone believe that Trump cares about the people of Venezuela? He doesn't.
27
@Steve C
Whoever visited and knew Venezuela 20 years ago, knows the abomination allowed in Venezuela in the name of the global socialism!
@Steve C
Look for a sole Obama tweet on Venezuela, I found none...
I rather take the chance in Trump!
A dire humanitarian crisis...? The Venezuelan ruling class, prior to Chavez left 90% of the country's population in real dire humanitarian crisis --- just as all Latin American countries that are ruled by the traditional Land-owning/Capitalist cliques, still do. So, don't try to shed crocodile tears for the poor starving masses, now. This disaster is and was caused by the collusion of the US and the old Ruling oligarchy to make sure that that REAL DEMOCRACY should never succeed, and should never ever be a beacon of hope for the oppressed, living in such Capitalist paradises as Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and the like.
The endless propaganda printed here and in all the Corporate press is really tiresome.
74
@robert and you know this how? Don't try to generalize when it comes to Venezuela. Although Chavez seized an opportunity, which was the mess created before him, he managed to make it much worse. Venezuela's downfall is unprecedented in modern history.
21
@Robert. The point is now that the US wants its own corporations to control Venezuelan oil and they are seeking a way to control it as they did under previous right wing dictatorships. The US government has few, if any, humanitarian concerns.
17
@John K
Venezuela's economic problems were caused by the fall in the price of oil, Venezuela's main resource. Then we piled on with sanctions. As Bolton, Trump's advisor, said "We want their Oil". We aren't going to invade Venezuela though because Putin got there first.
11
What on earth was Bernie Sanders thinking? Really shocking video clip. Ask real Venezuelans (they're easy to find since so many have fled) how they feel about what's been done to their country by Chavez/Maduro, and you'll have nothing but disdain for those poor deluded kids from Philadelphia and No Comment who clearly have no similar experience of deprivation and disaster.
53
@George Herkimer
Bernie was thinking, which is a lot more than most politicians do when the prez wants a war on.
2
@George Herkimer It certainly appeared like a whole lot of nothing.
Superb -- thank you. You've swayed a lot of us.
9
I, as a liberal, get everything there is to get about Venezuela. We pulled the righteous card, and Russia came in as the foil. Ad nauseum, over successive generations. Syria, other countries. How is this different from previous administrations?
In other words, little fish like Venezuela don't matter. It's always a global game of chicken between world superpowers.
6
The USA needs to not impose anything on Venezuela. Until our own house is in order we have no business telling any other country how to be a democracy. You are just one of millions of voices in Venezuela and many don't want US intervention.
It is a Venezuelan problem and it needs a Venezuelan solution.
21
@Moana Do you have the guts to tell hundred, if not thousands, of people who are watching their family and friends die at the hands of a tyrannical government that they need to find the solution themselves?
1
It's well past time to stop conceding the argument by referring to the winner of a democratic election the "opposition leader." Maduro is not the victim of a coup, he is, in addition to every negative thing that has been said about him, an illegitimate tyrant refusing to pass the reins of power to his duly elected opponent.
And this isn't a "not my president" situation, where many of us feel Hillary Clinton ought to be president and our electoral system is an insult to democracy. This is a clear cut winner and loser situation, and it is Maduro refusing to concede.
The notion that America should recognize this assault on Venezuelan democracy just because it comes from a so called populist who claims to inherit the so called legacy of the so called socialist Chavez is, well... Just dumb enough to merit a fringe movement of leftist 'intellectuals' leaving salty comments in this paper about "neoliberals" and our imperialist agenda.
11
@Alex dude, you need a better source of information, Maduro was elected 3 time in elections that The (Jimmy) Carter center said were cleaner than ours in the US. Guido has NEVER ran for office and more than 1/3 of the population never even heard of him when he declared himself president. Gudo was also trained by US institutions. You gotta stop getting your news from MSM sources which are controlled by 6 corporations heavily invested in oil and weapons...https://thegrayzone.com/2019/03/14/ricardo-hausmanns-morning-after-for-venezuela-the-neoliberal-brain-behind-juan-guaidos-economic-agenda/
Look at what regime change did for Iraq. Pretty sure Venezuelans don't want
7
@Susan Davis, but they do.
Maybe you should retitle your headline your extremely left of center friends instead of shoving all liberals I to one hat. Catchy headline but extremely dishonest. I think most liberals want a clean smooth transition what they don't want is intervention unless it is the last desperate resort. What we have in Trump is someone hellbent on making all Venezuelans life more miserable and desperate than what Maduro has already accomplished. Now that Russia is sticking its nose into the country affairs we are entering a flashpoint situation. America should make in harder for Maduro's clique to move money into over seas banks. Trump should remember Venezuela isn't Granada.
3
"Hunger, lack of medicine, and the latest, nearly the whole country had a blackout"
Sounds like Puerto Rico...
15
@Michael F. Ziolkowski except when the hurricane happened in Puerto Rico, Venezuela came to their rescue-https://geopoliticsalert.com/venezuelas-citgo-donate-50000-barrels-oil-hurricane-hit-puerto-rico
There have been several recent pieces printed in the NY Times regarding the plight of Venezuela. And what none of the authors can bring themselves to say--is that this is all the result of Socialism. In fact, you can't even find the "S" word in anything printed here. It's as if it's a mystery as to what happened in Venezuela. Somehow...Venezuelans voted a dictator into office--and that's the end of the story. Except it's not.
Neither Maduro or Chavez before him, started out as dictators. But as always with Socialism--"The People" are fed the usual fantasy of "we can truly have it all--we'll just get the wealthy to pay for it". We see the same entreaties now, in the talking points of the current crop of Democrat presidential candidates. We can have...it all--trust us.
--Free Health Care
--Free College Education
--Free incomes, even for those who don't wish to work
--Reparations for the descendants of slaves.
--Free Child Care
You see, that's always how the promise starts--and exactly why it always ends so badly. Advanced economies need their movers & shakers--the investors, inventors, entrepreneurs, the millionaires and billionaires--and as soon as they are threatened with confiscation, they stop all efforts at economic stewardship, move away, or take steps to protect their wealth. And when the economy craters--as it always does without stewardship--the ruling elite respond predictably--through the use of force and coercion. It ends in dictatorship.
10
@Jesse The Conservative, actually it was populism...the same movement that handed Trump the election.
@Jesse The Conservative actually, the socialist government of Venezuela is owed trillions of dollars for oil sales to US which US banks are refusing to give them because of US sanctions...
2
Jesse, I’m not a defender of socialism—nor do I have such an extremely negative view as you.
I just want to point out that your entire argument is flawed by the fact that Chavez did NOT get elected on the promise of establishing a socialist regime.
In fact, he denied having any desires to establish a socialist government countless times. It was not until long after his election — after he established a new constitution giving him more power than any previous president — that he finally declared his intention to create a socialist state.
Extremes meet. The far left and the far right resemble each other in many ways. The murder of Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudi government in October of 2018 echoes the execution of Kim Jong Un's uncle, Jang Song Thaek, in 2013 and the murder of his half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, in 2017.
The Occupy Movement spoke of the great differences in wealth between the top 1 % and the bottom 99%. However, in the United States, the 2nd percentile is almost as wealthy as the first. On the other hand, for most of North Korea's history, there was an enormous gap between the rulers and the rest of the country. There was nobody in the middle--only the rich and the starving. This has begun to change, fortunately.
Leftists typically refrain from criticizing Iran, a country that hangs homosexuals and limits the rights of women.
Radical Islam is the most rightist philosophy on earth, it has formed an alliance with Marxism, the most leftist philosophy. Or maybe we should say that Marxism is the second most rightist philosophy. Venezuela today is a country where the poor are starving to death.
6
The only real question is how many children die from hunger or disease as a world watches by a discusses history.
3
Americans will never "get" the Latin American political machines. I lived in a country where the president who got rightfully elected the 1st time, basically appointed his wife for a second term, she was part of the Chavez/Maduro - Morales- Da Silva clan who presided the country along her husband for 12 yrs, sold the most beautiful lands in the south ( Patagonia) to the Chinese, and installed a Russian base on our sovereign land. She stole most of the country's reserve, and always presented herself to be for the poor people, just like the Peron-Evita regime. In my country I'm politically right leaning, here left leaning, where that puts me? In the center. You will never get it. Russia is all over Venezuela, as the Iranians and Saudis, I don't have an answer on what to do, but like the comedian in the video says, stop promoting Maduro's regime. He is a cold dictator, shame on you ppl.
52
Joanna, Noam Chomsky isn't a fellow of mine. Nor do I think light shines out of Ilhan Omar. I'm also not sure you and I are on the same page. You're taking liberties with other people's opinions and motivations that I don't think you've earned. I certainly haven't sanitized or in any way supported Maduro, nor did I support Chavez.
You want to flame people you don't know for stuff you have no idea whether they did or not? Sounds more like a right wing fantasy than a reasoned argument. I don't agree with President Trump about much, but recognizing Guaido was a good move. I'm deeply skeptical of US Military intervention. Maybe your comedy is a stronger gift than your politics.
2
I am not a fan of Trump, and not a fan of Maduro either. As an American, what Trump does is my problem. As someone with no meaningful connections with Venezuela (as in, I do not vote there, I do not do business there, I have no "say" there) I do not think interfering in Venezuela is really my business. If they have a humanitarian problem we definitely must help, if they have a Tiananmen Square type event or Tahrir Square, we should intervene politically. But Ms Hausmann, shouldn't you be rallying the folks in Venezuela and not in New York?
We have destroyed already failing societies in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and now Syria. The damage we did with our hubris in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, etc seems to have been conveniently forgotten. In Latin America, the Banana Republics actually became more democratic as America stopped interfering. To reintroduce America into the picture, with our belligerent and mercurial President, his incompetent acolytes, and a fully uninformed and indifferent public is not exactly going to be of much help to Venezuela.
At a crooked Carnival, with vulgar lights, loud sounds, pushing and shoving, the paying visitors and the working stiffs running the shows always lose, it is the scammers, pickpockets and thieves who make out each time and every time. Don't set the stage for another Crooked Carnival. We need a Disneyland-style foreign policy - pay more upfront, but have an orderly and enjoyable time without getting robbed and harmed, with less drama.
9
Good to see at least some liberals are waking up. Maybe one day you'll see the connection between overbearing government and authoritarianism -- that one eventually leads to another. The policies imposed in Venezuela were imposed in the name of those familiar liberal buzzwords of "fairness" and "compassion." Problem is, you end up losing your freedom. Government ends up disrupting markets and creating scarcity. And you get inflation when government starts printing money to pay for the crazy giveaways it can't afford.
5
Let's not forget that Juan Guaido in fact represents a left-wing party, Venezuela's only fully represented party in the Socialist International. Maduro's gang is not recognised there. Progressives should take that into account. What has happened in Venezuela is so extraordinary, so much a failed state, that a united international intervention is probably the most humane solution. Unfortunately, unlike George H.W.Bush over Kuwait and Bill Clinton over Kosovo, Trump is completely incapable of leading such an effort, and has destroyed America's bona fides in this area.
7
@czarnajama
The Socialist International is not especially socialist. Its affiliates include all sorts of corrupt and unsavory parties including the PRI which ruled Mexico for 70 years and is completely in bed with drug cartels.
Guaido's "Popular Will" party is not in any serious sense "left wing." Its declared program includes some modest social democratic measures, but this is window dressing. The party is really just the latest instrument of Leopoldo Lopez, a member of Venezuela's historical oligarchic elite, who played a central role in organizing violent demonstrations intended to destabilize Venezuela's democratically elected governments.
Two weeks before he declared himself president, 80% of Venezuelans had never heard of Guaido. Whatever Maduro's deficiencies, the idea that this obvious tool of the U.S. is the legitimate leader of Venezuela is a bad joke.
Read the article, "The Making of Juan Guaido" published by thegrayzone dot com to get a fuller picture of who this guy really is.
The dire crisis was created in good part by U.S. actions in the past decade.
13
The issue for Venezuelans may well be whether Maduro is their guy or not. That's not what's on the table up here. Our issue is whether or not the U.S. should be sticking its nose into the affair at all. For a lot of us, the answer is no. Anyone who's kept a close eye on U.S. interventionism over the years knows how badly things usually turn out, especially for the people we claim to be helping. Here's the thing: the U.S. always claims to intervene in the name of freedom or human rights or democracy, but I can't think of a single instance where that was true. Not one. We intervene to bolster our own agenda, usually to preserve economic/military hegemony, and if you happen get killed by a U.S.-backed death squad or blown up by a drone, too bad. All that freedom talk is just that: talk. The U.S. doesn't care about you at all. Open your eyes.
11
What Republicans don't realize about Venezuela, is this President's foreign policy ineptitude is restoring the dictator's ties to the Russians.
How many people did Trump force of the State Department?
How many open positions still remain?
Are we still short 100 ambassadors?
Democrats aren't steering the country's foreign. It's run by crazy commander with a religious-ideologue and a ghost crew.
Oh, and having dictators that are "our" dictators has not worked, whether it was Batista, Diem, or the last Shah.
And let us not forget the folks we have had running the shows in Guatamala, El Salvador and Honduras. Look what that has brought us on the southern border.
Republicans are good about complaining about Democrats, that's how they get elected. However, when in power, they just keep running into unintended consequences brought on by willful ignorance, inability to deal with complexity, and not seeing what is right in front of them.
11
Lean your history Noam. Venezuela was and is a poor country. I remember the 1980's. We know the riots were coming - and they came in 1989. Funny - wealthy white Venezuelans didn't know it was coming - but visitors knew.
It has been a slow economic collapse because (1) Venezuelan society depended on one thing - oil and (2) there was an unequal distribution of wealth - it was socialism for the rich - the poor didn't share the spoils of the oil wealth.
The result - a dynamic mestizo named Hugo Chavez was elected president by a population in 1999 by a population that is 75% mestizo - surprise. Venezuela proves that socialism for the rich is a risky road to travel. There are no correct answers - Venezuelans are going to suffer.
7
Our country (USA) since the early 2000 has made several attempts to overthrow the elected leader of Venezuela. A research of the demographics of the country depicts an interesting racial components, which may lend to Maduro's strength. That being, the residents suffered more severely before Chavez. Since Guaido's supporters do not have enough votes to legally overthrow Maduro, sanctions by the the US to destabilize Venezuela were put in place. Whether the latter succeeds or fails, it will add to mistakes we've made in Iraq, Syria, and Libya , and those have led to mass emigration and terror.
7
"It's the US sanctions and policies that hurt Venezuela's economy"
What sanctions? Point to them and how they collapse the Venezuelan economy. Obama sanctioned officials in 2015. Trump put sanctions TWO MONTHS AGO. The collapse started in 2010-2014.
"Let the Venezuelans deal with it"
How? they have no institutions, no guns, food or medicine. It's like saying let the Cubans or North Koreans (they have elections too) to decide their own future... how cynical and cruel.
"It was a coup"
Yes, Maduro stripped Congress of its powers in 2015, installed a Junta of supporters and they called for elections. He imprisoned or banned most running candidates. That was the coup. And that's how he got "elected".
"It's cuz of their oil (edgy political insight!)"
Yes, the United States is the only country that PAYS fair market price for Venezuelan oil, unlike Cuba which gets it for free without popular approval, Russia or China. And the US has net positive fossil fuel exports, they don't need it.
10
The United States has been at war with Venezuela since 2005.
Where have you all been?
Economic sanctions are war. They are siege warfare. In medieval days, an army would surround a castle until the people starved. In modern days, the US blocks trade and the flow of money until the people starve.
Given that people are starving all over Venezuela, I would say this war has nearly been won.
The US will declare victory when it deposes Madura and installs Guaido. It will hire mercenaries to make sure that multinational oil companies can access the oil. Venezuela will sink into civil war and then get ignored.
US citizens have absolutely no say in any of this, so I don't know why a video was necessary. Our government pays no attention to liberal poster waving.
Venezuela is collateral damage in the global hunt for black oil.
Don't get too comfortable. "Oil Wars" will soon be in a theatre near you.
7
@Heather Venezuela is collateral damage in the global hunt for black gold? How does that statement even make sense? Chavez took over all resources and means of production, kicked out professional mangers, appointed friends and political supporters then ran the capability into the ground. Unlike Norway’s government which keeps management of Statoil at arms length and run by professionals, Venezuela and to a lesser extent Mexico run thier energy assets as a political fiefdom. With predictable results.
Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world, effective management of which would benefit the US through lower oil prices, the current situation does not.
6
@TC
When a nation has a coveted resource like oil, then people (inside and out) try to get access to the associated riches. Corrupt people want to become officials and skim or steal the funds. Other nations want to make deals. And all of this interest makes conflict much more likely. That is why having oil has become a curse for many nations. Venezuela has been cursed because oil became the centerpiece of its economy. When OPEC cut the price of a barrel of oil, Venezuela’s economy took a big hit. Oil also attracted investors and bankers willing to offer bad deals. The US and Russia wouldn’t care about what crazy leaders were running Venezuela if it were a small, poor nation with no oil. So that is how Venezuela has ended up as collateral damage. People want to use the country to line their own pockets; they aren’t looking out for the interests of the Venezuelan people. This is also known as the “resource curse” or the “paradox of plenty”.
4
I am no expert on Venezuela but i know too well the disastrous outcome of US intervention in other countries. I have a question to the NYT though, many of your readers are suggesting that the population is evenly split between Supporting Maduro and the opposition. If true, how come we only hear from one side??
12
As a Venezuelan, with families and friends in different cities in Venezuela, I can say that Ms. Hausmann video is accurate to the truth. Venezuelans are unarmed. The criminal regime is armed and willing to kill with no mercy.
If anyone believe that this is an internal matter, I would remind you that Russians are getting in there as Cubans and Chinese are. Worse yet: ELN and Hezbollah guerrillas are also training in Venezuela. Their target is not a disbanded country in total collapse, on the contrary, their enemy is this country (USA) and you can bet they are aiming at us from there.
7
I am hearing that martial citizens are involved as well spacecrafts from the moon landing in Venezuela to help Maduro. For heaven sake don't insult our intelligence, by making all sort of exaggerated unsubstantiated claims. Venezuela will never be a threat to the most powerful country on earth.
1
There are three troubling points: (1) It's a myth that U.S. sanctions can "pinpoint" the leaders of the current regime. As the Times has reported, the suffering falls on the poorest and most vulnerable. Continuing the sanctions regime continues their suffering. (2) Guaido and other opposition leaders are typically from a class that can evade the suffering because of their wealth, as can members of the ruling regime. (3) By endorsing the U.S. sanctions the opposition elites are increasing the suffering of other people but not themselves. They may justify this on the theory that the increased suffering of the population is positive because it will inspire revolt. This resembles the Marxist strategy of intentional immiseration and is morally bankrupt. It also doesn't bode well for any future with these opposition leaders in power.
4
The left is always wrong when it comes to tyrants who call themselves "socialists". Since their support for Stalin, the willingness of liberals to ignore horrific human rights abuses and blame economic disaster on the U.S. is a never ending story of sadness and stupidity. Maduro is a thug who bankrupted his country.
US foreign policy has made mistakes and supported war criminals, but each situation is unique. Venezuela now is not El Salvador 40 years ago. Don't exaggerate the faults of our foreign policy which also freed many people and removed tyrants.
Allende's coup was an internal Chilean affair by the Chilean military. We knew about it and didn't notify the Allende government. We had an intelligence arrangement with the Chilean military as we do with many countries but we did not train or orchestrate the coup. Chile is better off today than Cuba, Nicaragua, or Venezuela.
If we relinquish the threat of military action completely, even limited military action to get supplies in, we have no options. This woman's solution, to support democracy, sounds nice but it isn't working. Guiado's chief of staff is in prison, and we aren't doing anything about it nor can we without the option of military action.
Time's come to contemplate the use of internationally sanctioned force. The people of Venezuela are suffering, Maduro has violated too many people's rights, and there's no other way to bring this crisis to an end.
Sorry left but you've been wrong too many times.
1
I love how people that have not even been to Venezuela can comment in support of Maduro. As a person that spent a good portion of his life there and who still has family there, this is not about white or brown or privileged! Maduro’s regime has destroyed the country and has people without electricity and water and eating out of garbage cans. If you support Maduro you support oppression. Do I want the US to intervene? Not really, but open to hearing better options that will end this mess.
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@John K
How about UN mediation? Are we going to be civilized or are we going to run around hanging, stabbing, and shooting other nation's elected bad leaders?
If Trump declared himself president for life and the economy tanked, would you really want China to invade to save us?
I am Venezuelan-American and have no ties to any side of the Venezuelan gov't. All I know is that the family I have in Venezuela is hungry and has no hope for the future. Crime is up and they feel hopeless. If we can get help, we'll take it, no matter where it is coming from. I agree some people in the US get triggered by the term "US intervention" but if "US intervention" means the end of weeks without electricity and a working economy, of course we'll take it!
7
It is incredibly disingenuous for Joanna to make this piece without disclosing who her father is and his role in the current attempt at regime change, as well as the attempted 2002 coup.
26
As others have pointed out, most of the people listed as "liberals" are in fact part of the fringe left. I mean please! Most of us do not wish to be confused with Noam Chomsky. Most liberals I suspect would love to see Maduro go but don't want America's fingerprints on getting rid of him given our sordid history of unwanted interference in the region.
And why is the Venezuelan army sticking with Maduro? That is where the change has to come. Maduro would be gone in a flash if not for the army's continuing support. And while it continues to support him it would be dangerous to force a confrontation that gives Maduro an excuse to start mass killings of his opponents.
4
I lived in Venezuela for a year in the late eighties when the country was thriving (at least for some). There are two issues that are conflated here. The first is undeniable - Venezuela is rife with suffering and has become a failed state. No argument for keeping the current regime is defensible. The second is the role of the US in facilitating the transfer of power. History tells us that has been a disaster. But this is not geopolitical at its roots, this is humanitarian caused by tyranny, corruption, and incompetence. Greater pressure needs to be applied to turn the military. And the hopefully a quick rebuild as market forces are untethered and oil begins to flow.
3
As a Vzlan who has fled the country and whose family is in Vzla I have to say this video is accurate and very argumentative. I have come across wannabe Starbucks leftist who think this whole situation is about the US, not my friend, it is not about your country,we do not care about Trump or U.S, we care for food, medicine, water, electricity and freedom. Why haven't vzlans overthrown Maduro? To put it simple, we protest we get shot. We protest they send the military. We protest they send the colectivos with their guns. We protest we get bashed. We have been fought, protested and left our souls on the streets, but we do not have the guns. Maduro does and this is the reason why vzlans are asking for help. P. S. Hands-off of vzla sounds more like Misery On for Vzla. Stop americanizing other countries problems.
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@George
Actually, she's taking the most extreme position, included people loathed by liberals (e.g. Jill Stein, another Putin Puppet), gathering some YouTube videos, and saying "this represents what liberals want."
Our position is we have virtually zero confidence in the Trump and Bolton's ability to enact regime change. Take their rush to say "look at how Maduro's security forces set our aid convoy on fire! How ruthless!" Then it turned out the fire had been set on accident by pro convoy protesters. I have no doubt that won't be the last time the Trump administration misstates events as we know to Trump, lying is like breathing.
In fact, liberals want Maduro gone. Our one limitation of that is that it cannot be through US military intervention or a coup reminiscent of the cold war era. What we'd really like to see is Venezuela's neighbors calling the shots since not only are they not as prone to go straight to military action, they will be more thoughtful about ensuring legitimacy and stability post Maduro.
2
@GeorgeYou want our invasion, want to be another Iraq? To save the V. economy, we should buy V.s oil again and stop keeping others from buying it. But leave it up to the V. people whether to support Maduro or not. You WANT to be ruled by Mr. TRUMP?
3
Chomsky and Omar are not liberals. They are hard core radical leftists. Liberals want to see Maduro go ASAP.
17
It’s one thing to say that we want to see Maduro go, but that isn’t the same as saying we want to see the US (or any foreign power) instigate his departure.
2
@lester astray You WANT another Iraq? V. people must decide what to do. U. S. should buy V. oil again and stop keeping others from buying it! Without our sanctions, the V. economy might recover and the people throw out Maduro -- as they wish.
1
@lester ostroy
Correct.
Today's commies literally hijacked the left and this is why we experience so many people walk away from the Democrats nowadays.
It would be good for the Democratic party to return to a more centrist place, and not radical left.
2
"From Noam Chomsky to Ilhan Omar, there is a growing movement on the American left known as “Hands Off Venezuela,” protesting America’s backing of the opposition leader Juan Guaido." Really,... ignorant liberals, people are dying because of the current government. I say pop Maduro and be done with it
4
@FV read the history of
US military interventions and get a perspective on how this only benefits the military industrial complex, at the cost of human suffering There is no simple"pop Maduro and be done with it" solution.
12
@FV You, too, are WANTING another Iraq? We must buy V oil again and stop others from buying it! And the V. economy will recover. The people there must decide whether to throw out Maduro or not -- not the US! We don't so anything right. Look at the world of poverty and struggle we have created in the Mideast and elsewhere. Trump to save a poor country? Please!
3
Author's asking you to set aside your judgement of Trump for an opportunity to do good... to support Venezuelan people in their struggle against hunger, poverty and anti-democratic regime that had usurped power in the richest country in Lat. Am. and dragging it into abyss... After you pull your support for Venezuela and help to get Maduro out, you can go back hating Trump all you want.. but for now save the dying, the hungry, the poor...
The trademark of liberal left is inaction, pontification and equivocation... the things this appeal by Ms Hausmann is arguing against... but seems to be mostly supported by overwhelmingly left readership... mind boggling...
7
@Jack You WANT another Iraq? U. S. knows best? We simply want their oil! Take off sanctions and let the V. people build up their economy -- and then hrow out Maduro if that's what they want.
Jack, be one of the first to take arms against Maduro. Go back to Venezuela and try changing the people’s mentality. Venezuela doesn’t need American military intervention. Venezuelans elected Chavez-Maduro, let them get rid of that aberration of “government”.
Here’s what I don’t get about the New York Times. Why can’t they find a supporter of the Maduro government? They exist. I can help.
10
@Margaret Leo I've seen Maduro's supporters. They all live in the US or Europe, complaint about the unfair riches and then have a wonderful dinner at expensive restaurants.
If any Maduro's supporter want to be credible, s/he must talk from Infiernozuela... but then they wouldn't be supporters of such crisis.
4
Here is an idea, how about the US not put in their puppet so the Koch's can steal Venezuela's oil.
6
heres an idea. The US now produces more oil and exports more oil then Venezuela and it doesn't steal it like Maduro and company do.
1
@MDM
This crazy notion that Americans "steal" oil is ludicrous.
Whatever country has oil, uses it and capitalizes on that. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Norway, Iran, Oman, etc.
Americans PAY for the oil.
@MDM Oil is stolen already. By the Russians.
Miss Hausmann,
I watched the video and was very disappointed. You really should have stated somewhere about your connection to the so-called interim government. Your father has been appointed by Guaido as as his representative to a certain international banking organization. He has also been calling for US intervention in Venezuela, even militarily. You are not just a comedian and writer. You have a significant bias here that you should have disclosed.
40
@ON Yes! On , you are absolutely right on!!!!
So clear ... Thank you Joanna .
5
Didn't they try this once in Iraq???
6
The writer mistakenly believes the far left is one with the liberal left. People like Chomsky and Omar may be leftist, but they are illiberal.
9
Ah: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend!" For the die-hard hard-leftist, the USA is the enemy -- even among those living a life of wealth and privilege here, like Chomsky and "The Nation" owner Katrina vanden Heuvel.
Striking a blow against American is of far more importance to these folks than the well being of 30 odd million Venezuelans. On the other hand, I guess it's a sign of fair play for Ms. Ilhan Omar that she's fighting against the rights of people who aren't Jewish...for a change.
2
Joanna Hausmann's father is Ricardo Hausmann, a neoliberal economist who is an advisor to Juan Guaido. According to Venezuela Analysis, "But Ricardo Hausmann is much more than a prominent pundit. He is one of the West’s leading neoliberal economists, who played an unsavory role during the 1980s and ’90s in devising policies that enabled the looting of Venezuela’s economy by international capital and provoked devastating social turmoil."
This is not a cry for rationality from a concerned expat. This is straight up propaganda. Shame on the New York Times for publishing this.
https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/14382
32
Greg Palast can really open your eyes on the real nature of the Chavez and Maduro governments.
https://www.gregpalast.com/in-venezuela-white-supremacy-is-a-key-to-trump-coup/
Guaido is by definition a satrap to Yanqui imperialism. A shameless quisling. Latin American history has shown that there always have been an abundance of such sellouts and nationalist betrayers. The "change" Ms. Hausmann wants is the same change that Chile got from a coup in 1972, Guatemala in '54, Nicaragua in '36. Dictators who are satraps for Washington.
16
Well I r ead half of this and stopped. Yougave no evidence of Maduro as the "horrible tyrant." Your logic was terrible and worthless. You show no critical thinking. No one said Maduro was perfect and you yourself admit the economic problem started with Chavez! Trump has millions of people who hate him and want him gone! Maduro is killing no one nor putting his enemies in jail. He won the a number of elections including the last one! He has put some people in jail for trying to overthrow his democratically elected government!
America has no right to interfere in Venezuela just because you do not like Maduro. You are confused.
7
To complete my thought sot Mark Thompson, that's not all, the Maduro regimen is involved in drug trafficking and terrorism. Venezuela is a safe heaven for Hezbollah, Iranians and the like. They even give passports to middle easterners who are not Venezuelans and cannot even speak a word of Spanish. To top it all, now we have Russians and Chinese troops in the country. Pretty soon this mess is going to touch the United States in a way they never expected if they remain so uninvolved.
So, Guaidó the Interim President has all the good intentions in the world but very little power without international help there is very little he can do. They just jailed his Chief of Staff for goodness sake. Without an international armed force to help. So, I guess your solution is let the government keep murdering the people and committing genocide and flagrant violation of human rights, we'll just send thoughts and prayers, like you do every time there is a mass murder in the states.
4
I suffered through the entire 5 minutes and 13 seconds of the video editorial by Joanna Hausmann. I heard or saw nothing new or original; just the same, tired regime change talking points in favor of implanting another right wing puppet in yet another Latin American country.
Now, for anyone interested in an honest, fresh new look at what's happening in Venezuela, I highly recommend this (other) video, "An Ocean of Lies on Venezuela: Abby Martin & UN Rapporteur Expose Coup," by Abby Martin (Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii5MlQgGXyk&t=3s)
Summary: "On the eve of another US war for oil, Abby Martin debunks the most repeated myths about Venezuela and uncovers how US sanctions are crimes against humanity with UN Investigator and Human Rights Rapporteur Alfred De Zayas."
16
Oh, look a caucasian woman from Venezuela tells us what to think about Venezuela from the hustings of the NY Times.
Nothing hackneyed there.
"economic chaos" in the Chavez years=lifting millions out of poverty?
And yes, Ms Hausmann like many establishment Democrats in the USA you're being pro Trump here.
Now would you like to comment on John Bolton explicitly saying on FoxNews US oil companies need to control the oil in Venezuela. You've also managed to line up with the "freedom loving" Koch brothers.
14
I dislike the fact that only because you are not from Venezuela you don’t have the right to have an opposing opinion. What about talking to Maduro supporters? The millions of Maduro/Chavista supporters who were marginalized for decades. This newspaper and it’s reporters are all part of the establishment agenda. Such a one sided coverage. This is why I don’t trust mainstream media. This is not true journalism. I want to see opposing views, not just want you want us to see. These “liberals” are smarter than you think. They know and understand history.
If López Obrador was able to overcome corrupt elections in México through Democracy; Venezuelans can do it too. US interventionism and Guaido’s plan to destabilize the country is just another obvious attempt for the US to gain control over Venezuelan resources. Why not help other Latin American countries in need? Why not bring down the Saudi dictator that is in bed with the US government? It must be the oil!
Come on, people. Wake up. No country is perfect. The only ones who can change the country are the citizens of that country. Venezuela has chosen Maduro and we must respect that. If you want Maduro out, vote him out.
8
@Raul
Seriously? With all due respect we've tried over and over and the corruption has tampered with our elections in such a way that it is not possible to vote him out. Russia and Cuba are making sure of that.
4
Liberal fools always think that finally socialism will work if only the right leaders are in power. History has proven otherwise.
3
@Len
Len, the pendulum swings. Where do you think that pendulum was before it swung to the extreme left? How'd that work out????
Of course, we, liberals, don't understand! Get US once again in Latin America, of course! How great! Pinochet in Chile, The Military Junta who killed 30, 000 people in Argentina. Another one! 1954, Guatemala. Honduras, perhaps? Yes, Juan G., another puppet created out of thin air. I don't like Trump , his family, his policies, his racism, his insults. On top, he lost the popular vote. So according to your "understanding", are you proposing that another country (of your choice) invade us in name of democracy?
12
@Maita Moto
As a Chileno-Colombiano I have mixed feelings about Pinochet, but Allende was still horrible no doubt, not that you have even heard of his human rights violation... But the situation in Venezuela is entirely different, we are talking the worst migration crisis in the history of America, over 4 million have fled. And btw, even with a coup gone horribly wrong at least those there could expect food on their plates, you know Guaido would at least let food aid into the country.
3
The Left can be so morally and intellectually bankrupt. It’s heartbreaking. And nauseating, since the Left is so disgustingly smug with their airs of moral superiority as they sit comfortably in their soft air chairs while Venezuelans are suffering so terribly.
The USSR called them “useful idiots”.
Nothing has changed.
5
@Ari Weitzner
And how have the economic sanctions that the US has placed against Venezuela helped the Venezuelans who are suffering so terribly? Sanctions always hurt the poor. Maduro doesn't look like he has been skipping any meals or having no access to a doctor. If the US really cared about the people of Venezuela, it would have been offering useful financial advice and targeted humanitarian aid that was monitored to make sure it went straight to the people and not to corrupt officials.
3
Who are these imaginary liberals that say Maduro is okay?
Maduro is a problem, but he's Venzuelan problem. America has it's own tyrannical autocrat to deal with.
17
@Randall
I do not like Trump, but really, you don't believe in aiding democracy worldwide, you don't care for the lives of others because they are not American (estadounidense).
Plenty of extreme liberals have supported Maduro, although generally by not condemning him, and his human rights violations.
1
Blame America first is an old canard.
2
The European Union, allied to most Latin America, also wants to get rid of Maduro. The EU has long understood that the safest bulwark against war is democracy. More than 10% of Venezuela’s population has fled.
That tyranny helps We The People is a delusion which profits only the oligarchic system that this idea pretends to criticize.
Progress has long been held back.by sadistic clowns who pretend to defend We the People by pushing tyranny. Marx, furious that his wealthy family’s Rhine vineyards had been made less valuable by price competition with wines from southern Germany, claimed dictatorship was best, as long as it was made by individuals like him. After an alliance with the Kaiser, Lenin did just that, ruining Russia, Ukraine, while killing dozens of millions in the Gulag (according to Stalin himself).
Many self-declared intellectuals in Europe, when they didn’t follow Hitler, embraced Adolf’s ally, Stalin (until June 23, 1941). Later Mao, Castro and their ilk enabled said pseudo-intellectuals to express their resentment to the full.
This sort of “leftism” only helps the wealthiest capitalists. That’s why it keeps on being sneakily promoted by the likes of the Kaiser.
Progress comes by compromising with capitalism, and indicating better ways. French MP Proudhon and Lasalle did just this, and Marx hated them (while stealing their ideas). In long conversations, Lasalle persuaded Bismarck to institute universal health care in Germany.
A lying "left" is no left.
2
how about we let people in Venezuela decide their futura...and let us decide ours...simple as that...
8
@zoran svorcan
They are not able to decide, if they go against the regime their families are attacked by government sponsored collectivos. I believe that the US should bring the guns and finally rid this country of Maduro. Venezuelans need help getting the future they have decided they want. We should help them. Or we can wait and watch them suffer and die and see millions more flee tyranny, and claim "this is the future they decided".
2
Hey Joanna Hausmann, I am going to go on a limb here, but will assume you have never been in a war. Specially a ‘civil war’.
But I don’t even have to assume – you want a civil war in your land to change the dictator.
No one wins a civil war, it ends when both sides get tired. The dead are usually the citizens, the poor and the unlucky, and but since they are still alive, ask them how would they like to be dead to please you?
A comedian should not be asking for war, it’s not funny. It’s dumb and irresponsible, specially since you will do all you can to avoid fighting it yourself.
11
@AutumnLeaf
Jajaja, very true that civil war causes such harm, but I'm going to go on a limb here and say you haven't seen civil war. But My mother grew up in civil conflict in Colombia, and my dad was born in Frei's Chile. And we all agree that Venezuela needs regime change. When I go to Colombia I see them in the thousands begging for the scraps off your plate. This is because of Chavismo, and because a majority of Venezuelans support a US intervention, I would think it would be quick, like the intervention in Panama.
2
Bravo for this video. Finally! I am a lifelong Democrat. My favourite President was Jimmy Carter. And I think we should depose Maduro tomorrow by ANY means necessary to prevent him from killing more innocent people. Claus Von Stauffenberg waited too long to plot against Hitler. Think of the lives he would have saved had he moved earlier and been successful. Hands on Venezuala. Now.
2
Toby, leave the safety of France and pickup a gun, go fight for what you believe, but don’t get Americans(or any other country) “to rid Venezuela from a dictator.” The majority of Venezuelans elected him, so Venezuelans should get rid of him. Enough of Americans dying for complacent people who tolerate corrupt leaders. Hands off Venezuela.
1
I would argue that the region most geopolitically important to the USA is Central America and the Caribean.
We have foolishly allowed an antiquated CIA/State Dept/Pentagon Bureaucracy to keep our foreign policy focused on Oil and containing the Soviet Union(subtle hint....the USSR doesnt exist anymore). We have invaded Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria for no other purpose than to preserve a Cold War World Order....despite GHW Bush's lip service to something new(Bush...for you young'uns was once head of the CIA)...and we continue the madness by refusing to admit that Saudi Arabia is the country that attacked us(they have lots of Oil)....and assist the Saudis with a drone war on Yemen...a place most of us cant find on a map.
Meanwhile.....Mexico is more violent and corrupt than Pakistan(and that's sayin' sumthin')......Guatamala, Salvador, HOnduras, etc.....have collapsed under the weight of overpopulation and people are swarming our border......Venezuela(more oil than Saudi) wallows in its own ineptitude and depraved corruption. I havent even gotten to Cuba yet.
Step one....INVADE Central AMerica.....run the place as an American Territory. Make sure Venezuela sees the result.
Step two.....inform Venezuela of our action. See if Negotiations dont immediately turn positive.
Step three....Cuba gets the offer they cant refuse........Join NAFTA.
WE must prevent China from becoming the major player in our own backyard.......Monroe once wrote a doctrine about this situation......
2
It's categorically false that Maduro is a either "tyrannical" or a "dictator." It's demonstrably false and you know it. The Times like the rest of the American press is functioning as a propaganda outlet of the state department which would rather destroy the Venezuelan economy than see oil revenues feed and house poor people of color. It's sick.
7
@MC. You forgot to read the recently UN report
Right on.
1
American needs to start re-engaging in the world in ways OTHER than militarily. I feel as though I now live in a different century (and technically I do, if you go by calendar centuries rather than one hundred year periods), in comparison to the 1970s through 1990s when we were such active leaders in engaging the world through diplomacy, foreign aid, and posturing about setting an example (even as we did so much meddling covertly as well). Now, we can't afford that stuff or have the patience for that stuff; all we can afford and have the patience for is military intervention (although once started in never ends and never stops sucking money). Yes, maybe we should be helping to improve Venezuela and lots of other countries, but we should not militarily engage in another oil wealthy country under the guise of humanitarianism. Are their any non-oil wealthy countries that also "deserve change"? Many, many. And we could resurrect the prestige of the United Nations; we could resurrect the prestige of the Organization of American States; we could partner with countries and try to generally make the world a better place overall.
3
@John Fritschie
Yes, that is why the world created the UN after World War II. So that nations would sit down and mediate problems. The US & Canada sanctions against Venezuela are in violation of UN agreements to resolve problems through diplomacy, discussion, mediation, and incentives. Blocking trade and the flow of money is war. It ruins a nation's economy, leads to civil unrest, and weakens all of the structures needed to keep a functioning state.
1
A more reflective piece might note that Venezuela has long and difficulties with the "for the people" aspects of governing. The country has a rich tradition of extractive capitalism and capital flight.
All of this was made easier by none other than Jeffery Sachs when he applied his misguided formula of accelerated growth goals back by no institutions and governance. Having succeeded so well in Venezuela, Mr. Sachs then went to play in Russia. By the time he got to China, the Chinese figured out that beyond self promotion, Sachs knew nothing.
I do not know what the future has for Venezuela, most of the human and financial capital is in South Florida.
4
International community: use the embargo to create the conditions for a collapse in Venezuela, recognize a guy self proclaimed president without any merit or election, then intervene. This is a very common strategy used by the USA in the past.
Venezuela devoted a big amount of their resource to eliminate illiteracy, to eliminate poverty, to reduce disease and the immense difference in economical wealth between an immense number of poor and a very few super rich.
Of course the impossibility of borrowing money or having the dividends of the subsidiary CITCO back in Venezuela put recent in place by the bush administration will asphyxiate the government. Worst than a medieval siege.
Guaido in the meantime has already started to sack the Venezuelan resources traveling and spending money taken from the the Venezuelan assets sequestered by the USA.
more to be said but I guess this is enough.
6
It's kind of disingenuous to not disclose that Ms. Hausmann's father works for the man trying to unseat the current regime through a coup, and was the architect of the neoliberal destruction of Venezuela's economy in the 90s.
11
I like Ms. Hausmann's broadcast but unfortunately she offers no concrete proposals for how to get rid of Maduro. I oppose US armed intervention but support efforts to strengthen Guaido's opposition. An old leftist, I am far from a Trump supporter, but I think he was right to recognize Guaido as the constitutionally legitimate president, as have many other countries. Anything short of armed intervention that pressures the Venezuelan army (this would mean the army's rank and file against the corrupt military leadership) to stop supporting Maduro is all to the good, as Maduro's military support is all that is keeping him in power, and Russian troops, having assured the victory of the despicable Assad in Syria, are now there precisely to prevent military defection. I don't see how Venezuelans can get rid of Maduro until the army ceases to support Maduro. Then, of course, there is the danger of Venezuela ruled by a military dictatorship.
As for the oil question, the economic crisis for Venezuela is not US sanctions but that the price of oil has considerably dropped since near the end of Chavez's reign (and, sorry starry-eyed Chavez admirers, Chavez began the problems Venezuela now suffers). Chavez and now Maduro did little to build up other industries or even to maintain the structures necessary for oil extraction and refinery and much to concentrate power in their hands.
3
It’s pretty difficult to talk about the difficult times in Venezuela without discussing the reasons behind them. The US together with right wing forces within the country have been actively trying to undermine the socialist government of Venezuelan ever since Chavez was elected. The present economic crises is the direct result of those policies. The purpose of which were to cause this precise situation, to forment anger against the government and force regime change putting the right wing back in power. And of course turning the vast oil reserves back into the US’s grip.
5
@Joe Stein
Yes, and has been for all practical purposes stated as such quite clearly by Abrams, Pompeo & Bolton.
Thinking Maduro is a friend, and keeping our noses out of another nation's business are two entirely different things. Anyone talking about Maduro as "friend, the people are with you" is absolutely out of their mind. However the idea that maybe it's not the best idea for the United States to continue, as we've been doing for over 50 years, imposing regime change on elected leaders (however flimsy that electoral victory might be) in foreign nations.
We are sitting here flipping out (rightly, in my view) about potential Russian interference in our own elections. How can we justify going into YET ANOTHER foreign nation, where the population doesn't seem to want us, to meddle in their electoral process?
9
Bravo!
Hello fellow liberal,
I'm not sanitizing a tyrannical dictator and know nobody who is. Anyone who believes Maduro has the people's interests at heart is living on a planet as far away as those who slurp up Fox News Channel, Infowars and Breitbart as their sources of information about the world.
5
I'm a liberal and I believe that Maduro is the dumbest head of government in the world (Trump is close second ). That said the decision to get rid of him is not to be made in Washington, let Venezuelans decide weather they stay with Maduro or dump him.
And yes it's shameful and outright treasonous for someone to be advocating for a foreign power to remove their government. That's banana republic pathetic.
9
@Henry I am a Venezuelan and we are asking to the region for help
1 Maduro have over 42. Thousand Cuban militaries in Venezuela
2 there is paramilitary in the street killing people when we protest for the lack of food medicine, energy or running water
3 there is over 32 million guns in Venezuela all onw by the government and the criminal who also work for maduro they are called colectivos, so tell me how a population without arms whiteout army can free themselves ??
We need foreign intervention Brasil, Colombia and USA should help us we are asking for it ! This is not and intervention .. we are already Cuban and Russian took are country
3
This is what it is to see someone speak honestly from the heart with common sense and without a political agenda. My kudos to Ms. Hausmann. Showing something so forthright on Fox Noise would be like pouring salt on a slug.
3
No blood for oil!
6
This column is one giant straw-man. None of the "liberals" I know is sanitizing Venezuela.
13
Huh, the Times is supporting military intervention in a country we have no business in again? I DON'T BELIEVE IT
11
I'm a retired American living in Colombia and we now have 1.5 million Venezuelan refugees in Colombia. I have two employees who are Venezuelan refugees. There are another 1.5 million refugees in Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru. It is the largest mass migration in the history of the Americas. Fortunately, the U.S. is giving Colombia about 100 million dollars a year to help, but the situation is getting worse by the day. Colombia's borders are still open to more refugees for humanitarian reasons, but blaming the U.S. for the situation is ridiculous. No government in Latin America wants the U.S. to take any military action, but anything the U.S. can do to force Maduro out of power would be greatly appreciated.
Maduro is a drug lord who now has billions of dollars from cocaine and from stealing the money of Venezuela. It's like if Pablo Escobar took over the country and commanded the army of Venezuela to protect his drug empire. All his top government and military leaders are also now billionaires. There are now people starving in Venezuela. One of my Venezuelan refugee employees gave me 50 million Venezuela Bolivars because they are only worth 25 cents American. The situation is a disaster and people like Noam Chomsky are self-righteous idiots.
9
Wait, what?
The Times’ editorial board is now allowing a comedian with no relevant credentials (putting her best credentials forwaed, the Times identifies her as “a Venezuelan American”) to post this slickly-produced, weirdly-cheerfully-soundtracked, comedian-glib, sophomoric video that contains virtually no logical argument and very little in the way of insightful information?
Tinker bell? Flashy watches?
C’mon Times. I already thought you couldn’t sink any lower.
nothing from this video about what exactly has caused Venezuela’s crisis, if it’s Maduro’s fault, what his faulty actions were, and what reasons are given by his supporters by him for why thise actions were needed.
11
@Ben I couldn't have said it better. Thanks!
it probably should be mentioned somewhere that her dad works for Guiado
13
Ricardo Hausmann's 'Morning After' for Venezuela: The Neoliberal Brain Behind Juan Guaido's Economic Agenda
Anya Parampil, MintPress News | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-03-14
While online audiences know YouTube comedian Joanna Hausmann from her videos making the case for regime change, her economist father has flown below the radar. His record holds the key to understanding what the U.S. wants in Venezuela.
6
@CJ
Oh no! Hausmann is a neoliberal force! Since the 80s! And he's plotting to get rid of Maduro (a radical position only held by 84% of the country)! The 80s and 90s, when Venezuela was the richest country in South America. Now it's the most miserable and corrupt. But hey at least they got rid of the neoliburls!
@CJ are yo a Venezuelan because You have no idea of what we live ... I comunist country is hunger and misery I will do everything to live in the USA because I will have the chance to make money and spend on food and clothing I don’t have to show a party ID to get a box whit 2 pounds of flour , a mayonnaise, a bean can and some sugar and oil for a month !! For all my family of 4 so tell me how many. Starbucks you have a his week
1
"What My Fellow Liberals Don’t Get About Venezuela "
Everything?
Maduro is an inept idiot who would be ignored if not actively supported by the US if Venezuela's oil was not under the government's control. US corporate oil interests have long hungered for control of the resource. When Elliot Abrams and John Bolton are regarded as deus ex machina figures, it does not bode well fro Venezuela. We masterminded a coup to oust Chavez and the failures of Maduro are more than the greedy corporate interests that run our present government can resist.
1
All we want is their oil. Bush the lesser wanted to stage a coup in Venezuela in 2004 but was too bogged down by two useless and meaningless wars.
Cuba and Venezuela can run their own countries. Their leaders can’t be worse than the moron we have running ours.
4
Gah. The people who knee-jerk sanitize Maduro (and Chavez) are the same kind of idiots who think Mumia is innocent. And in both cases it’s remarkably easy to find a better case and cause to exemplify the injustice of America.
Liberal Challenge......name one South American Country, any country south of the Rio Grande, that has ever had a democratic society with rule of law, since the begining of time until the present day.
Begin.
@Wherever Hugo, Costa Rica. Central America, but notably south of the Rio Grande. Post-junta Argentina. Brazil just emulated us by electing a right wing strong man, not so many years after Lulu. Perfect? No. As democratic as gerrymandered North Carolina? Maybe. Columbia? They're in the ring, swinging, along with Peru and the rest. I'm a liberal and US citizen. I never supported Chavez, either Castro brother, and I neither sanitize or support Maduro. It also appears that Central and South America do better without right wing autocrats. Having seated two of them after they lost the popular vote, in the last 20 years, I'm not sure we have standing to lecture anyone about democracy until we fix our own garden. So to speak.
1
WOW! Amazing work! Thank you for having the eloquence and patience to explain the reality of the country to the people of the United States!! I’m so proud of you my fellow Venezuelan, keep working hard!! 🇻🇪🇻🇪
2
For all the readers..
The election of N Maduro was rigged , no independent watchers were allowed ...... It was a Fraud...
Venezuela has been kidnapped by a narco-military regime backed by ELN (narco-guerilla from Colombia), Also remnants from FARC, (communist narco-guerilla from Colombia) plus The intelligence (tactics) from the Cuban Communist Government and additionally an armed multiple zones parapolice groups ( colectivos) harassing the common people. It is a dictatorship , besides, because Geopolitical and economical interest Russia and China are already in Venezuela. I am a social- democrat, I can assure all of you in this particular circumstances the USA democrats who support the Maduro regime are absolutely wrong. With that framework of kidnapping mapped in the before paragraph, there is no way the people in Venezuela can get rid of them. They do not have the means.. they are kidnapped
2
I share the view of many posters that the Venezuelans should be the ones to replace their own government, not the United States. I do find it humorous, however, that, at the same time we Americans give the Venezuelans this advice, we sit on our fat behinds and watch TV while barely lifting a finger to change our own corrupt, anti-democratic regime. Let’s hope that changes in 2020.
6
I’m about to throw in my own liberal towel in the face of “living in your typical gringo navel-ism”. I’ve read the NYT picks and they distill such ignorant arrogance that I will only go take a warm shower and go to bed. No wonder the world makes fun of your naïvete and lack of geopolitical intelligence. It’s not just “Fox and their three Mexicos”. You fellow libs are even worse. You don’t have Trump’s base excuses.
You all think it’s about “Saving Venezuela”? Really?
1
It will be interesting to see which side the NYT editorial board supports. I’m guessing it will support the views stated in the video, not the views of people like Chomsky or Pilger.
3
Can we suggest that these are not the "Liberals" these are the left fringe.
12
@Terry McKenna
Make that the far far far left fringe that are, ironically and methodically helping re-elect Trump, and are smug about it. Is that nuts or what?
The "HandsOFFVenezuela" movement is supporting a dictator called Nicolas Maduro, who has filled Venezuela with terrorist from Hezbollah, Hamas and others. I'm sitting in Venezuela seeing people die from lack of food and medicines. I'm not running around the campus looking for a cause to get me more votes. I'm actually seeing people desperation. HandsOFFVenezuela is supporting a figure like Sadam Hussein or Muhammar Qadaffi, and letting build a monster that will eat you all in dozens of Twin Towers. You are giving air to another Osama Bin Laden that will revert and destroy you.
11
@Hilda Lunianski Give me a break
3
Thank you, Ms. Hausmann. I am a liberal who traveled across Venezuela several decades ago. Chomsky, Omar, Sanders, and their "Hands Off Venezuela" campaign are off their rockers. The US must help restore democracy, not help a dictator.
Madura is a garden variety, brutal, authoritarian dictator, who is presiding over the failed state that he helped ruin. Millions have fled Venezuela. Millions are hungry, unemployed. Malnutrition is rife, life expectancy, plummeting. People are making origami out of the money.
Venezuela collapsed because of incompetence and corruption (i.e., because of a Trumpy government), not because of American intervention.
The problem that Sanders and his ilk are having is that Maduro arrived via the radical socialist Chavez. Radical socialism has failed in Venezuela. Wake up, fellas.
What Americans and the Democrats want here is not that kind of socialism. Sanders, Chomsky, and these others are seriously damaging Democrats' chances in 2020. Most
Democrats want the mix of capitalism and social programs that are found in the very pro-business nations of Germany and Sweden.
Yes, Trump is an idiot. Kneejerk opposition to him vis-a-vis Venezuela is stupid. Don't let him set the agenda. Who cares what he does or thinks? He's right less often than a broken clock.
Yes, US policy in Central and South America has a bad record. But let's do try to preserve and promote our core values, e.g., democracy, freedom, fair elections, etc.
11
The ignorance of those claiming an impending Trump invasion of Venezuela is astounding. For a reality check, read today's NYT News story. The only world power intervening in Venezuela is Putin's Russia https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/01/us/politics/trump-putin-venezuela-red-line.html.
4
A straw man's argument by Joanna. Chomsky? Really?
3
I'm about as liberal as Americans can get. I understand why many Americans (not just liberals) would oppose US interventions in other countries. The US track record is horrible on average (Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Peru, Chile, etc). But, then there are the times we did not intervene in time (Nazi Germany, Rwanda, Bosnia). Venezuela now fits within the latter group of countries that desperately needs outside help. Either the US can step in now with a neighbor to help offer humanitarian aid or we can watch the Russians, Cubans and Chinese exploit it for their own strategic interest. They could care less about the human costs.
Venezuelan children and senior citizens are dead. More are dying. When do we decide that US intervention is not always blind ambition????
It's not lost on me that what led to Chavez's revolution was the over reach of selfish capitalists. That's now academic. Those senior citizens, children and pregnant woman walking to the Colombian border are not capitalists. They need our help.
6
Well, lets see now. If your country is so deserving of change, go back and do something about it.
10
@Luc
What should they do Luc? Go vote??
1
"My fellow neoliberals"
5
@Eric Perfectly incisive! Thank you.
But if Trump doesn’t like Maduro, Democrats know Maduro must be wonderful.
1
Maduro isn’t socialist. He’s a murderer and corrupt dictator. He calls himself a socialist but that doesn’t mean he’s a socialist.
The U.S. isn’t perfect, but anyone is better than Maduro. If the U.S. does nothing Rússia will take over politically and China will take over economically. The country is in ruins but it can get a lot worse.
4
Lost a bit of respect for Bernie there. He can't condemn a kleptocratic dictatorship just because it calls itself socialist and anti-American? Worried more about his street cred than about people literally dying because of some stalinist pol-pottish regime?
5
I wish more people used words like "many" and "some" rather than lumping all liberals or conservatives into one group. If it were only the US choosing to back the opposition in Venezuela, I would agree that we should back Maduro (see:history). However, most of the world is backing Guaido one way or the other...
Who isn't? Some are China, Turkey, Syria, and Russia.
I'm pretty sure there's a theme there.
5
@Marie You say "most of the world is backing Guaido". Actually around 50 countries have been backing him, out of almost 200 in the UN. Who isn't? Some are... for a start, nearly the whole of Africa, except for Morocco.
When you are part of the oligarchy it's easy to say stupidities to inspire U.S. intervention in a part of the world where white minorities have controlled the countries since the European invader stepped into the continent. You tend to forget that the United States has done the same thing for centuries supporting right-wing dictatorships in order to keep the status quo since the colonization of the Americas...
8
How many strawmen can you pack into one 5 min video?
12
“... these people are living on another planet...” the planet where pointing the profound cause of a problem is seen as a necessity.
2
Another issue being China is now neck deep in Venezuela and Russia is sending military assistance. Bernie Sanders and his liberal buddies are clueless with a capital C. They are so blinded by their hate for Trump, and all things American, that people dying and suffering dont enter into their equation. Seeing those college students who visited Valenzuela completely denying reality is basically the current attitude of the Left they live in a ideological construction of how reality should be not the actuality
5
@D Those college students were probably paid to come up with that statement. They were probably given money to pay off their student’s loans. I say probably because otherwise they just plain stupid! The whole “hands of Venezuela” movement is paid by Maduro’s regime, no doubt about it.
1
The same people who say hands off Venezuela would have also said hands off Romania in 1989. So like the people of Romania the people of Venezuela have to take matters into their own hands. Rally one or two million people and then storm the barracks and the presidential palace. Yes, there will be terrible carnage, like in Timisoara, Romania. But the guys with the guns cannot kill everybody. Facing the wrath of the people they will cave in.
4
The USA could help the Venezuelan people without overthrowing the government.
2
If anyone is "sanitizing a tyrannical dictator" it is Putin. Russia is full in there. Those of us who don't want another war say hands off.
1
I heard Chomsky comments on Venezuela. He called Maduro a disaster because the economy had not been diversified from its dependence on oil. That's not at all like Hausmann's naive description.
8
There are leftists who "sanitize" Maduro just as there are conservatives who believe Obama's birth certificate is a fake.
The left is not pro-Maduro. What the left opposes is direct involvement in Venezuela's internal politics, especially military intervention. Some on the left also oppose the US sanctions that have deepened some of the country's problems.
Ms. Hausmann says that "some pundits on the left claim Venezuela is in economic ruin because of US sanctions." Hogwash. This is is a right-wing canard. If it's based on anything at all, it's a distortion of claims like I wrote above. No mainstream left-wing thinkers are saying US sanctions are to blame.
Saying that US is working behind the scenes to orchestrate a coup and that support for Guaidó is part of that strategy is *not* the same thing as supporting or sanitizing Maduro. "Morally relativist?" Please. The 90s' culture wars ended at least 20 years ago.
Whoever approved this piece ought to be ashamed. It's a sloppy, badly argued caricature. It also does something the New York Times is doing particularly often lately: attack, undermine and smear the left in the US.
I canceled my paying New York Times subscription after the publication of Brett Stephens' first column. Ms. Hausmann's piece confirms that that was the right decision.
6
Hands-off Venezuela is a knee-jerk reaction that ignores reality and disregards the suffering of Venezuelans. Looking at what is still a sideshow in this drama, note that President Trump is banging his drum about Colombia and cocaine, an intro to demonizing Colombia (again!) and then using this to first increase the US military presence in Colombia, then stage a war between Colombia and Venezuela. This is like having the inhabitants of MInneapolis go to war with those of St. Paul. A kind of civil war. Will the Republicans go that far? Will the Democrats sleep on? The big lobbies certainly hope so! So this proposed war is now in the sights of the current crop of warmongers, an especially worrisome bunch . And please imagine Trump directing a war.
So while Joanna Hausmann makes her points with clarity and integrity, the question I put to her is how does the United States promote democracy without playing into the hands of the war party? Two rich and sustainable countries destroying one another to please the hawks and the war industry? Killing and leaving millions maimed and destitute? War... you know where it starts but not where it ends. Vietnam taught us that. All sides will need to think again and devise a way forward where Maduro & company leave for protected exile, democratic restitution is backed by everybody. Last, I ask Mr. Putin what is his policy? He may not be accountable at home but to the world, to history, he sure is. Why loom over Latin America like a monster?
2
There is NO growing movement on the American left known as “Hands Off Venezuela”. No reasonable Americans are sanitizing a tyrannical dictator.
This is a tried and sometimes effective, Cuba for 50 years, disingenuous rhetoric designed to unfairly discredit progressive.
Perhaps Joanna Hausmann can catch the next flight to Caracas and help her fellow citizens sort this out?
3
A very compelling argument. Thank you, NYT, for showing a more moderate liberal viewpoint.
2
Should we encourage foreign countries to dictate who should be the president of the USA? Why should the reverse be true?
5
We are not at war with Venezuela. We are not the world's police force and I'm tired of seeing our soldiers die because America wants to steal their oil!
4
'Fellow liberals' are overwhelmingly not favorable to Venezuela and its government. This is either a naive misreading of fringe figures or something rather more false flag.
Because of course there is a transparent and intentional attempt by Conservatives to conflate American progressive politics with the corrupt cronyism in Venezuela. Which is about as fair as comparing Conservatives to past periods of fascist rule in Europe.
36
As is usual in these situations the conundrum is not stated by anyone. Maduro appears to be a corrupt leader with little redeeming traits. With the largest oil reserves in the world, the countries government and business manages to be in bankruptcy. Venezuela makes Saudi Arabia look well governed!!
Here is the dilemma: The military in Venezuela for a number of reasons some legitimate some corrupt support the Maduro regime, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/theworldpost/wp/2019/02/07/venezuela-military/?utm_term=.5f64ab25c548. Changing the situation , would involve disabling the 120,000 troups which support the government for a variety of reasons. Invasion in favor of Guaido is likely to be bloody. While the situation in Venezuela is terrible in all the time this is reported, I have yet to see the problems with the military reported with a plausible solution. It is easy to talk morals, act and think afterwords. Frankly, its extremely unlikely this will make the situation better there. Unless the above problem is addressed, U.S. status quo may be the best idea. Do no harm looks like the best idea despite the ongoing catastrophe.
1
Very nice piece. It's gratifying to see rational voices on the left decrying oppression and totalitarian dictatorship. it's appalling to see other voices on the left backing Maduro. It's beyond irrational and hopelessly biased, in the face of clear facts at how awful a humanitarian crisis this is to see that. It would be like backing Mugabe or Idi Amin. Those voices are either completely ignorant and inept, irrationally anti-American, communist/socialist, or a combination thereof.
3
There is no doubt a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Venezuela. The question that many of us Americans have is: can we trust the judgement of people like Donald Trump, John Bolton and Elliot Abrams to do ANYthing to lessen the human suffering?
Short answer, no.
The OAS should be taking the leadership role in resolving the problem. The US should be following.
2
Chomsky rarely, if ever, speaks for this liberal, and Omar certainly does not on this particular issue.
1
@Victoria Bitter yes, Omar has repeteadly defended Maduro. I myself have written to her nnnnnth times. She continues to stubbornly ignore our reality but patronizes us. # AskaVenezuelan
4
This is Iraq 3.0
Same script.
Will we never learn?
4
Joanna,
I emigrated from Venezuela to the US 32 years ago; in time I became a US Citizen... In time, also, all my immediate family left; however, and in spite of not having parents or siblings, I feel very sorry for the current situation...
That said, if the president called me and asked for my opinion, and after controlling my gagging for a few seconds, I would advise him against military intervention in Venezuela, mainly for the following reasons:
1. The Venezuela I grew up used to blame the US for anything and everything that happened in the World, including when the arepas got burned in the oven. More to the point, Venezuela had the typical ambivalence about the US that is prevalent elsewhere in the continent; not without reason, but in time it felt excessive (for example, and for all the talk about the Nationalization of the Oil Industry forced by Chavez, and Maduro since, the first president to Nationalize it was Carlos Andres Perez; at the time, his discourse had a unique demonizing component that was hard to miss)...
2. Three weeks after US troops land in Venezuela, they will won it in its entirety; people will expect that all problems be solved, including the one most currently evident: electricity distribution. While it is undeniable that the incompetence of the current government has a lot to do with how bad the latest blackout has been, the truth is, blackouts were a fact of life when I grew up...
From chamo to chama: troops on the ground? Ni de vaina!
6
The "hands-off" knee-jerk (unintended pun) is a variant of isolationism. And it's always been with us (see "The 20th Century"). Very revealing, however, that Lefties find a way to tolerate an authoritarians like Chavez and Maduro or even lionize one such as Fidel Castro. Don't get me started on how many Stalin fanboys (and girls) existed in the U.S. in the 1930s.
4
It's time to play Jeopardy!
Answer: 20%
Question: What percentage of Venezuelans had heard of Juan Guaido before the US started propping him up?
Final Jeopardy!
Answer: Juan Guaido
Question: Who has never run for President of Venezuela?
12
I still call myself liberal but lately, I don't know who my party is. Bernie Sanders and the rest are making a huge mistake by not condemning Maduro . . . it is not only wrong . . . it is one more thing that plays into their hands of conservatives who are looking to demonize anything Democrats do. My sister in law's family is there - they wait for 11 hours for food - her mother is unable to get medicine for her heart condition - her brother and wife were part of the resistance and able to escape - many are not so lucky. Congrats to Joanna Hausmann - follow her lead - Maduro is finally letting the Red Cross in. Donate! https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/
5
@Catherine Stratton
Bernie did condemn Maduro. However, he stressed several times that he does not support military intervention and does not recognize Guaido as president. His position seems fair to me.
4
Stop looking toward America. There is a whole world out there willing to help (starting with other Latin American nations and the EU). But once you turn to Trump, you lose me.
Or put another way: for Venezuelan liberals to turn to the US to help restore democracy would be like liberals in Syria, Egypt or Saudi Arabia turning to Israel to defend Arab rights.
When you do that, you lose all credibility.
5
This Liberal believes that the Venesuelan people know better than she does. What I'm afraid of is coming from our end - American involvement in Latin America has been a disaster. I do not doubt the reality that this fight for the American establishment is more about Russia than the grave humanitarian crisis going on now. The sad but true rule is generally the US Military prefers their Latin American leaders to be dictators.
1
I've been to sunny VZ 26 times since marrying my wife over 30 years ago. VZ is a basket case.
It is an example of corrupt politicians, government officials and military across VZ's population base with the US sanctions not helping the people who are hurt.
Never the less, Nick and Hugo were elected by people who knew corruption was widespread. And the opposition's attitude of "its all so unfair and we're not going to the polls" is identical to a child saying they are going to hold their breath until they get what they want. And the vague promises from The Donald only stir the people who should know better than to trust a North American liar.
Do I feel sorry for the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the dying? Yes. But the whole place is out of control AND ... there is a lot of blame to go around. I don't want US intervention simply because we've done it sooo badly in the past. VZ needs to grow up and solve its own problems.
3
Is this really a "thing"?
Are "liberals" (whatever the heck that means anymore) really doing this? I certainly haven't met any. And as for Noam Chomsky, who I have admired for many years as public intellectual and articulator of left-leaning contrarian foreign policy viewpoints. He has basically been scolding both US political parties for decades with near-zero results. Chomsky's high water mark was probably Carter's decision not it intervene in Nicaragua back in the 70s. Since then the closest he's probably gotten to Washington is Exit 13 on Route 128.
The US has a pretty poor "nation building" track record of late and things don't always go as planned. Oddly enough, probably the best "nation building" move by the US in the last 10 years (albeit indirect) was allowing ISIS to take over NE Iraq.
Say what!?!?
There's nothing quite like an existential threat to get the Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds to put aside their incessant bickering and actually work together and ISIS was the perfect villain to join forces...believe it or not WITH the US in a "support" role...to rally against.
Probably the most damaging thing we "liberals" will be doing against Venezuela in the next decade is trying to wean the world off fossil fuels.
BTW...why is it that there seems to be no Venezuelan "caravans" heading to our southern border? Sure...Honduras and Guatemala are much much closer but you've got to wonder.
1
@Woodson Dart there are no caravans because of the Darién Gap.
Than you Joanna for doing your best to educate and inform the american people about the Venezuelan Crisis.
Its amazing how people that say they to sand for "Liberty and Justice for All" can side with a leader like Maduro. It is incredible to see how some "Liberals" are blinded by their political parties hate for one another that THEY FORGET WHAT THEY STAND FOR! How can you stand with an illegal government that has ties with EVERYTHING the US people have fought against for ages? (Corruption, Lack of human rights, drug cartels, terrorism) Where are your principals? No one wants war! That is the reason for the sanctions...Education and information is key in a discussion like this one.
The current administration may not be the one some of us would have liked to be in power, but we must stand as one country for what is right! Please think of WHO is supporting the Maduro Regime, please think about what they stand for and see if you really and honestly support Maduro's illegal Regime.
Any supporter of the "hands off movement" should really go spend a month on minimum wage IN Venezuela and then you can have an opinion.
We must not forget that Venezuela is very close to american territory, we must keep our back yard safe of all threats before is too late. One thing is fighting a war far from us... another is fighting it here!
2
Isn't that shameful when a a country fellow ask another countrymen to intervene in his land in order to do what this country fellow and his/her peers have not been able to achieve on their own? Well, it seems that this is what this comedian-turned interventionist preacher is doing. Situation in VZ is hard but not different from the countries that surround it. To push Venezuelans to leave the country into the rest of Latin America is part of an evil media-bankers-politicians' campaign against an elected regime no different from those of other Latin American countries. To confide in the US to intervene in order to establish democracy is like asking Putin to come and establish one. It is to open the door to US interventionism to divide the VZ pie among the rich, like they are doing in their own US, while leaving the poor majority live in misery. And, btw, this attitude, this evil campaign, and this fire from the powerful oilmen, bankers, US sanctions, and corporations that want to own VZ is already opening space for autocracy to be fully established in VZ. It seems that this comedian has forgotten the lessons from Cuba: Castro, like Maduro, being pushed to accept the help from the Russians, and establish the real dictatorship Latin Americans have always feared but lived thanks to the US interventionism. So the "hands off may be blood in your hands" is no more that the slogan that brought too much blood to Vietnam that we prefer to forget today.
3
@Jorge
The situation in Venezuela is very bad. Other countries in Latin America are doing much better than Venezuela. As evidence, just look at roughly 10% of Venezuelans leaving for other countries in Latin America. The inflation in VZ is thousands percent, there is shortage of food and medicines, and now electricity. Venezuela used to be the recipient of immigrants because of their good economic situation (as compared with other countries in the region) and now is the other way.
1
Regardless of what you think of Maduro and present conditions of life in Venezuela, the Venezuelan people must decide, whether in the ballot box or in the streets. Hausmann criticizes Trump, yet trusts his delicate touch to achieve democracy and not steal Venezuela’s oil, as he advocated for with Iraq. She’s oblivious to the U.S. overthrow of elected President Arbenz in Guatemala in 1954, President Allende of Chile in 1973, and President Zelaya of Honduras in 2009, all leading to dictatorships and murders of peasants, students, and indigenous people. I challenge her to show one instance where U.S. political or military intervention overthrowing a Latin American government aided their people.
3
I love how they cut off the clip of Bernie before he actually gives a valid response. Come on!
6
For propaganda to be effective it requires precise editing.
6
Do liberals really support the current Venezuelan government? I am a liberal; I do not. That doesn’t mean I am of the view that we should invade or intervene.
2
@E
I too am a liberal and I don’t support Maduro. Yet, I think the U.S., together with the neighboring countries of Colombia and Brazil not only should but must intervene.
I’m afraid that due to its track record of supporting right wing dictators and multinationals, I always support whoever the US opposes. The US has been on the wrong side of history in these matters in almost every case since WW II. Due to Venezuela’s abundance of oil and America’s addiction to it, it is a simple matter to know what the US’s motives truly are. This article is is nothing but propaganda aimed at convincing the American public which side Uncle Sam thinks its citizens should be on. For a more balanced perspective read John Pilger’s recent article.
6
@Mark Bau that's a ridiculously reductive way of deciding your political allegiances. I would never be naive enough to say that the US doesn't often back dictators to bolster its economic or geopolitical goals. (Looking at you, MBS.) But automatically assuming whomever the US opposes is a "good guy?"
The Taliban? Kim Jong Un? Assad? Putin? Trump's crush-of-the-day aside, you don't even have to go into *history* to find plenty of examples where the US is opposing brutal regimes, never mind WWII - there are plenty of current-day autocrats to choose from.
Furthermore, is the US "on the wrong side of history" in all of its alliances then, too, since we don't oppose those countries? Does that mean Australia is a bad guy? How about Japan? Or maybe Germany?
All of this aside from the actual point of the piece, which is that there is a tidal wave of evidence of Maduro's systematic destruction of democratic institutions and repression of his people. No amount of distrust in America makes that go away.
I have no problem with anti-American sentiment - it's often earned - and certainly none with anti-Trump sentiment, but it doesn't mean we get to ignore the facts just because the other side does.
1
If you want a better government, then go get it. Right now, we have a terrible government. So who's responsible for saving the US? I'm waiting.
3
Well said Ms Hausmann. The left (and the right too, but here we are talking about a sin of the left) is awfully ignorant about the world we live in, blaming everything on the US and capitalism. Self-flagellation is their favorite sport. Look, the Bolivarian revolution did this to Venezuela. It's not our fault, ok? Not everything that goes wrong in the world is our fault.
These same people believe that globalization is bad for the poor of the world, for example, when official statistics from everywhere show the consistent decline in global poverty for three decades now.
The American left is embarrassingly parochial.
3
"Stop sanitizing a tyrannical dictator. My country deserves change."
The phrase that led us to disaster in Viet Nam and Iraq. I doubt that anyone in the US administration knows *anything* about the situation in Venezuela.
Our military doesn't do nation building.
5
Humanitarian crisis? You mean the one caused almost exclusively by the US, well with the help of cheaper Saudi oil?
Dictator? You mean the duly elected president who allows a real opposition press, and allows opposition demonstrations.?
8
@Yaj This isn't about left vs right. Maduro doesn't represent any. He's a dictator. As far as the elections in 2018 (considered fraud by OEA, Lima Group and European Union), read this article from Smarmatic (company in charge of the electronic voting system in Venezuela for 20 years). "Data Manipulation of at least 1M votes". #ASKAVENEZUELAN
https://www.smartmatic.com/us/news/article/smartmatic-statement-on-the-recent-constituent-assembly-election-in-venezuela/
@Yaj So certain countries lower the price of oil, and an overdependent country that has debased its institutions collapses, how is that the fault of the other countries?
I know you may hate Trump and/or previous US foreign policy, but call a spade a spade. Liberals fix up!
1
So... the 3 millions leaving Venezuela, mostly by foot are doing it just for fun?
If you want talk to someone on a Public Hospital.
The people collecting water at a sewer of the Guaire river in Caracas are also doing it for the fun of doing it.
2
Note how Ms. Hausmann is falling exactly into the neo-con "regime change" narrative :
(1) There is a Third World regime out there somewhere (could be Noriega in Panama, or Bashir Assad in Syria, or Saddam Hussein in Iraq, or, now, Maduro in Venezuela) that is "bad"; that is, it is incompetent, oppressive, corrupt or some combination of the three.
(2) This behavior was happily tolerated by the U.S. political elite for decades without comment (or, often, the regime involved was actually a U.S. ally).
(3) Elite consensus in Washington, D.C. turns against the foreign regime (usually, because America's imperialists need to "make an example" out of some foreign country, to reinforce fear of and "respect" for, America's military power).
(4) So (sometimes overnight), the foreign regime, which previously hardly merited any attention at all (or was even happily tolerated) by U.S. elites, all of a sudden becomes a "pariah", or a "humanitarian crisis", that "demands urgent U.S. military intervention".
(5) Out fly the Tomahawk missiles, the stealth fighters and so on, to "take out" the "evil" foreign regime's military, slaughtering thousands of foreign citizens. Sometimes this is followed up with a full-scale American invasion and / or occupation of the foreign country.
(6) The occupation proves to be a disaster for both the foreign country and for America's poor bloody infantry.
(7) Rinse and repeat.
Didn't we have enough of this nonsense after the lies and deceit about Iraq?
7
Just name one time since maybe WWII when US intervention and regime change has resulted in a good outcome. Being anti-US intervention is not the same as saying the situation isn’t dire. It’s acknowledging that when the US intervenes it will be for US (plundering) interests and not to make things better for Venezuela. If history is any indication, the intervention you’d like to see is unlikely to be the intervention you would get.
3
Sanitizing aside - After 63 illegal interventions by the USA, it's time to STOP sending our troops to other lands, to STOP underhandedly destabilizing regimes. Unless there is SERIOUS genocide taking place in a country - if people want to change their country, they need to organize and do it themselves -otherwise, ONLY an international coalition that includes non-puppet third world regimes has any pretense at a "right" to intervention. Do your OWN dirty work.
2
The formula for the failed state that is Venezuela 1. Decades where all the wealth was concentrated in a few families 2. A charismatic populist (Chavez) convinces the masses that only he can solve the problem and bring prosperity to the overlooked and downtrodden. 3. Upon being elected said charismatic populist begins a process of centralizing economic and political power through corruption, violence and eliminating the independent press. With no checks and balances on power, elected president morphs into dictator (which of course was the plan all along). 4. Supreme leader (and successor Maduro) plunders the resources he controls, appoints incompetent -true believers to run key industries like energy who likewise pillage and plunder thus driving those industries into the ground. Military leaders are paid off from the proceeds of narco trafficking to insure their loyalty. 5. The educated and entrepreneurial flee in droves. Let simmer for 18 years and voila, you have a failed state.
11
Maduro is bad, but you really think that convicted criminal Eliot Abrams and the US oil cartels are any better?
The US has made things worse for your country in order to make Maduro look worse.
Definitely get rid of Maduro, but don't replace him with a US-led corporatist dictatorship, which is what you're going to get with the Trump adminstration.
5
I hope people can distinguish between facts and opinions in your video. You state several items as facts but are really your personal views.
Start with the subtitle: "tyrannical dictator"? How do you define that? Maduro was elected. Just because you don't think so doesn't make it so. There were many international observers (including myself) there during the last presidential election. All said it was a fair and well run process, possibly the best in the world. Do you know something we don't?
9
@ON Maduro was not elected fairly in 2018. First, he disqualified opposition leaders from running. Elections were considered fraud by OEA, Lima Group and European Union), read this article from Smarmatic (company in charge of the electronic voting system in Venezuela for 20 years). "Data Manipulation of at least 1M votes". #ASKAVENEZUELAN
https://www.smartmatic.com/us/news/article/smartmatic-statement-on-the-recent-constituent-assembly-election-in-venezuela/
@Marco Thanks for the response. The Smartmatic article was written before the last election, so does not apply. The organizations you mentioned have not provided any evidence of fraud that I am aware of. If you could provide that, I would appreciate it. I am trying to be impartial. Certain opposition leaders were found guilty of violating laws. Possibly unjustly. But there was an election with an opposition candidate and Maduro did garner much support. The other candidates refused to run because they knew they probably would not win. That would look bad. Better to not run and complain about fraud.
1
I as a liberal don't support Maduro, I just don't want America in yet another war. We should do anything we can without violence. We just don't have a good record of building nations and winning hearts and minds with military intervention, it tends to kill civilians and create unending conflict. If there is going to be intervention, it should be by Venezuelans. And by the way, please explain why Mexico still supports Maduro.
I am a liberal and I certainly have nothing good to say about Maduro. And there is no question that the people of Venezuela are suffering. But the fact is that they elected the petty dictator that preceded him, Chavez. And there is still strong support for Maduro.
I wonder which nation will offer to invade the US to rescue us from a duly-elected right-wing equivalent of Chavez? Maybe Russia?
3
We'll see, Joe, just how long Maduro's popular support can last...
@Joseph Prospero, which country would you like to be invaded by? And shouldn't you wait until our economy is in a shambles and people are starving to death? Oh wait...that never happens in Capitalist countries--just Socialist ones.
I didn't perceive anyone as supporting the current dictator. I perceive people are exercising caution after the last round of overthrowing dictators went so well (Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq).
2
@Doug Read Jill Stein for instance..... Take a look at her FB or Twitter account. She does support Maduro, and makes a point that 2018 elections were not fraud, despite of what Smarmatic said (company in charge of the electronic voting sytem which said there was data manipulation of at least 1M votes). I have read a few others like Jill indirectly supporting Maduro, just because they want to oppose every move by Trump
Look, Maduro is a terrible leader. He needs to be replaced.
But Juan Guaido is an American pawn, groomed to privatize the oil industry and allow American capitalism to pillage the country's resources.
How is this different from any other US-backed regime change? The US already has a terrible track record with "fair elections" in foreign countries, what makes you think this time is different?
4
@Aaron Jean hi Aaron, how much do you know about Venezuela to call Juan Guaido an american pawn, trying to privatize the oil industry? I'm venezuelan-american. I've read a ton of Guaido's interviews, and have not seen the first saying things like that. If you're against intervention, I respect that. Joanna's point is that there are other topics on the table that would be helpful, including denouncing loudly and clearly Maduro's crime, tyrant like political moves. However, only the "intervention" piece is talked about. We need more people to go beyond right vs left, and denounce this guy killing his own people
1
Marco, who put the Chavez-Maduro cabal in power? The same fools that put him there should get rid of him. No American should die to rid Venezuela of another “Tirano Banderas”.
All opinions carry a bias that's why they're called opinions. While Joanna Hausmann's is heartfelt, I feel it is strongly biased on the economic and political allegiance of her father and I am more than a little surprised at the NYT for not researching that link to her father and his connections to foreign banking and economic interests. This is an issue for Venezuelan's to work out. We've seen what happens when the USA interferes,( Chile and Pinochet come to mind). US business interests and oil production benefit by exploiting the resources of these countries it comes at the cost of their people. I'm with Chomosky and Omar...they're on record for doing the right thing. We've made an absolute basket case out of Iraq, Libya and are doing are damnedest to the same in Syria. Leave Venezuela to Venezuela.
4
@Alph Williams Forget about intervention, and at least denounce the atrocities in Venezuela. As a Venezuelan-American, that's all I ask for. Instead, "some" are playing to defend Maduro at any cost. Most Venezuelans are democrats, but they're so frustrated by the posture to not criticize Maduro, that I can say those DEMOCRATS not voting for Omar, AOC, etc. Keep an eye at Florida in 2020. That's a sad reality. Somebody is playing chess better than extreme democrats.....
Impose a air and sea blockade, bring a carrier group. Surgical strikes, keeping the collateral damage to the bare minimum. The forty eight hour war might be called afterwards.
Sounds like the people of Venezuela want pretty much the same things as the people of Puerto Rico - food, electricity, medical supplies. And a free and fair vote. I'll bet Puerto Ricans would love to have that, too.
4
@Kathleen Adams...
The people of Puerto Rico HAVE had the free and fair vote, and they have voted to continue as a US territory...
If they HAD voted to be a state, the gravy train lubricated by borrowed dollars would have been derailed, and all of the corruption that has plagued Puerto Rico over the years would have had to find a new way to line their own pockets a the expense of The People...
We couldn't have that happening, now, could we?
2
I have spoken with many, many poor Venezuelans who say they same thing, and are suffering from a humanitarian tragedy. To see socialists in this country talk in support of Maduro and Chavez has been mind-blowing, and depressing, and suggests that they care more about symbolism than about 30 million poor people.
1
Oh, please. Iraq War Redux. Use IMF chicanery and economic sanctions to push a weak nation over the edge, then get cute people to beg you to pick up the shards.
For another perspective, please go to the UN (https://documents.un.org) and read this report:
Author: Alfred Maurice de Zayas
Title: “Report of the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order on his mission to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Ecuador*” – August 03, 2018
If we were a humane nation, we would have given aid--not sanctions.
Yes, commedian Joanna Hausmann is articulate and funny. She was also born in England, lives within the globetrotting bubble of well-connected immigrants whose forebears landed in Venezuela after fleeing the Nazis, and doesn’t have thousands of years of roots to Venezuela like the poor indigenous people.
She now lives in New York City and is the daughter of a Harvard University economist (Ricardo Hausmann) who oversaw the kind of one percent inequality that prompted poor Venezuelans to vote for Hugo Chavez in the first place.
Don’t tell me there is not one single mayor or hospital administrator or banker or port authority manager in Venezuela who can talk to us! Translators exist!
Why did we never hear from a single Iraqi who wasn’t a long-time expat connected to the US? Because our leaders already had plans to take down Iraq for the oil. Our leaders are well along with their plans to take down Venezuela for the oil, too.
5
Let me give you comfort, Ms. Hausmann:
Liberals are with you, and have always opposed Chavez and Maduro.
It is the ideologically bankrupt, absolutist New Left, and not traditional liberals, who condone tyranny.
The liberals have been strangely silent, YW...
Can you tell us why?
I have been to your country. Maduro is a tyrant. It beggars belief what Maduro has done to you. This liberal supports you in your struggle. Keep strong.
3
@SineDie a lot of demage has been done by the extreme left (newcomers and Bernie). that will be enough to push DEMOCRATS from Venezuela to avoid voting for democrats. The extreme left is being outplayed in a chess match that relates to 2020 presidential elections (AKA Florida). Sad but true
In 1492 Columbus sailed across the Atlantic to begin the murderous conquest of America. Simon Bolivar, Touissant L’overture, Jose Martí, Augusto Sandino, Jacobo Arbenz, Fidel Castro, Salvatore Allende, Daniel Ortega, Jugo Chavez, Evo Morales, Nicolas Maduro and many others have all committed the unforgivable crime of challenging imperial hegemony by asserting their national sovereignty. Welcome to Earth.
3
Change is good for Venezuela but a CIA takeover is bad .
2
Interesting. But it looks like the United Nations Investigator and Human Rights Rapporteur Alfred De Zayas debunks all your points.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii5MlQgGXyk&feature=youtu.be
3
@Joe Read UN High Commisioner of Humans Right (Michelle Bachelet). https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/03/22/time-left-join-michelle-bachelet-condemning-venezuelas-abuses/?utm_term=.fff12be2ae8c
Actually who is in that video?... nothing to do with the UN and has never been in Venezuela.
So the millions leaving the country, a lot of them walking, are doing it just for the kicks?
If you don't want to go to Venezuela just call Pamplona, a town in the mountains of Colombia where the Venezuelans get walking in the way to Peru or Chile.
1
Hausmanns people lack sufficient support in their own country, so they have to con the US into putting themselves in power. That means they have to intervene in our affairs to attack the US left, justifiably opposed to invading other countries. See Iraq for the result last time.
Hausmann, you are wasting your time here.
4
Just think your whole piece is based on a flawed and false assertion that hands off means inaction. Hands off means not US intervention because of, you know, our horrible history down south. Doesn’t mean the rest of world and respected humanitarian and democracy promoting organizations shouldn’t get in the fight.
1
Venezuela has been kidnapped by a narco military regime, backed by ELN (narco-guerilla from Colombia), Also crue remnants from FARC, (communist narco-guerilla from Colombia) plus The intelligence (tactics) from the Cuban Communist Government and additional an armed multiple zones parapolice groups ( colectivos). Besides because Geopolitical and economical interest Russia and China are already in Venezuela.
I am a social- democrat, I can assure all of you in this particular circumstances the USA democrats who support the Maduro regime are absolutely wrong.
With that framework of kidnapping mapped in the before paragraph, there is no way the people in Venezuela can get rid of them. They do not have the means...they are kidnapped ....
3
Much better to install a puppet US. Government hey?
1
Thank you, Joanna Hausmann. You are a brilliant truth teller.
2
Or a first rate propagandist, depending on your point view.
5
I'm torn. Not about whether Maduro is a badguy. Who could bother to argue? He and his predecessor ran the country into ground. I've been reading about the country's implosion in The Economist since 2010 or something.
But when have our various interventionist adventures worked? "Supporting Venezuela's efforts to restore democracy"? That sounds a lot like "send troops and armament and kill Maduro" to me, because he's not going to just apologize and walk away.
1
I think it's overstated to say that the left is on board with Maduro in any meaningful way. However, it is very wrong for those on the left to reflexively defend Maduro purely because Trump attacks him or that the US has a checkered history in the region. Objectively, Maduro and Chavez before him were bad for Venezuela.
This reminds me of the time Sean Penn visited Saddam Hussein in the run up to the Iraq War. Somehow opposition to the war meant Saddam must be a good guy? Nothing could be further from the truth. You can be glad Saddam is gone and still think the war was a mistake.
The same can be said of Venezuela. I don't think we should intervene militarily. I don't think that Maduro should stay either. It would likely backfire if we tried to forcibly remove him as it reinforces the narrative they have pushed for decades of the US as the imperialist aggressor. Support the opposition, provide humanitarian aide and keep pressure on. If we care about Venezuelan's right to self determine, we owe it to them to let them.
101
@JC I remember when President Trump said "we are not so innocent" after a question regarding something related to intervention in other countries. Perhaps Haiti should be intervened and helped. They really are in a dire situation. Help, help, help!
6
@JC US should stay away from military intervention in Venezuela given our unenviable record of propping up right wing military dictatorships in S America. But the situation there is not of US's making. Socialist policies ruined that country. Maduro needs to be replaced by the people there, the sooner the better for them. Some liberals need to stop pretending Maduro is a force for good just because he is opposed to the US. More than 50 countries, including EU and Canada, are opposed to Maduro.
3
@JC Odd that when liberals see a foreign leader they don't like, they advocate that we "support the opposition" (i.e., back a military coup) but when foreign leaders then meddle in American elections, they question the veracity of the election. And by no means am I a Republican, I must be clear on that. We are not gearing up for war, but for a coup. The pattern is clear at this point. And as for being glad Saddam's gone? Iraqis aren't even glad Saddam's gone. He wasn't a good leader, but his American-backed replacement is considered far worse than ever, mostly because his economic policies are frighteningly out of line with public opinion to a level that many believe he was forcibly installed rather than elected. And yet what do we in the West say about that? Nothing. It's not merely that Iraq was a "mistake," it was an intentional campaign of misinformation to drum up support for an oil war. There are no mistakes in foreign policy, only decisions, and the decision will always be to intervene when something doesn't go America's way, regardless of whether there is veracity to claims of human rights abuses or not. And then after we've done our evil deeds? Human rights fly out the window immediately. Ask any of the migrants who came from El Salvador in the 90s, or from Honduras today.
3
Having lived in Vzla for 8 years through 2013 and knowing someone who continues to visit there often, I feel Joanna has grasped the reality of the situation very well.
141
@Val THE REAL QUESTION: Why is the NY Times campaigning for military intervention and, by extension, the re-election of Trump. If you are really concerned about the "poor people of Venezuela," campaign for humanitarian aid and an end to economic sanctions instead of a war that will bring misery to everyone.
5
Even if Maduro is as bad as this asserts, it does not follow that the US intervention is good. It is not black and white, clear and distinct. There is plenty of room in this mess for black and blacker, while we seek at best some dark grey.
The US is doing regime change. It is threatening intervention. Take a good look at the other countries the US helped that way, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and before that El Salvador and its death squads and Nicaragua and its Contra terrorists.
"Don't do that" is not the same as a defense of Maduro.
So let the US keep its hands off. It has not done any good any where for a very long time.
259
@Mark Thomason, let me begging with "I'm Venezuelan" with first hand knowledge of the situation. The Venezuelan people are in a dire humanitarian crisis, there is starvation and malnutrition, deseases which were long ago erradicated like misles are back, there is no dialisis for renal patients, no medication for cancer patientsand so forth, but that's not the worse crisis, the worse crisis is that we have Maduro in power and while he's there there won't be solution to problems he and his predecessor have caused. It's a government policy to starve people to death to keep them enslaved. Now, the government has the military on their side and all the fire arms power and citizens are totally unarmed. Every time the people protest they are repressed and murdered. So how do you suggest we fight against them without outside help? It's like an abusive husband that keeps beating his wife an the neighbors refuse to get involved because it's a domestic fight, until the wife gets murdered and they send thought s and prayers. how's that a good solution? This is not a Venezuelan crisis anymore, this is a regional crisis, over 10% of the population has fled the country and are flooding neighboring countries including the US. They even walk from Vzla to Chile, Argentina. I want to dare you to do that, nobody will unless they are desperate. It's like the Cuban taking to sea in poorly homemade "balzas" to flee their own dictator.
28
@Mark Thomason, let me begging with "I'm Venezuelan" with first hand knowledge of the situation. The Venezuelan people are in a dire humanitarian crisis, there is starvation and malnutrition, deseases which were long ago erradicated like misles are back, there is no dialisis for renal patients, no medication for cancer patientsand so forth, but that's not the worse crisis, the worse crisis is that we have Maduro in power and while he's there there won't be solution to problems he and his predecessor have caused. It's a government policy to starve people to death to keep them enslaved. Now, the government has the military on their side and all the fire arms power and citizens are totally unarmed. Every time the people protest they are repressed and murdered. So how do you suggest we fight against them without outside help? It's like an abusive husband that keeps beating his wife an the neighbors refuse to get involved because it's a domestic fight, until the wife gets murdered and they send thought s and prayers. how's that a good solution? This is not a Venezuelan crisis anymore, this is a regional crisis, over 10% of the population has fled the country and are flooding neighboring countries including the US. They even walk from Vzla to Chile, Argentina. I want to dare to do that, nobody will unless they are desperate. It's like the Cuban taking to sea in poorly homemade "balzas" to flee their own dictator.
7
@Mark Thomason
"So let the US keep its hands off. It has not done any good any where for a very long time."
But we certainly could have if Obama had intervened in Syria as he is now fully aware.
And yes, Maduro is that bad. Such a strange thing...it seems that the more liberal people are, the longer it takes them to recognize obvious things.
15
I completely agree: you do deserve a better government.
It is not the job of the United States to do that for you.
We have a lot of experience at doing that in Latin America and for the most part, it doesn't work.
354
@Bill Dan- see my post.
You are half right Ms Hausmann.
Restoring "democracy" to Venz. is what we have tried to do in many third world countries and almost to a country failed.
It is up to the people democracy or no democracy to decide what government they want.
Afgans. wants to live in the Middle Ages with women being under men. We tried to change it to no avail.
Bottom line, intervene yes, if there is a humanitarian crisis which there is or in other countries if agreed upon atrocities are happening and preferably intervene in a multi lateral way.
Intervening in Venz. to promote democratic ideals is bound to fail.
Also if Maduro does not let humanitarian aid in then military intervention to do so is called for and he should be tried in The Hague if agreed upon war crimes can be proven.
However, don't intervene to prop up the opposition or bring in democracy. In almost all times they have proven to be just as bad as the people in power.
13
@Bill Dan Very well said. Period.
4
@Bill Dan If done right, it will (see Panama before and after Noriega).
3
Very well explained Johana, Maduro is a dictator that have used all the tricks and dirty schemes used by the castros in Cuba and Joseph goebels in Germany. They have taken the national council for election by assault that’s why with the highest inflation, shortages of food, medicines, high crime they keep winning elections which does not make any sense. This is a narco kleptocracy military is corrupt and have been infiltrated by the narco cartels
5
And of course, Maduro's biggest supporter is the ''Darth Vader'' of the international world, Vladimir Putin. Say no more!!!!
3
Our Special Representative for Venezuela. Elliott Abrams......
If John Bolton and Elliot Abrams are your deus ex machina, you are in deep trouble Venezuela.
5
Our country has a long history of supporting tyrannical dictators in Latin America, as long as they they are right wing. Maduro is not a tyrannical dictator, and he is not right wing. Unfortunately the U.S. press and much of the D.C. establishment has lined up against him, so we see articles like this one as a matter of course, but few articles from the opposite point of view. Fortunately, we at least have a few people in government now who are willing to tell the truth. The sanctions need to stop, as does the support for a coup. Eventually the country can have elections again (as they have) and hopefully this time the opposition won't boycott them in an effort to undermine democracy.
4
Maduro is an evil dictator who has turned Venezuela into a hellhole.
Have you no compassion for the Venezuelan people who have to suffer under his misrule?
1
Very interesting video -- I thank Ms. Hausmann for creating it. I have to admit that i wasn't even aware of the "Hands off" movement.
1
The key reason why so many here in the US are opposed to the US intervening in Venezuela is our knowledge of the motives of the current administration to do so. A few weeks ago, Trump National Security advisor Bolton just couldn't help himself and spilled the beans in an interview with the Fox Business channel. It was and is all about getting their hands on Venezuela's oil, never mind human rights and misery. And that doesn't augur well for a better, less corrupt government for all Venezuelans when Maduro and his gang are driven out of office.
8
@Pete in Downtown
The US isn’t helping Venezuela to get its hands on the oil as you say Elliot Abrams was saying. The US was and has pretty much for decades been the biggest buyer of Venezuela crude. More than half of the production that PDVSA can muster to drill, the US would buy. The US is self sufficient on oil, we really don’t need external sources of oil. Did you know that? Never has the US plundered oil reserves of any country that we’ve entered to effect a government change. Abrams comment means that by getting rid of Maduro, the corruption, etc. will allow the new democratic government to be a viable source of oil to not only help us will a consistent source, but to get Venezuela back on its feet.
2
@Rambo007. It wasn't Elliot Abrams, but Bolton. Here is what he said on Fox Business in late January: "We're in conversation with major American companies now. I think we’re trying to get to the same end result here. … It will make a big difference to the United States economically if we could have American oil companies really invest in and produce the oil capabilities in Venezuela.”
Sounds pretty clear to me.
1
I didn't watch the video, but knowing that Chomsky and Omar are against something is enough for me to take the opposite side.
Upon reflection I did watch it and saw the "usual suspects".
3
@kwb very cool thank you for sharing these ideas
It surprises me again and again how little most U.S. citizens know and think about the sanctions that the U.S. and many of their allies have imposed on Venezuela. If a country that commands the world financial system thanks to its control over the world's reserve currency, its command of the World Bank and other financial institutions, imposes sanctions on an economically weaker country this can be fatal for that country's economy. We are not talking about travel restrictions here or the expulsion of some diplomats but of econcomic and financial sanctions equivalent to the ones that led to the starvation of hundreds of thousands in Iraq prior the the U.S. invastion of 2003.
8
@khsiber The price of oil has plummeted and Venezuela (already a high cost producer) has a crumbling oil infrastructure due to cronyism and underinvestment by Chavez and Madura. Rather than the conspiracy theories (not much different from what the far right comes up with here in the US), the real economics explain Venezuelans collapse.
1
@AW The sanctions are real, not a conspiracy theory.
Your countrymen voted for this ignoramus, several times. You deal with him.
3
@samp426 no, the majority actually didn’t vote for Maduro. The last two elections were a big fraud and everyone knows that.
1
@samp426
You are even a bigger ignoramus by claiming any election in which he participated was a clean or admisible process.
To start with he never could have been a candidate, after Chavez left Venezuela to Cuba to treat his Cancer there was an absence of power by which the Constitution contemplates who would fill the void, but this was stepped over and defecated on.
With representatives like Omar you are clearly going down the drain, so you deal with that.
2
I have lots of family in Venezuela still, many want an intervention to get of Maduro who was mismanaged the country into a state of collapse. Now with the Russian military there I doubt Trump would risk WWIII and the release of the pee tapes . All the Venezuelans that fled the country need to go back and retake and rebuild it. Not the U.S.A, not Brazil , just Venezuela, they got themselves into this mess, let them get out of it.
4
@MarquinhoGaucho Yes. Some of us still remember USA intervention in Chile and the years of Pinochet terror. This is a job for Venzuelans not US Oil, Banking and Corporate Interests.
2
The US should not intervene in Venezuela.
Whenever the US, even in good faith, tries to intervene abroad, it is always accused of "imperialism" "neo-colonialism" and so on, especially by the left.
Decades later, even when the US has long left these countries, the left continues to insist that these countries remain poor due to the limited amount of time the US was there.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Which is why I prefer to "don't" because at least that way, at the very least, our great nation cannot be accused of any of the labels above.
6
Hands Off Venezuela does not mean support for Maduro, it condemns US imperialist intervention, regime change etc. The left is genuinely interested in helping the Venezuelan people but we recognize that US intervention despite who is at the helm (Obama or now Trump) will not benefit the people. Hardly do governments do anything in the interest of human rights, but use it as a rallying cry for US intervention. The Trump administration does not give a damn about human rights, it cares only about the vast oil reserves underneath the feet of the Venezuelan people. Unfortunately, time will prove us right when we see Caracas destroyed by US aid in the form of bombs as we have seen in the Middle East.
13
As a Venezuelan, I agree with everything she has to say. The US media seems utterly incapable of parsing this nuanced story in an effective way and she lays out the basic premise very well.
That said, I think it's an ethical error of the New York Times to not disclose the fact that her father is Ricardo Hausmann, Director of Harvard's Center for International Development and Professor of the Practice of Economic Development at the Kennedy School of Government. His economic policy is likely the plan that will go into place should the opposition get control of the government. To say nothing of the merits of his plan, it should be noted that her father has a lot to gain politically and professionally should regime change happen.
To not disclose this only enables her detractors to insist that she's an agent of the CIA, or whatever other conspiracy theory Jill Stein is pedaling today.
102
@Giorgio Angelini Thanks for your comment Giorgio. We were aware of her father's biography before publication, but Ms. Hausmann is an independent adult woman who has built a popular following on her own, by producing a portfolio of argued videos about Venezuela via her own YouTube channel.
48
@Adam Ellick I respect your position. But the issue here isn't one of independence, it's one of shared outcomes. While her message is (in my opinion) correct, its end goal ultimately helps her dad, professionally. And I think that's important to point out. If for no other reason, because it's vital to be totally transparent in today's media landscape, where everyone is waiting in breathless anticipation to make bad-faith arguments to fit their personal needs. I guarantee you if you read on Twitter now, someone is saying that you didn't disclose this because she's actually a CIA plant. And that her father is a neo-con, war monger. And that the NYTimes is helping build a case for war, just like Iraq.
You don't provide the context, bad faith actors will fill in the rest. That's what I'm saying.
33
@Giorgio Angelini
"it should be noted that her father has a lot to gain politically and professionally should regime change happen."
How is that different from every single other Venezuelan citizen? Don't they all have a lot to gain politically and professionally? We're taking about people's ability to remain alive. Do you really think money contributes to some kind of marginal utility her father would be capitalizing on that others wouldn't, when the stakes are life v death? You may be a Venezuelan, but your perception of things makes it crystal clear that you don't currently live in Venezuela.
14
I am corresponding with a young man that lives in Caracas. He tells me that nearly everybody there would like nothing more than to wake up tomorrow and see the Mariners landing.
4
@Robert
The Mariners have won more games so far this year than last but please don't , distract them. They need to keep their eyes on the ball, not get seasick on a bobbing Landing Craft.
6
@Robert Big baseball fans in Venezuela, huh?
@Reality
Marines. Fat thumbs, over active autocorrect.
Well said Ms. Hausmann. Nobody in their right mind wants a U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. But because the left has embraced the hands-off slogan, they are completely missing the point about the real problem in Venezuela, and helping a corrupt government in the process. They seem to forget that the U.S. is just one of more than 50 countries (including most of the European Union) that have recognized Guaidó as the only legitimate leader. Why do you all think that is? International pressure matters. Maduro and his generals are in control of their people through a terror regime. They also keep their legitimacy because Russia is on their side, as is the U.S. left. And the Venezuelan people are suffering the consequences. I say this as a radical U.S. liberal.
5
I'm a bit confused by the argument. I am a liberal, as are most of my friends, and none of us support Maduro or regard him as a legitimate ruler. I do know some rabid lefties who are more pro-Maduro, but many of them are not even American citizens, so basically they don't count. It's important to distinguish between liberals, who represent a strong majority of the Democratic Party, and leftists, who are a much smaller fraction of our caucus, and certainly are not remotely a political factor here in North Carolina.
8
@Tim Black You're finally starting to understand that you Liberals have lost your party to the Progressives.
Want to see that in action? Watch the witch-hunt continue on Joe Biden.
The Left is dominating your party now and the Liberals who have the sense are doing the #WalkAway thing...not supporting Republicans but trying to find moderates who aren't Socialist Democrat Caucus members.
You have to remember, it is the DNC Chairman who openly and publicly declared that AOC is the new face of the Democrat Party.
The Rolling Stone cover with AOC, Tlaib, Omar and Pelosi? You tell me which of those 4 is 'moderate'?
Venezuela has a corrupt political system and leader, and so does the USA.
The USA has been the world's overt and covert policeman for decades, roaming the world doing regime change, overthrowing democratically elected leaders, invading and occupying, covertly funding and creating opposition groups. Remember the Contras?
"The left" doesn't sanitize a tyrannical dictator.
The left does know that the USA has no business interfering in other country's problems.
Venezuelans have to fix Venezuela, Ms. Hausmann. John Bolton, Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump and the American military aren't your friends.
24
This is a very good video. The real issue which people are reacting to is in large part a problem Hausmann and many others have in distinguishing true liberals from leftists because of the structure of the American political system. You'd be hard pressed to find any true liberals who do not despise Maduro, and so true liberals are taken aback by Hausmann's accusations.
However, because America doesn't have a parliamentary system, only a two party system, we're unlike virtually all other countries in the world which would have a Democratic Party, Socialist Party, Communist Party, etc. As a result the Democratic Party now not only now has leftists, they're arguably trying to take over the party, and are without question sanitizing the tyrannical dictator Maduro.
Hausmann does speak about Venezuelan oil, specifically detailing how even after catastrophic economic collapse oil allows the wealthiest, and corrupt regimes, to remain in power. However, it isn't primarily a critique of oil policy. Her concern, which I share (and all liberals should share), is about a substantial and growing faction of the left, now part of the Democratic Party, which keeps making excuses for pretty awful things, like the Maduro regime.
Its members, by their own admission, are not liberals. They're doctrinaire leftists who do not actually believe in liberal democracy, and they do chant "Maduro, friend, the people are with you", because they've aligned themselves with the international far-left.
4
The left has always been plagues by the blind ideological drive where all can be justified for the "greater cause".
Just like the right employs moral relativism at the altar of the money - another "greater cause".
Neither side sees how similar they are.
Just listen to the hard core Trump supporters who are willing to overlook anything Trump says and does because he is "making america great again".
The left has done the same thing with praise of Castro, Chavez, and even Lenin and Stalin some decades ago. Today the mantra of "diversity", "equality", and other ideological terms which have long ago lost their meaning is the goal that also justifies lies, intolerance, and censorship.
We need informed, honest, transparent citizens to stand up to both. That's what teh true, old school definition of liberalism demands.
2
@Vizitei You're exactly right. Of course you come from the "show me state" of the great practical President Truman. What seems so sad is nobody here seems to understand you. They appear to in love with their privelage to have ideological fights whilst an entire nation nearly perishes. I don't know where to begin.
1
There are right wing neo-imperialists who believe that all US interventions are right and good (regardless of evidence or individual specifics) because the US is right and good. Similarly, there are left wing liberals who firmly believe (regardless of evidence or individual specifics) that all US interventions are evil and harmful because the US and its leaders are evil and harmful.
This is why any US president has a hard floor on his or her popularity of about 30% and a hard ceiling of 70%. 60% of the population analyze politics on the basis of faith, rather than data. Noam Chomsky and Paul Krugman would rather commit hari-kari than admit that the Republican party did something right, and Rush Limbaugh is similarly incapable of reasoned judgement about the Democratic party. They're leading a religious cult, not analyzing policy. If they admitted that the other side has a point occasionally, their followers would burn them at the stake for heresy.
So don't take it personally; it's not about Venezuela. If Trump or another Republican says something is good, that is enough for many liberals to conclude that it must be bad. They'll change their minds if a suitably liberal president is elected and makes the same decision.
4
Venezuela has suffered a great deal of corruption for many, many years. I have family members who have left there bit by bit because of crime for instance (no need to go into their disgust with ethical issues there). I know this young lady is correct, a beautiful country went down the tubes long before Maduro or Chavez.
3
Since Ms. Hausmann is a comedian, I will point out Will Rodgers famous quote: "I never met a man I didn't like". Is there nothing she can find to say about the political opposition that she likes?
3
@Peter Zenger, you are kidding, right? This is not about she as the comedian, this is about she as a Venezuelan.
1
I agree, in spades. Just returned from Lima Peru where there are 100's of thousands of Venezuelan refugees adrift in a foreign country. These are not political people, not rightists. The people I spoke to from all walks of life who just want to survive. Multiply the refugees in Peru with those in all of the countries neighboring on Venezuela. There are similar numbers and stories in all of them.
I am disappointed in my fellow liberals and even leftists. Maybe Chavez was a different ball game. Maduro and his group are corrupt. People are suffering and dying. That Trump and I are on the same side on anything is upsetting to me. Maduro is like Trump- they should love each other. I think Venezuela needs change.
5
Two related points. Yes Americans - not Venezuelans - demonstrate against US intervention in Venezuela. What do you think the Trump administration would do to non-citizen Venezuelans demonstrating against US intervention in Venezuela?
That Americans should demonstrate against US involvement in Venezuela relates to the following reason: there is a straight line between the militarization of our culture for decades, the more recent “war on terror,” and the slide towards fascism in the US, as evidenced by the Trump administration.
In a democratic society, the police monopoly on organized violence is empowered by virtue of democratically empowered civilian rule holding the police accountable. However, the U.S.'s self-appointed role as "world cop," has corrupted democratic norms, disfigured our entire political culture, empowered police state methods, while killing many people, overwhelmingly overseas, and with virtual immunity from all legal norms.
Tragically, there is no big strong savior who can come to our rescue in the U.S. At best we can hope for solidarity in our efforts to resist the fascist threat posed here by the Trump administration. That the Venezuelan opposition has made no secret of its fondness for the Trump regime, and looks to criticize the US “left” as the leading nuclear power lurches towards fascism, is not overlooked. There are no neutrals in the this fight and at least in the US, we stand against Trump and unchecked US militarism abroad.
3
@Daniel Ashworth
Sorry, there is no serious chance that the US would invade Venezuela no matter what Trump or his advisors say.
Whatever the Trump administration is for, ‘the Resistance’ will rally against. That’s the totality of their ‘platform’, in a nutshell.
4
Thank you. I also note that none of those sympathizers chose to move to Venezuela to join the movement.
4
@Denver7756
Why would Maduro sympathizers move there? They like having power, water and food.
1
I am as liberal as they come and I don't support Maduro or his brutal regime. The alternative is not for the US to invade Venezuela but to work with our "allies" to look for substantive change. China and Russia are not our allies, they themselves are brutal dictatorships who are gleefully helping Maduro. Yes we should not impose more sanctions on Venezuela. This is only making a bad situation worse. When a person is on life support you don't check their bank balance to see if they can pay? Maduro should not feel that he is being targeted, otherwise he will think that this is just another ruse to remove him from power. Help the people of Venezuela at this crucial time. Yes if it means we are helping Maduro, so be it. We have no choice to pick and choose at this critical stage. For heaven sake no invasion! We Americans have got to learn by now that we are terrible at regime change! On the other hand we are great at giving aid.
2
@Theni
Yes in the short term sanctions will hurt people but if they hasten the end of the Maduro regime they will be worthwhile.
@James
That really worked against the Castros.
Your country indeed deserves change, but the US is most definitely not the party that you want to impose that change. Look at the state of the countries where the US has intervened recently: Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya. All of them have gone through traumas more destructive than what the US was there to "fix." You don't want that to happen in your country.
2
To say that anyone who opposes U.S. intervention in Venezuela is supporting Maduro is misleading, and frankly, dishonest. Do you remember when those opposed to the intervention in Iraq were smeared as supporters of Saddam Hussein? We should learn from our mistakes.
15
@Samuel
"To say that anyone who opposes U.S. intervention in Venezuela is supporting Maduro is misleading, and frankly, dishonest."
Until I hear a single politician opposed to intervention in Venezuela state that they don't support Maduro,I will assume they support him, as I think is the default position of anybody anywhere related to anything any politician says ever. If a politician is going to make a statement that they know a large portion of the political world will or can interpret as their tacit support for a dictator, it is THEIR RESPONSIBILITY to clarify unequivocally whether they support that dictator. They are clearly unwilling to, and I as well as a majority of the intelligent world will continue to interpret that as their support for that person.
@Samuel
If people in this country learned from their mistakes, in the last two years the average IQ would have gone up 10,000 points.
It is not clear to me where all these reports of "liberals" backing Maduro are coming from. As a liberal and progressive I see Maduro as an authoritarian and failed leader. To say that Maduro is a socialist, like much of the right wing press seems to want to convey, is wrong and is simply rhetorical. The Venezuelan government has failed its people and needs to be replaced by a democratically elected government intent on serving the people and not the few fascists running the country.
4
It is astounding how almost all the comments here support Maduro or come up with endless, irrelevant reasons why the US "should do nothing".
Don't we have an interest in helping Colombia and Brazil by reducing the source of massive immigration of destitute Venezuelans?
Is this not an opportunity for the US to earn popular credit by helping the OAS be the lead - for once - in favor of true democracy and against popular tyranny?
Don't we care that Cuba has silently invaded Venezuela to help Maduro oppress (by murder and torture) his own people? Is that OK because the victims are "bourgeois"?
Don't we care that Russia has now started to "help?
What happened to the Monroe doctrine?
5
Since when do a small number of Democrats voicing their own personal positions represent the whole of "my fellow liberals"?
This is the exact type of misrepresentation that right wing commentators have been guilty of for decades. They find a few loud and out of the mainstream voices that typically represent a minority view within the liberal wing of American politics and they accuse these voices of representing the entire left of center political world, painting the entire liberal world as out of touch with mainstream thought and common sense.
This cartoon like representation of liberals promulgated by Fox and other right wing outlets (and now echoed in this unfortunate piece) is unacceptable. We need to fight it at every turn. We cannot let right wing propaganda define what "liberals" think.
Noam Chomsky, Ilhan Omar, and even AOC DO NOT represent a majority of liberals and SHOULD NOT be seen as anything more than individuals speaking their own minds on issues of importance to them. To have a self professed liberal painting them as speaking for the entire world of liberal thought and encouraging them to not speak their mind is especially annoying.
Maduro is a dictator. A thug. He and Chavez have driven the economy of Venezuela off a cliff. They deserve to be relegated to the trash bin of history. The Venezuelan people deserve better than this. I suspect that most liberals support this line of thinking.
6
Part of what has thrown people off here is that President Trump is so awful we simply assume any decision he makes is a bad decision. But as awful as he is, this is a rare case when he got it right, at least somewhat--Maduro is a disaster for the people of Venzuela, and he needs to go. The only question is how active the U.S. should be in hastening his exit. But this is a tough decision as it is, and we shouldn't let our dislike of President Trump interfere with our decision-making process on this one.
6
But she does not mention the US is holding money that belongs to the Venezualan government, among other things.
Madam, feel free to go and fix it, but do not whine about Americans freely expressing political views you do not like.
5
The Hausmann's of Venezuela laugh hysterically when death squads assassinate labor leaders and agrarian reformers, but consider eliminating extreme poverty from a nation that used to have the highest extreme poverty in South America tyrannical.
As an American progressive indoctrinated to righteously utilize military violence, I disagree with the 'hands off' movement of neoliberal Democrats. The movement should insist on removing the American leaders and spooks interfering in Venezuela's domestic affairs, as well as eliminating the Venezuelan bourgeois Ms. Hausmann represents, and which has never provided any political power to the bottom 80% of the Venezuelan electorate.
4
I don't buy the premise of this article (i.e. Liberals "sanitizing" a dictator). I think the author is confusing being antiwar with being pro-Maduro.
Go ahead and read the letter signed by Noam Chomsky (and others). Their argument seems to be twofold:
1) US actions (economic sanctions and backing a non-democratically elected) are making the current, government-created crises, worse.
2) Military intervention would cause massive loss of life due to the large Venezuela military and militia membership.
Are they right about this? I don't know, but it seems like those points are worth discussing.
8
@Jeff B so you prefer the russian argument vs the venezualn one?
@Jeff B On point number one, Juan Guido was democratically ellected, as a member of the National Assambly, later he was appointed as the president of it, after the autoproclamation of Maduro as president he, by law, becomes the interim president of Venezuela. Maduro is at this time an usurper, due to the fact that re resulted "re-elected" in rigged election called by a anther illegal element such as the national constituent assembly.
1
Brilliant Joanna! This is coming from a Venezuelan-American who has lived in California for almost 20 years and who is as anti-Trump as it gets. However, even a broken watch is right at least twice a day, and in terms of Venezuela, Trump is right.
Venezuelan crisis is not because sanctions; it is because (a) massive corruption; (b) a Government that killed the hen laying golden eggs (oil industry) for lack of care; (c) disregard of technology, science, technical expertise, maintenance and thinking that everything can be solved with the military (it cannot); it least to the collapse of the electric grid, the water pumping systems in Venezuela (among the most complex in the world), and all services in general (d) giving billions of dollars as an oil gift to Cuba, Central America, the Caribbean Countries, etc for political gain on international forums; and (e) expropriation of private industries (manufacture, food, services) so that completely ignorant personnel from the Government could not manage (because of (c)) and in few months that industry is dead. Sanctions had nothing to do with the failed state of Venezuela.
4
Getting Maduro out is a smart chess move. Russia and China are both heavily invested economically in Venezuela and it is in their best interest to have Maduro stay in power because of the steady flow of Oil and the incredible sum of money that Venezuela owes them.
3
Her point couldn't be clearer - support humanitarian aid and foster demcracy. Stay out because it is a "soveriegn" country ? Illegitimate elections create sovereignty ? "Stay out" ? No one is saying invasion - just humanitarian aid and fostering democracy. We cannot allow the human tragedy there to continue. How myopic can the American left be ? Play her video over again. I live in S. Fla and hear the honest accounts of the tragedy that is playing out there.
6
I support intervention in Venezuela for the simple reason that the Russians don't want it. That makes it righteous in my eyes.
4
@Benjo that’s a pretty good reason. Too bad more Americans didn’t apply that reasoning to the last Presidential election. The Russians wanted Trump to win; that should have been enough not to vote for him.
1
It's not about "sanitizing" a dictatorship. It's about opposing US intervention in another sovereign country. The US has an all-too-long and all-too-bloody history of staging coups against regimes it dislikes, especially in Latin America. These Cold War-era imperial interventions have cost enough lives. The world doesn't need another one, and Venezuelans ought to be wary of the "help" this administration is offering.
Besides, if one desires positive, democratic change for Venezuela, the last person one should entrust to bring that dream to fruition is Elliott Abrams. Abrams promoted the most brutal right-wing terror squads in Central America; he participated in the Iran-Contra scheme to keep backing terror squads, even after Congress put a stop to it. His selection to oversee the pro-US coup in Venezuela is, all by itself, a reason to oppose this intervention.
13
@CB This is a comment that I believe could only be written by someone with very little experience in Latin America. Everyone agrees--a US intervention would be a disaster. But what are your thoughts on how to save the 30 million starving people in Venezuela? Do you only care about John Bolton, and not these desperately poor people?
1
I'm not siding with anyone. The point is that there is no reason for US intervention in Venezuela, period. I'm not opposed to sending humanitarian aid.
11
@Michelle E
Maduro isn't allowing foreign aid to enter the country, he denies that there is a humanitarian crisis. I don't know what to do next, but your preferred solution has been blocked.
There is a point where military intervention is justified.
I'm not sure when we reach that point, but the failure of the national electrical grid is certainty going to accelerate the crisis.
https://www.npr.org/2019/02/08/692698637/humanitarian-aid-arrives-for-venezuela-but-maduro-blocks-it
Venezuelan elections are the most scrutinized in the world, and declared clean and legal by international observers. And yet, in the USA, both republicans and most democrats brand the dully elected presidents of Venezuela, with as high as 60% of the popular vote, as dictators, while presidents like G W Busch who became presidents thanks to electoral fraud, or like Trump who became president even though he lost the popular vote by 3 million votes.
Maybe the fact that Venezuela's oil (Venezuela seats on top of the greatest reserve of oil known on Earth) is public property, has something to do with the USA wanting a pupet president whose strings they control. Remember Iraq and weapons of mass destruction?...
10
@Manuel Suarez This is not true. Do you know about the 2015 elections? After Maduro stronlgy lost the legislative vote, he did away with the national assembly. It would be as if Trump had dissolved Congress after he lost to Pelosi. There is no democratic legitimacy for the government, and the people of Venezuela are shot when they try to protest that fact.
5
@Manuel Suarez
are you really saying the 2018 election was fair? Theres a reason why Maduro has a sub 20% approval rating and "won by 60%" it was rigged. Everyone knows it. The country is falling a part. There is no electricity, water, food, med, and only crime
1
@Manuel Suarez Read this article from Smarmatic (company in charge of the electronic voting system) saying there was data manipulation of at least 1M votes https://www.smartmatic.com/us/news/article/smartmatic-statement-on-the-recent-constituent-assembly-election-in-venezuela/
A timely reminder to the world that no country has ever "developed" thanks to fossil fuels.
3
This is all reasonable, but--and there's a big but here--as bad as things are in Venezuela, military intervention has the potential to make them worse. Right now, Venezuelans have a largely domestic situation: the Maduro regime on the one hand against the Guaido government on the other. Yes, foreign powers are interfering covertly and, through soft-power actions like sanctions, overtly, but no one has boots on the ground yet.
If the US gets involved in Venezuela with this administration in charge, "humanitarian aid" will be delivered by a Marine Expeditionary Unit in a manner distinctly secondary to its primary function of killing a lot of Venezuelans. Even in a perfect world where this invasion dislodges the Maduro regime without much collateral damage, the US is still left sitting astride the power vacuum it leaves behind. It is not as though there is a healthy government just waiting to burst free from the chains of Maduro: our putative Venezuelan allies/clients are products of the same corrupt system.
Mediating the reconstruction of Venezuela is a task that would challenge a skilled and focused administration. With the evil carnival we have in charge, imagine the damage we will do.
14
@Daniel Actually there are boots on the ground - Russia has deployed military to Venezuela within the last week.
1
Ms Haussmann’s point is well taken. Maduro, and before him Chavez, were brutal dictators,and it’s clear that the country is on life support now. But one thing notably missing from her passionate video is the last time we tried regime change in countries with brutal dictators. Libya under Qaddafi and Iraq under Saddam Hussein were brutal dictatorships, and in both cases the US intervened to overthrow them. In the former, we’ve simply replaced dictatorship with anarchy, in the latter, a corrupt petrostate. And part of the reason for the left’s opposition to Trumpian saber-rattling is that in those previous fiascos, the US policy was focused on restoring democracy, but it was clear both then and now that ulterior motives reigned. Given that Trump’s credibility in foreign and domestic affairs is dismal — for all the pure talk of ridding Venezuela of despotism, Trump still cozies up to dictators around the globe — Americans are justified in viewing his policies in South America with skepticism.
6
Joanna's supporters are going to have to win at the ballot box. International observers called the election free and fair. How is any intervention in South American not going to be costly in money and blood for the US? Never mind the long term consequences which always come back to bite us later. The American left and right can posture all they want, Venezuelans need to work this out on their own.
15
@Renaldo Morocco They won at the ballot box in 2015, and Maduro dissolved the Assembly as a result. No one has called that election free or fair, except for Cuba of course.
3
@Renaldo Morocco, The only international "observers" that called the election fair were from Cuba, a country that has never been a democracy.
Stop making stuff up, Maduro is a klepto dictator. No government would ever get re-elected with a crisis like Venezuela is facing.
1
@Fernando Not making anything up. 150 observers form 30 international countries. Was it rigged? Maybe. Is Maduro a great guy? Probably not. I don't care. The US should stay out of internal disputes not only in South America but in the rest of the world as well until it solves the multitude of problems including rigged elections and bad leadership that we have here.
1
Sounds as though newer sanctions will have broad effects on the people. You can't support humanitarian aid and sanctions at the same time.
10
There are many 'liberals' who do not have an isolationist and hands off foreign policy. Noam Chomsky and Ilhan Omar do not speak for 'fellow liberals'. The Trump fellow Republicans on the other hand do have a isolationist and hands off policy to a large degree. In Afghanistan, in Syria, in Africa, in letting Israel set U.S. foreign policy, in North Korea, in China, we see Republican hands off and isolationism. Republicans talk big but when push comes to shove, they do not want to attempt to help in any problem that has any degree of difficulty.
12
What center-right "liberals" fail to get is our history in the region, CIA involvment and how we have been undermining the Venezuelan economy (as we did in Indonesia and Chile) to create economic chaos and discontent.
The hypocrisy of liberal furor over the possibility that another country may have dared to influence our elections is all the more laughable with Trump deciding who the unelected president of Venezuela should be, as he strengthens and expands the embargo on that country, seizes assets and threatens military intervention -- with liberal approval.
16
@Al M With all due respect, Maduro is responsible for his economy--just as Chavez was when it went well. The US has been Venezuela's largest consumer of oil, we have been propping them up for years.
2
@Al M Wrong on all counts. Maduro made the choice not to play ball with the US. Maduro chose to immiserate his own country. Maduro chose to become dictator. What possible reason would the US have to support his regime?
1
Thank you, Joanna Hausmann, for the clearheaded articulation of what is obviously a tragedy compounded by ideological rigidity. Once again, the American Left prefers to win political arguments and posture to protect their sense of infallibility. Meanwhile, a country and its citizens is suffering at the hands of policies we know are failures.
30
@JMR. The American Left is not responsible for the US, Republicans did that all by themselves
Who doubts Venezuela's crisis isn't a result of American sanctions, in the myriad ways they can be imposed, holding down its citizens until they cry uncle. Venezuelan oil and its nationalization is priority one, getting it back into control of Multi Nationals and their shareholder hedge funds and investment banks. American involvement in Latin America has the worst unholy alliances you can imagine and of course are capable to designing a PR campaign towards getting at those profits. Not a lot different than Africa where mining interests and unholy alliances have held sway since Leopold II ; the Scramble for Africa, never ended, only the names have changed, the people still not benefitiing from their natural resources. Pinochet was even invited by Reagan to the White House ( cringe, shudder ) This formula has passed by this way before … the profiteers will probably prevail again and trickle down subsistence wages to Latin Americans again.
17
@Ratza Fratza Evidence? Do you need evidence?, I think all that you need is open your eyes.
2
@Ratza Fratza Who doubts? everyone with a right mind, a medium knowledge of the venezuelan situation and over 90% of venezuelans. The crisis is not about American sanctions please. It is about corruption, narco-state, disregard of expertise, giving billions of dollars as an oil gift to smaller countries in America, especially Cuba, seizing private industry and destroying it in the process, destroying the oil industry, politcal persecusion to opposition voices, and insane attachment to power of the Maduro group because if they lose power they go to jail. And don't tell me the La La Land tale that they can leave via an election.
2
Joanna offers no substantial evidence that a regime change would solve Venezuela's problems. If she wants to make the claim that US intervention in the answer then she needs proof of that directly. Otherwise her arguments about malnutrition and undemocratic government can be the argument for military intervention right in our own country. Enough with US intervention.
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@Armando Leon As a good matemathician will say: removal of Maduro is a necessary condition but not a sufficient one to solve Venezuelan problems.
2
A survey of young millennials showed that only a third believed it was good to live under a Democracy, the rest didn't think it mattered what kind of government they lived under. The same can be said about the young people living in Russia. As long as the economy is good, the young voted for Putin, not caring if he would arrest, put in prison, or have his minions do even worse to those who might challenge him in an election. I don't know what that says about any age group that doesn't care about the integrity, or character of its leaders. It is more than deeply troubling.
13
Thank you, Joanna Hausmann.
Thank you to all brave Venezuelans and the good people who support their urgent demands for free & fair elections, for a return to normal legal processes that were lost when Chavismo first seized power from the people, through lies & subversion promoted by foreign powers.
I was born in Buenos Aires in 1957, and still dream of South America, where I first went to school, received life-saving medical care and learned to love books, music, nature and dance. (And asado, of course.)
My late brother frequently visited Venezuela as a multilingual member of US financial services cybersecurity teams.
Our family was heartbroken by what has been done to Venezuela, a prosperous, educated, thriving society, by a bunch of corrupt demagogues (now being protected by Russian mercenaries). Each & every night, I fret over the fate of all those hungry, frightened children, and all the little ones being harmed by Trump & Putin, as well as Maduro & the Castro clan.
We cannot rest until Venezuela is free again to chart its own course in a way that respects the true will of its own people. Support for that process from the MERCOSUR community and from the vast Spanish-speaking and Iberian-American diaspora is necessary, welcome & deserving of praise.
22
@Maria Ashot
: juan guaido is a terrorist puppet of crooked trump. trump off Venezuela. joahnna is dead wrong. she is a wall street puppet or cia agent.
Americans may not remember when Chávez was overthrown by a coup in 2002. Ari Fleischer, Press Secretary. said that the 2002 Coup had occurred "as a result of the message of the Venezuelan people." A State Department press release stated that "undemocratic actions committed or encouraged by the Chávez administration provoked yesterday’s crisis in Venezuela.” Contrary to Administration expectations Chávez was restored to office within 48 hours. Chávez, as might be expected, blamed the U.S. for the 2002 coup attempt, and continued to do so for the remainder of his time in office. So Maduro has historical precedent to blame the US for current efforts to remove him from office whether or not there is any credible evidence. Considering the history of Latin America-U.S. relations in general and history of Venezuelan-U.S. relations in particular, threatening U.S. military intervention in Venezuela was ill-advised. Latin Americans have already seen the "U.S. military intervention" film already and so far Maduro has been using the threat of U.S. invasion (however credible that threat may be) to shore up his support. There are a number of avenues to help the situation in Venezuela. Military intervention isn't one them.
30
Venezuela is in a complete humanitarian crisis. The ongoing misery (and death) of millions of Venezuelans is and will continue to be on all those who do not act. This isn't about politics but about starvation and deprivation. So much to say, so few who might listen.
18
@AW so in that case send humanitarian aid.
1
@AW....oh...this is very much about politics.... there was deprivation before Chavez....we just never heard about it
1
@Gondorf This deprivation has reached epic proportions. There was electricity, water, food in the markets. There was a high poverty rate (that is true) but not a failed society as we have right now. This is unprecedent. There is no engineering, no maintenance, no small industry, no food industry, no basic industries (steel, aluminum, cement), no medicine, no agro-industry, not even reliable electricity or potable water. Venezuela has gone back at least 150 years.
2
Venezuela has the western hemisphere's largest know oil reserves.
That is why China, Russia and the U.S. are so interested. It is not about altruism or human rights. It is about oil -- money.
The U.S./CIA has been acting behind the scenes in Venezuela ever since the U.S. oil companies were nationalized by Chavez in an attempt to redistribute some of the riches out of the hands of the wealthy families that owned the country to the little people.
Venezuelans should be allowed to decide their own future. A mediation proposal that Mexico and Uruguay and with the intervention of Pope Francis, could work
The citizenry is well armed. Any intervention would result in a blood bath.
Mediation has worked in other explosive situations (think Ireland). It can work here.
29
@PHILCO3 Canada is also interested in Venezuela. They have mining interests in the region and would not be unhappy at the prospect of increasing exports (they, too, have vast reserves of oil sands) to the US (to make up for the loss of heavy Venezuelan crude). At least one op-ed has appeared in the Globe & Mail noting that this crisis is an opportunity for Canada to show leadership in Latin America. I agree with much of your analysis, but please note there are more actors here than China, Russia, and the US.
8
@Awestruck
Point well taken. Thank you. And I agree completely.
This time, Canada has rushed into backing the Lima Group in calling for Maduro to step down, whereas, historically, Canadian govts of all stripes have made a point of staying out of these potential quagmires in Latin America.
@PHILCO3
Oil comoanies were national sinxe 1976 by carlos andres Pérez.
Chavez did not nationalized the company, he fired the ones against him off the company but it was already PDVSA since many years ago.
Venezuela has never stop selling oil (even now) to the US. But we did start gifting oil to cuba and russia, loosing all our gold in the amazonas by china (the deforestation in the amazones due this is way too much).
So, if EEUU wants our oil for free, but we are already giving oil to russia and cuba, and gold to china, oh and cobalt too! You tell me what can my people do.
Our people is starving, with no electricity or food or medicines, dying of sickness, the money is been already taken by others, you just dont know it or dont want to believe it
3
Hausmann is spot on. She's Venezuelan, and she's a truth-teller. This doesn't need to be about US Politics, right or left. Truth is, the Venezuelans are suffering in catastrophic ways. Little medicine, scarce food supplies and a health care system that barely exists. Yes, and violence has erupted. What outcome would one expect? Yet, one crucial element to this opinion column was not mentioned and that was oil. OIL. The crux of it all. Venezuela has it, but that remains in the hands of the elite. How can we address this as humanitarians? Do we continue to hold the hands of oil-rich countries while we wash our own?
25
@vtgeek Surely it's time for Maduro to be replaced—democratically, by Venezuelans—but it's easy to say "violence has erupted" and use it as a reason to get involved, as if a dictator is gassing civilians. There's people living amongst violence all across the US and Latin America. There are "violent" protests happening in France right now, where there isn't a dictator in place like Maduro, but instead a democratically elected neoliberal business person who has inspired MORE civil disobedience from citizens than Maduro has. In fact Venezuelans largely support Maduro or at least the Bolivarian Revolution, and are in the streets declaring it.
You think the oil will get out of the hands of "the elite" if it is opened up to US/other multinational corporations? Yeah, right.
Your question is still the right one, as humanitarians, how should we address a foreign country's woes?
More broadly, how do we fight poverty? It's a hard question, and I think the answer lies in enforcing minimum wage & labor laws in countries that import into yours, and not doing business with those who do not.
Invading or leading a coup is exactly the wrong route to take. We know from experience.
11
@Peter Grimm
You’re exactly right. I lean left, but I’m a humanitarian first. Your ideas to solve these issues, I take seriously. This is a human rights violation. Venezuelans are dying because of rampant violence and lack of basic needs. Their last election was a ruse. Our prior interventions in South American politics have proven disastrous, so I do understand your concerns. What is the next step we can take collectively to stop the bloodshed?
@vtgeek What you don't know and what Ms. Hausmann, failed to mention is that the left wing dictatorship under Hugo Chavez pumped and sold so much oil to pay for his failed plans that he practically destroyed the Venezuelan oil fields. In addition Chavez was a brutal dictatorship the used criminal street gangs to keep himself in power. His administration was based on kleptomania. So, the current right wing dictatorship is doing the same thing. I cry for Venezuela.
1
Maduro is a thief and a brutal dictator. Rather than "socialist," his government is a kleptocracy; the people of once-prosperous Venezuela have been impoverished by corruption.
The hard question is not recognizing that a dictator is corrupt, harming his/her citizens, and threatening regional or even U.S. security. The hard question is what should be done?
Recent American history is littered with ill-considered attempts to oust a brutal dictator. Are the people of Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria actually any better off today than they were before US-led actions against admittedly horrible dictators? Have terrorists' commitment to harm the USA declined? Are the tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers killed or maimed better off? Were the trillions of US tax dollars well spent?
The problem with the Trump Administration's approach to Venezuela is the lack of a comprehensive plan. What will the US do, for example, if the attempt to force Maduro out leads to an asymmetrical civil war such as the one in Syria where a well-armed government (with Moscow's backing) slaughters hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians and created millions of refugees? What will the USA do if Guaido is successful in replacing Maduro without massive bloodshed and inherits an economy in shambles? Is the Trump Administration willing to commit the resources to help Venezuela rebuild quickly to avoid a descent into chaos?
A good rule of thumb is: Don't start something we aren't willing to finish.
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@Ken
right wing people do not care about people. ti is a about making money. see what cia, terrorist saudies did to Syrian people.
Because all our previous regime change operations have been so successful, right?
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@Charles this isn't about regime change. this is about an enormous humanitarian disaster. Perhaps you can take off your blinders?
2
@Keith Siegel
The same "humanitarian" card was played to garner support for the Iraq war. Fool me twice...
If Trump cared about enormous humanitarian disasters he'd pull support for Saudi Arabia's Yemen campaign.
No, the common thread in the major US military interventions of the past few decades is that they have focused on oil-producing nations that have dared to stray from the "petrodollar" system that feeds our budget deficits.
Google "William Simon Saudi Arabia" for details on how Nixon's Treasury Secretary concocted the petrodollar system.
1
It's an odd video to see in the NY Times. The speaker over-generalizes about "the left," and may be giving the opposition to Maduro something of a free pass. She feels she has expertise, but I'm not sensing much depth in how she sees the U.S., Venezuela or Latin America.
The Times has finite space. Use it well.
41
@Jim Shackelford
She's deeper than the black & white world of current partisan US politics. She is correct in using "the left" (she doesn't say "socialism" but left, and that is correct.) The left has taken over the Democratic Party and is incredibly ignorant about the world we live in. And when they don't know, they fill in their ignorance with "opposite of Trump," giving Trump the power to dictate their agenda.
1
I feel sorry for the Venezuelan people. The current regime is despicable, but the one that preceded Chavez and is the backbone of the current opposition was not any better. It did nothing for the huge number of poor even during vast oil revenues while the ruling class and the upper middle class had the highest consumption per capita of single malt scotch in the world.
14
@Michael what makes you think pre-Chávez governments (all from social democratic parties or even more left wing) are the backbone of the current opposition? you should read wayyy more about who is Guaidó and his party Voluntad Popular, but also understand that all they are INTERIM until there are free and fair elections
5
@Cris what evidence do you have that tehre were no free and fair elections?
@Cris you missed his point entirely - as do mst Americans. the anti-socialist newsbites only show one side. and poor Venezuelans DO live in abject poverty; that is until the "socialists" attempted to alleviate their suffering. your kind f folks have the freedom to migrate up to Miami. the poor don't.
This is supposedly why we have a UN. UN troops led by America go into Venezuela and remove Maduro. This is a humanitarian crisis. There are governmental institutions that can be filled with decent people. Hold a real free election as soon as Maduro is out and then put the new government on a probationary leash, similar to what New York State did with NYC during the fiscal crisis. They need to sell their oil and will get with the program. Sitting idly by while the inflation rate climbs to 1 billion percent isn't the answer at all.
5
@MJG
The UN? Seriously? The UN Security Council couldn't make up its mind to take a bathroom break. Russia is sending troops and equipment to bolster Maduro's regime. China has interests in supporting the dictator. The odds of the UN Security Council voting to oust Maduro are lower than the odds of finding a cattle ranch on the moon. On which note, if you really want to tackle global warming, I'd start by disbanding the biggest source of hot air in the Western Hemisphere and turning those big buildings into low cost public housing.
@MJG
We've sat idly by while the people of Yemen has suffered. Theirs has been called the greatest humanitarian crisis of all time. What makes Venezuela different? Why should the US become involved militarily in Venezuela, but not in Yemen?
1
@MJG you realize that Venezuela is not a part of USA while NYC is right?
I disagree that most people on the left support Maduro, it is just that we are not sure that toppling another dictator and propping up a new leader will necessarily help the situation.
34
@Sallie then:
1) what is your suggestion?
2) is a tyranic dictatorship better than a center left cosntitutional transition government to call for free and fair elections?
3) whose decision is this?
2
Spot on! It’s not as if all of our other attempts at regime change have worked so well
@Cris Center-Left constitutional transition government? Riiiiiiiight. Definitely what is going to happen. I also have a great bridge for sale.
1
The policies of Maduro are bankrupt, and have brought Venezuela to its knees. But, the US government has "intervened" already, by freezing billions of dollars worth of bank accounts and assets held by the Venezuelan government and its state-owned oil company, Citco. And this money belongs to Venezuela.
The foreign policy of the US is usually primarily based on support for international US corporations (especially oil interests). Trump, Bolton, Abrams and Rubio do not care about the economic conditions of the people in Venezuela any more than they care about the economic conditions of the people in Central or South America or Mexico.
The impending collapse of Venezuela is primarily due to corruption and crony ideologues in technical positions within the government and especially PDVSA, the state-owned oil company. Much like the thieves on Wall Street thieves who caused a global economic collapse in 2008-2010, the crux of the problem isn’t the label we attach to the type of government, but the men control it.
11
The US also deserves a change of government.
17
@Technic Ally And we are able to do so every 2 years with Congressional and 1/3 of the Senate elections, and every 4 years with the general elections. Try that in Venezuela.
5
@Technic Ally It's called an Election. You guys up north will get your chance ousting Trudeau.
Venezuelans created the crisis. They alone should set matters to their liking.
We here in the United States elected an utterly repugnant man to be president. The president has worked hard and fairly effectively to undermine our democratic system.
However, we would strongly oppose any sort of foreign intervention to remedy our situation. Indeed, Russian meddling to favor Trump was and is widely viewed as intolerable.
Having the Trump regime overtly and crudely meddle in Venezuela's internal politics ought to greatly offend every truly patriotic Venezuelan.
If Maduro must go, that should happen strictly at the hands of Venezuelans.
American meddling in Latin America has almost never yielded a positive outcome.
There is no reason to believe things will work out differently this time with the likes of Elliot Abrams, Bolton, Pence and Trump involved. These men are not champions of democracy.
Guaido has made a huge mistake in cozying up to these guys.
21
@Ricardo Chavira I agree with much of what you say. But I'm sure cozying up with the US (and others) is the reason why Guaido is still alive right now. If other nations weren't watching, he probably would have "disappeared" already.
4
@Ricardo Chavira I agree with much of what you say. But I'm sure cozying up with the US (and others) is the reason why Guaido is still alive right now. If other nations weren't watching, he probably would have "disappeared" already.
Yes, the people in Venezuela need to be the driving force behind change - but they need some help. They're up against their armed military forces after all.
1
@Ricardo Chavira
Cuba army is in venezuela's army all united.
Cuba gets free oil.
There are extreme yihadists in venezuela too.
The drugs are moving in my country now more than never.
China is killing the amazonas (which is a lung for the world).
Venezuela people is too busy surviving.
I dont know guaido, i dont believe in venezuelan leaders anymore, but it is not only a venezuela problem.
2
In the US, I believe some democrats have supported Maduro, not because they know the topic, or know how much of a tyrant and dictator Maduro is or not, but just simply to oppose Trump on any topic. This is not about right vs left. Maduro doesn't even represent the left principles. He's a dictator, a criminal and a thug, who has been willing to do "anything" to stay in power forever. Frustrated Venezuelans (even democrats) are resenting that view.
11
Big man trying to run over his own country...You have to appreciate the irony of wannabe dictator Trump wanting to oust a brother dictator.
Maybe we can oust Trump next.
8
This piece mostly hits it on the head. There is a huge difference between choosing to recognize an opposition leader chosen by the only democratically elected body that remains in Venezuela instead of an illegitimate brutal dictator like Maduro and the historically catastrophic interventionist regime change the US has participated in over the years. Venezuela is in a state of crisis right now and even if you don't like Maduro and feel inclined to oppose everything Trump says or does (usually the correct choice) "Hands Off Venezuela" is the wrong take here.
While I continue to oppose military intervention or steps much more extreme than refusing to recognize Maduro as Venezuela's leader (and of course do not believe that Trump is really capable of handling this situation properly) we can't just sit back and ignore the issue.
4
I agree with Ms. Hausmann. and I hate seeing the American government make yet another foray into South America. Nothing good has come from that.
5
Maduro needs to go ASAP, but to be fair to liberals, they get it, but they are simply doing is choosing between what they believe are the lesser of two evils.
1
I empathize with the Venezuelan people. Unfortunately, they seem to be between a rock and a hard place. I must point out that I'm an outsider looking in. I'm an American, well traveled and familiar with socialist ideology and their false cry that capitalists are raping their nation of mineral or oil wealth and sanctions that are strangling the economy. Usually, one can take a good look at the leaders of these socialist states and can easily determine it is the leaders and their cronies who are raping their country. I'm also aware of the USA's history of supporting the wrong regimes. With that said, I'm not against military intervention in Venezuela with specific short term goals. For Latin America to put it's economic house in order, it will have to adapt capitalist policies. That can only happen with the removal of Maduro. Let me ask you this question: why should Maduro and his cronies stay in power and continue to rape, murder and pillage Venezuela? The USA should form a coalition. If other Latin American countries are unwilling to cede power to the American military, or join the coalition, then unilaterally and clean house. That means removing Maduro and his major cronies from power. This should be done ASAP. Delay will only result in the death of more Venezuelan's due to lack of potable water, food and medicine. Maduro must go and he must go now!
2
Interesting video.. Everything Joanna Hausmann says is true. But whose responsibility is Venezuela? Joanna, now you understand what the Left is all about. And it's not about freedom at all. The left tolerated Socialist People's Republics for too long. Cuba is another example. Every excuse is found for a tyrannical dictatorship and the Liberal left thinks Cuba is a shining example of anti-imperialist progress. Remember the Cuban intervention in Angola? Who protested that?
The solution to Venezuela is the Venezuelan people themselves. The Filipino people knew how to end the Marcos regime in the Philippines. People Power must oust Maduro and his gang. You cannot put an entire country into jail. If all the Venezuelan people revolt the Maduro regime will collapse. After all, Ceasescu and his Securitate could not resist a revolt of the Romanian people Only the Venezuelans themselves can get their country out of its mess.
12
Maduro is a dictator and should be gone. If the US goes in and mucks around, as history shows we do time and time again, the one we put in his place will be worse. With the Trump admin? Who knows who they want to install. I wouldn't trust them to do it right when we have so many failures from more competent people.
3
Hausmann says, Guaidó's job is ensure free and fair elections.” The facts run contrary. He has never called for new elections. Maduro’s response?"Why doesn't he call elections so we can demolish him with the votes of the people? [...] Call elections, Mr Clown!"
Instead, Guaidó self-proclaimed himself president, not by any action of the National Assembly, but during a street demonstration. He did this as a result of requests from Pence. He called for US military intervention to solve Venezuela's internal affairs not from the National Assembly, but from Columbia while guarded by Columbia's military.
It is well known in Latin America that the opposition to Maduro is divided. Guaidó’s party holds 4 seats in the National Assembly. Just prior to Maduro's January swearing in, Guaidó declined offers from Mexico, Uruguay, Russia and the European Union to bring both sides to the negotiating table. AP reported in January that long series of discussions with the support of foreign countries led to presidential self-proclamation and Guaidó also declined offers from Mexico, Uruguay, and the EU to negotiate an internal settlement.
The facts are very clear: Guaidó is only interested 100% removal of Maduro with the help of the US. But Maduro's government has held on through all this with significant popular support. If Guaidó gets his way, that would only increase tensions in the country, as it always has when the US treats Latin America as its backyard.
11
@Svirchev
Followup: On Jan 5 2019, Guaidó took the oath of president of the National Assembly. The election for the National Assembly took place under the same conditions as the election that put Maduro in as president.
A bit of consistent thinking would suggest that if Maduro's election was illegitimate, then so was Guaidó's election to the Assembly. But this is politics, not not intellectual rigor.
Powerful imperial politics, Latin America under the control of the Monroe doctrine, is what puts puppet in place. This has been going on for more than a century, what else is new?
3
Here in the U.S. and other countries these "Hands Off Venezuela" people are actually in a panic because Venezuela is yet another colossal example of Socialism's abject failure. They will blame the U.S. sanctions, the price of oil or just plain incompetence by Maduro when it is actually the system which allows him to prevail. They will dismiss everything you say as ignorant or ill-informed. They may even call you names. That's what people who have allowed themselves to be brainwashed by the media and education system do.
14
@Robert The difference between "socialism" in dictatorships and social democracy in places such as Denmark has been well discussed. Educate yourself.
2
@Robert...oh my....socialism again....that dog won't hunt
2
You deserve a better government, and I hope you get one, but it isn't our job as the people of the United States to deliver one for you. Sorry.
15
I'm just one liberal with many liberal friends, but I'd prefer we weren't all painted with such a broad brush. I didn't vote for Ilhan Omar, and I think Noam Chomsky is a just a trolling comedian with a penchant for run-on sentences. (Chomsky also loves to footnote his prose with the sorts of statements that a Wikipedia editor would markup as "not in cited source.")
That being said, is there a way that our president could oppose authoritarian leaders in not just Venezuela, but Brazil, DPRK, Russia, ...?
4
Finally, a clear and convincing articulation of what those of us on the left with some actual reality-based, critical thinking skills have been seeing. I know dozens of Venezuelans living in Brazil and Peru, who chose to leave rather than go without medicine or food. News flash--they don't share the opinion of Omar, Roger Waters or these other misinformed "activists" from the U.S. Just sayin'....
7
Yes. Your country deserves a change. So change your country.
11
Venezuela deserves "change," but that has to come from the Venezuelan people, not from Donald Trump, John Bolton, Mike Pence, and the Koch brothers.
14
If Venezuela isn't 'real socialism' why does Maduro have so much support from the left?
6
Everybody can see Russia's military intervention in Venezuela with missiles and spetial troops. For the southamerican left, this is not foreign intervention. For them 'foreign intervention' is the nickname of the US, it is not a concept, it's a proper name. Apparently, the US comes to southamerica only looking for natural resources, Russia and China comes to develop a new kind of man, a new kind of society, one that can save people from poverty and prevent pollution and save the planet. Do they have this in Russia and China? Not at all, but they are working on it even if you neither your Chinese and Russian fellows can see it. The south american left holds the most childish and self-boycotting narrative.
4
The only interest that US has in Venezuela is its oil. If you want your country to look like today's Iraq and Afghanistan, invite the US in and you will have yourself a failed state.
12
I'm all for countries throwing out tyrannical dictators. But when the United States' oil interests hand-pick a successor and use the U.S. economy to try to force him into power, that's an old story that's never (to my knowledge) had a happy ending.
Remember Manuel Noriega? Saddam Hussein? The Shah of Iran????
13
I agree with the other notes -- this is "straw man" nonsense.
There is no general view on the "Left" that Maduro is a great man or that his power should be preserved.
The idea that "my fellow Liberals" don't get it is straight out curated from FOX News. Hard to believe that the New York Times would print this.
12
Reminds me of the flat earth society, creationists etc.
2
What My Fellow Liberals Don’t Get...
[ This essay shows only disdain for liberals. The writer wants to shame any liberal who is unwilling to depose the government and harm supporters of the government of another country that has done us no harm. I find this essay shameful. ]
13
Here's another one of those presumptuous opinion pieces that, in the imperative mood, orders me to stop doing something I wasn't doing in the first place.
7
“No cause, ever, in the history of all mankind, has produced more cold-blooded tyrants, more slaughtered innocents, and more orphans than socialism with power. It surpassed, exponentially, all other systems of production in turning out the dead. The bodies are all around us. And here is the problem: No one talks about them. No one honors them. No one does penance for them. No one has committed suicide for having been an apologist for those who did this to them. No one pays for them. No one is hunted down to account for them. It is exactly what Solzhenitsyn foresaw in The Gulag Archipelago: ‘No, no one would have to answer. No one would be looked into.’”
Until that happens, there is no "after socialism." Kids who in the 1960s had portraits of Mao and Che on their college walls —the moral equivalent of having hung portraits of Hitler, Goebbels, or Horst Wessel in one's dorm—now teach our children about the moral superiority of their political generation."
Alan Kors
5
I'm happy to see Ms. Hausmann's nuanced perspective in "The New York Times." Liberals have embarrassed themselves by turning a blind eye to Nicolás Maduro's tyranny.
5
I have yet to see anyone making excuses for the murderous Maduro. What I do see is the US right wing taking advantage of this terrible situation to liken any type of social program here as Venezuela type socialism. Ridiculous and profoundly cynical.
11
What the author doesn't get about her fellow liberals: the vast majority of us hate Maduro but simply don't trust Elliot Abrams and John Bolton to be in the same hemisphere as the situation room.
9
Like the Commies, even Trump is not wrong about everything.
Venezuela is something he is right about.
5
Joanna -
The NYTimes has certainly promoted your perspective by diligently failing to communicate to its readers the recent history of US economic warfare against the Venezuelan economy and its current devastating effects.
The Times also fails to report from the Venezuelan communities - largely peopled by folks of a darker shade than you - who are suffering the most from the US economic and political assault on your country - and yet who still support the President they elected.
Alfred Dezias, a legal expert on human rights and international law for the UN, referred to US blockage of Venezuelan oil sales for needed commodities and medical supplies as follows: "I am certain that the increase in child mortality, the increase in maternal mortality, the increased deaths for lack of insulin or lack of anti retroviral drugs is a direct result of this blockage."
9
There is something a little odd about articles such as this one by Joanna Hausmann--not to the mention the dozens that have been written by her father, Ricardo Hausmann--written by Jewish Venezuelans (now Jewish Venezuelan-Americans) who call themselves liberals but have been ferociously hostile to the Chavista movement. One would have expected them to have been at least a little bit sympathetic to Chavez's attempt to improve the lot of poor Venezuelans. But they haven't. In fact, Ricardo Hausmann has been an apologist for the corrupt old regimes led by the two traditional parties, the AD and Copei. Why? Does it have something to do with the Chavista's closeness to Iran and Lebanon? I really would like to know.
12
@Displaced Just wondering...with your ad hominem attack divorced from the actual arguments presented, have you ever been accused of being an anti-Semite? Even Jewish Venezuelans have a right to express their opinions....unless you think they don't. Your argument? She's Jewish, her father is Jewish, and therefore....
1
Sorry, the USA is neck-deep in its own tyrannical dictator problems right now. Venezuela will have to take care of itself until further notice.
5
The video's questions posed to the US protesters - 'where are you from' - and the largely blank, clueless responses - pretty much sum up the state of the progressives' social-media driven so-called 'protests' in the States, and not just on the issue of Venezuela.
3
The Left simply loves tyranny. Look at the excuses made over the years for Stalin, Mao, Castro and now Maduro.
Now the Green New Deal seeks to radically re-orient American life with government coercion and control.
2
We’ve entered a time of strongman and strongwoman politics where adhering to orthodoxy trumps indpendent thought. We’ve seen the car carnage that Trump has left of the Repbulican party. Between the bully pulpit, the relentless use of Goebbell’s media tactics and a cowed group of Vichy elected officials, he forces adherence to the faith. The Democrats have taken up the same mantel. If you are not a full blown “eat the rich” leftist, that measure equality by dint of identify and that follows AOCs politics, you no longer are welcome in the party. The respective tents only hold not only the faithful but they have to carry pitchforks.
2
Ms Hausman,
This must be one of the most charming editorials I've ever read/seen, and all your points are sensible and correct.
But I am afraid you don't address the following.
1. The left is rightly skeptical about American intervention because of America's embarrassing record of heavy handed intervention in socialist countries on the pretext of saving them from oppressive regimes ie communism , particularly in Central and South America. You know the list :Guatemala, Cuba, Nicaragua, Chile. It's a stain on our history. Even liberals are pretty reluctant to intervene, given this record. More recently, we intervened in Libya, and look at the mess there.
2. Realistically, what can we do? Sanctions don't really hurt Maduro and the corrupt elite that support him, but they do make the economic situation much worse for ordinary people. I understand that the consequences of doing nothing can be catastrophic. eg we failed to do anything to stop the genocide in Cambodia, and Rwanda.
3. It seems that the neighboring countries in the region-particularly Columbia, Brazil need to take the lead on this. Potentially the US could support a regional coalition that was willing to take action.
8
@Brinton I didn't hear her asking for intervention. What I hear her say is not to "support" the tyrant dictator. It simply starts by having a strong position about Maduro's crimes, human rights issues, fraud election, etc. However, they're not doing so. They're just saying Maduro's elections were fair, Maduro is not that bad, etc. That's what she's saying. Venezuelan DEMOCRATS are very frustrated by this approach, and see it hard (before inconceivable) for them to support some democratic candidates. See Elections in Florida 2020
There are many of us who see the way the U.S. has failed nearly 100% of the time trying to interfere with other countries' internal affairs, often while making the plight of the people worse. So yes, we caution against continued interference. And you may be able to find a few fringe players in this country who support Maduro (or "Maguro" as I call him).
But the overwhelming majority of us, whatever our stripe, think the guy is bad news for his country and would like to see him gone, so long as the people of Venezuela do it (with maybe a wee bit of assistance from their immediate neighbors).
8
I am surprised at all the comments opposed to any US involvement. Does the US have any moral obligations when there are children dying of starvation? Food Aid can't be delivered across a bridge into the country and somehow US involvement will be bad? My goodness does anyone care about the actual people? Is it only a political exercise? When the US gets involved, there is at least a chance, maybe a small chance, but a chance none the less of something good happening. If US doesn't get involved, there is no, none, zero, zilch chance of anything good happening before mass starvation in Venezuela.
3
Problem is that we have heard all these stories before. Once our soldiers are on the ground the story changes drastically.
3
@Craig G
Maybe if we had gone into Germany and saved the Jewish
People, 6 million would have survived. Sometimes you have to do the right thing to keep people alive.
>>> "When the US gets involved, there is at least a chance, maybe a small chance, but a chance none the less of something good happening."
Yeah, right. There's a first time for everything. ;-(
1
Reactionary liberalism is alive and well in the realm of manifest destiny and American exceptionalism. From a platform of privilege this performer does a wonderful job of selling what all politicians keep selling (funny how she singles out those politicians who are not). To quote the 19th century editor and writer John O'Sullivan from his treatise declaring divine sanction for American expansionism:
"The fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions."
Endless war is necessary to feed the insatiable engine of capitalism. As one of those that I'm sure Ms. Hausmann would gladly include in her soapbox psyop performance art, Dr. Cornel West offers this troika as a symptom of manifest destiny, "free-market fundamentalism, aggressive militarism and escalating authoritarianism".
So let's intervene. Let's get behind Trump when it suits us and scream Kremlin agent when it doesn't. Let's forget that Elliot Abrams is a murderer. Let's whitewash the whole situation so we can continue the neoliberal experiment by finishing us all off in the process. Or...
Why don't we realize the true definition of sovereignty and rewrite the underlying narrative of manifest destiny and replace it with reciprocity, humanity, compassion and common sense. Thomas Paine, the original Kremlin agent, coined the latter phrase. But no one listened to him much.
5
An addendum. I smelled elitism but here's some framework for why this woman is performing for us:
“This is about people,” Joanna Hausmann insisted at the end of her YouTube performance (see link below); “this is about people wanting to take their country back.”
Those people include her family, and they are not your average Venezuelans.
https://thegrayzone.com/2019/03/14/ricardo-hausmanns-morning-after-for-venezuela-the-neoliberal-brain-behind-juan-guaidos-economic-agenda/#more-3475
1
How remarkable that the fixation on "democracy" by the U.S. always centers on where there is money to be made, and how the "democratic leaders" who are installed are invariably autocrats who govern in the interest of U.S. capital. And is it any coincidence that the proven oil reserves in Venezuela are the largest in the world?
It is the task of the Venezuelan working class to settle accounts with Maduro, not American imperialism.
We should remember Harold Pinter's Nobel speech of 2005, describing this rapacious appetite:
"Direct invasion of a sovereign state has never in fact been America’s favoured method. In the main, it has preferred what it has described as ‘low intensity conflict’. Low intensity conflict means that thousands of people die but slower than if you dropped a bomb on them in one fell swoop. It means that you infect the heart of the country, that you establish a malignant growth and watch the gangrene bloom. When the populace has been subdued – or beaten to death – the same thing – and your own friends, the military and the great corporations, sit comfortably in power, you go before the camera and say that democracy has prevailed."
13
@Don Barry
Silly nonsense disguised as clever analysis.
1
Maduro is absolutely terrible, but it's up to the Venezuelan people to change their own government. The US shouldn't be involved in regime change. The US has no right, especially in light of Trump, to say who can and cannot lead a country.
10
@Sean
I don't think that anything the Venezuelan people can do will be enough to get Maduro out, fair elections in Venezuela are about as real as the Easter bunny and anything short of a full scale assult and coup are not going to do anything. The truth is we are going to have to go through the army to get him unseated.
I think it is a big mistake to group all US Libs as having this attitude, but no one can deny we have a bad reputation insofar as 'meddling' in Latin American issues.
Ideally, the citizens of Venezuela would rise up and kick Maduro out, let in food and medicine from donor nations, halt the exodus, and get the oil running again. But if Maduro can't right the ship, what then? ...An Allende-like Coup? Arm the opposition groups active inside the country? Coalition of other Latin countries (excl. US) to take strong(er) action?
2
I have an idea not often floated in the pages of the New York Times: how about we let countries self rule?
How about we allow the democratically elected president serve out his term without burying the country in sanctions because they weren't working lock step with western moneyed interests - or whatever the oil laden reason was - why we have been trying to undermine the popular will of the Venezuelan people for the last 20 years?
How about, instead of perpetually banging the drums for regime change in Latin America, we look inward and focus on improving this nation? I know, its a wild idea.
11
Great video. The Left is almost about as knowledgeable of the complexities and nuances of Venezuela as they are of Middle-Eastern geopolitics. Face it, the Left ain't that much different than the Fox-News Right when it comes to following the heard and having "informed" opinions because of "news" sources on their social media feeds.
7
Joanna Hausmann appears to mean well, but she seriously underplays the intense danger of american imperialist interventionism and efforts on the part of trump and friends to install the puppet leader Guaido to further the petrodollar.
Opposing the successful (until trump's racist and xenophobic sanctions and anti-immigration policies) socialism (incl. popular ownership of the oil) of the Venezuelan people only plays into republican hands for 2020.
We must not give trump any credit nor any branches to grasp onto as we rapidly approach the release of the Mueller Report and ultimate impeachment! Joanna unwittingly becomes a puppet here for right-wing propagandists who want to scare Americans off the truth that socialism works!
There is NO humanitarian crisis in Venezuela!
Hands off Venezuela! Stop letting trump distract you from his misdeeds!
3
@Northeast TruckerPlease tell me that last paragraph is sarcasm. You do realize that there is also a long list of liberals making the same excuses for Stalin's Ukraine and Moa's "Great Leap Forward"? Americans who criticized Stalin and Mao were also painted as rightwing apologists. Meanwhile many millions were murdered and the left (of which I am one) stayed quiet, because to do otherwise might give solace to odious groups like the John Birch Society. So the logic remains the same "let millions die so long as we stick it to our political foes at home."
1
@Northeast Trucker
really? you don't think that there is full blown humanitarian crisis? I think you might be one of the Russian hackers trying to sway public opinion and laughing in the face of the American people as you do it.
1
"What My Fellow Liberals Don’t Get About Venezuela"
Oh. They get it alright.
But they can't stray from their ideological fundamentals, or they would be exposed as phonies touting an intellectually bankrupt ideology.
And we can't have that.
Can we.
2
To support a dictatorship because it's a 'leftist' dictatorship is just vaporbrained. I mean that's tops stupid.
I think it takes a minimal amount of reading to understand that the Venezuelan government is corrupt and oppressive. Identifying with the left or right over it, is foolish, the only argument should be what is the best way to effect change. Probably not by invading it, which is the equally insane idea of some who claim to be on the right (and are really not).
The US policy has been so flawed in Latin America, and there is no chance the idiocy will end when the argument is held by extremists who can't see a middle between ignoring things and dropping bombs. It's probably more important to say people need to be educated on topics, which is what our media is supposed to be for. Oh, and our politicians, but you can see how awful a job they are doing.
At least Kudos to the NYT for keeping Venezuela front and center.
4
This video is deliberately misleading. Protestors here are against US military intervention in Venezuela. In order to discredit that point of view Joanna Hausman tells us that they're really Maduro supporters. Not true.
Back in 2003 if you were against invading Iraq then you had to be a supporter of Saddam Hussein. Not true either. The Venezuelan people can sort out their own problems without the intervention of the US.
Also, what's with the bizarre, misleading title: 'What My Fellow Liberals Don't Get about Venezuela.' Noam Chomsky is one of Ms. Hausman's 'fellow liberals'. Chomsky a liberal? On what planet is that true?
12
@PF 90% of the NYT readership doesn't know the meaning of the word "liberal" though I'm sure they are under the impression they do.
The comedian's art is rarely one of nuance, but it's a pity that Hausmann's headline doesn't say, "What Some of My Fellow Liberal Don't Get About Venezuela." Liberals are not a monolithic bloc. If they were, Trump wouldn't have won in 2016. Hausmann is hardly alone among liberals in her views on U.S. foreign policy toward Venezuela.
1
WHY does the US want to murder the Venezuelan economy? We won't buy their oil, won't let others buy it! That is what is starving people, and forcing them to accept our aid -- then our take-over. Chavez was a great leader, as I see it, but Maduro is certainly not. But t'snot up to us to force him out or invade the country. Do we need another Iraq -- to finish off any hope for peace in the MidEast?
7
I love Joanna Hausmann--she is fantastic.
Love everything about this but you forgot one important word: Russia.
Correction, two important words: Oil.
Here is a reality that is not getting enough play. If the sanctions the US imposed work, Venezuela's oil giant PVSD will default on a loan to Russia. If that happens, contractually, Russia laps up the rest of the company. This was such a concern, that a year ago a group of American investors tried to buy the collateral to prevent the oil company from falling into Russian hands. I don't know what happened to the effort but I bet it failed at the hands of Mnuchen and the Trump administration.
In fact.
From the very beginning of Trump's interest in Venezuela, I have been calling fowl. I equated Venezuela to a mouse being played by two cats. On the one hand, you got Trump, who doesn't have an altruistic bone in his body. When he announced what he announced, but failed to put military power behind it, I knew this was a con job. By inciting hope and therefore chaos, he got the excuse he needed to raise the sort of sanctions that WILL make PVSD default and WILL put the oil industry in danger of falling into Russian hands.
....and let's not forget Russia's military interest in Venezuela's location.
The left is wrong on this--uniformed, ignorant. The right is being duped.
That's is the state of the state. And meanwhile, people's real lives are in the crosshairs.
1
@Gwe I think that's great. The US is by no means an angel, and it also has geopolitical material interests around the world. Good for Russia! Maybe China can also get a piece of the action.
The reality might be that the United States needs to intervene. Venezuela will be better off with a coup if the other option is Maduro staying in power for decades to come.
I'm sure liberals will flip out.
I lived and worked in Venezuela during the first 4 years of Chavez so I saw this mess begin. The US has not gotten involved with Venezuela because they have left the taps open allowing us to fill up the tank whenever we want. As long as they do that, the US will not get involved in Venezuela. This young lady points out that Guaido is not a right-wing capitalist but a center-left progressive social democrat. As for the humanitarian crisis in that country, it is real. The streets of Santa Cruz, Bolivia are filling up with Venezuelan refugees begging for handouts, and this is the middle of nowhere in Venezuelan terms. The chavista regime in Venezuela is socialist in name only, and in reality is a kleptocracy living off corruption and drug trafficking and being supported by Vladimir Putin, our leader's role model. You have to live there to understand what's going on.
7
Maduro is no saint and conditions in Venezuela are appalling. But let's not whitewash US intervention in Latin America since time immemorial, as summarized by the AP here:https://www.apnews.com/2ded14659982426c9b2552827734be83.
This short history doesn't include the likely impact of current US financial sanctions on the recent power outages that have added to Venezuela's misery, as well as on the ability of the govt to pay for critically needed humanitarian aid. Here are some of the highlights (make that low lights) since the 1961 Bay of Pigs alone:
1965: U.S. forces land in the Dominican Republic to intervene in a civil war.
1970s: Argentina, Chile and allied South American nations launch brutal campaign of repression and assassination aimed at perceived leftist threats, often with U.S. support.
1980s: Reagan administration backs anti-Communist Contra forces against Nicaragua’s Sandinista government
1983: U.S. forces invade Caribbean island of Grenada after accusing the government of allying itself with Communist Cuba.
1989: U.S. invades Panama to oust strongman Manuel Noriega.
1994: A U.S.-led invasion of Haiti is launched to remove the military regime installed by a 1991 coup that ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
2002: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is ousted for two days before retaking power.
2009: Honduran President Manuel Zelaya overthrown by military. U.S. accused of worsening situation by insufficient condemnation of the coup.
9
Is the author a crypto-Trump supporter? Where was she when Chavez and Venezuelans rode a high wave of economic growth and insulted the US? Is the US now responsible to fix the disaster created by the arrogance of Venezuelan themselves? Venezuelans got the government they deserve, they alone should change it. Short of direct US military intervention, Maduro’s regime,with state-of-the-art Russian weaponry, is not going anywhere.
What the author “doesn’t get” is the fact that the Chavez Revolution was supported by all sectors of Venezuelan society, including those now supporting Guaido. The rich elites, who for generations have benefited from oil revenues, naively believed they could handle and manipulate Chavez’s populist appeal, but instead got a regime aligned with Cuban-Russian global interests. Rich Venezuelans took their money out of the country years ago, and coupled with “la revolución bolivariana” ineptitude, created all kinds of shortages we see. They now naively hope the coup with the image of Guaido (an Obama look-alike) will save the country. Why should the US get embroiled in another war? Liberals are right, “ US hands off Venezuela.”
4
Communism’s destruction of people food resources (to name one thing) has caused not just millions, but tens of millions of deaths since 1900. This is an empirical fact. This makes us partially responsible to safeguard the dignity of human life where we can. The standards of carnage and death ought to be incredibly grave to compel an intervention by outside forces. At some point (for example, 1 million deaths) that standard may be reached. Communism is just as serious as WMD or Naziism in terms of causing deaths to countless innocent, powerless people. Communism is a thoroughly discredited and evil system of thought. The graves are out there to prove it. Look it up.
1
If we want to help the general populace of Venezeula, the question must be: Do economic sanctions further that goal or make the situation worse for the people? If dropping economic sanctions would improve the plight of the average Venezuelan, then we should drop them.
But aren't we then propping up a dictator by doing that? Yes, but we do that all around the world when it suits us.
Venezuelans themselves need to solve the problems in their governance. The US should not add to the misery of the Venezuelan people with sanctions.
2
I just returned from a month in Chile where Venezuela was the top international story. While Pinochet survivors understood that Maduro’s actions against his own people are indefensible, their personal history reasonably leads them to condemn all US intervention. The US should stay out of Venezuela and leave it to the neighboring countries, who are absorbing the refugees, to decide how to act.
9
Correct, The Democrats need to get on the right side of history on this one, or risk looking weak in foreign policy and end up being easy target for Republicans in 2020. Unfortunately the Democrats should have made this decision a year ago, the window for 2020 is closing fast.
4
A couple of points: Ms. Hausmann is right. There may be people on the left who are befriending Maduro. I haven't heard of them, but it's possible. So what? No one's paying attention.
Two: Some people in Venezuela do embrace the Maduro regime. For the poor in Venezuela, the Chavez-Maduro regime did bring schools, health clinics and social services that had never had them.
Three: Yes there is a tremendous caution that America should exercise in getting into Latin American regime-change. Our hands are very dirty on this issue in the past, and most Latin Americans are extremely chary to see us get involved now.
So I'm not sure what she should expect. I'm not sure anyone is really sanitizing Maduro. So what is her point? Somehow she seems to fall into the U.S. political dynamic -- providing fodder the rudderless Republicans at best.
4
With all due respect, we Americans have seen this movie before.
We were told we would be received as liberators in Iraq and it would cost $20-30 billion. It took 10 years to more or less extricate ourselves at a cost of 4,000 American lives, $3trillion, an unimaginable number of Iraqi lives.
If Brazil wants to dedicate Brazilian lives and direct Brazilian money to this, I wish them well. I’d prefer America sit out this adventure.
12
On the positive side, it cannot be denied that socialism has given the Venezuelans equality - everyone is poor except for the ruling elite.
5
@Jeff k
I wish people would stop pretending that Venezuela typifies socialism. It doesn't. Venezuela demonstrates the destruction of an economy led by an egotistical ignoramus catering to a wealthy elite, a fate that could yet befall the United States if it does not change leadership.
1
Well,
I have been reading about Venezuela for more than 10 years, since when I lived there for a few years. Initially I used to read about things in local media, until it slowly and virtually ceased to exist as such. It is heartbreaking to witness what is happening there (it is such a vibrant country!). However, we should not abstain ourselves to understand how we got in this situation and Venezuelan people's suffering should at least serve to open the eyes of some liberals about how the world really works - if you want to really make the world a better place you do need to know how it works, at least in my opinion. During these 10 years or so I found myself asking many times how and when it would end. One day driving my car the obvious answer just appeared: impossible to know, because what was happening was really a race between two powerful antagonistic forces: the people's reaction to the economic destruction of a country running against the increasing capacity of a otherwise incompetent government to oppress its own citizens and suppress any opposition. And here we are now... Now to be fair I must be critical of the liberal media (including the NYT). It took too much time for you to notice how bad the situation in Venezuela was. Ideological bias? Perhaps. Something for the editors to think about. This mind exercise may prove be helpful to understand to his happening in the world these days.
3
This video by Joanna Hausmann seems reasonable, and I’m glad she made it. The only thing I’d add is that I can’t recall any international upset that wasn’t accompanied by high-pitched, partisan posturing on the part of political factions. Americans continually galvanize their support and/or disgust for and/or against whatever foreign policy happens to be on the docket. In this case, most of us are under-informed about the details (I surely am) and completely distrust our chief executive (I surely do). I hopefully await policy leaders who can present a cogent way forward that benefits all Venezuelans, but I’m not holding my breath.
3
I have traveled to Venezuela since the mid-nineties and have witnessed how the country has deteriorated since then. Chavez (elected in 1998) was an incompetent populist who damaged the economy, used oil as a piggy bank (for himself, Cuba, and his loyalist "Chavistas"), while doing nothing to improve the average Venezuelans' lives.
I stopped going there in 2013 as businesses, facing too many obstacles, were closing and exiting the country. Former associates, clients, vendors have left Venezuela and are now in Colombia, Panama, Mexico, Spain, USA and wherever they could go. Maduro (who came to power in 2013) is now even worse than Chavez was, "clamming" down when confronted re how he is really hurting Venezuela, and trying to keep the country divided to stay in power (those who favor him are in the minority).
Venezuelans need help now via immediate aid as Joanna describes in her video. And beyond, they need a capable and competent leader who can stabilize things, build a common sense of purpose among all Venezuelans, and propel the country forward. Maduro is NOT such leader.
7
Among the sound bites this video attempted to cobble into a "straw man chorus," none of them has spoken highly about Maduro, and I believe only two of them - Max Blumenthal & Amy Goodman - have reported on the covert weapons shipments from our country. This is the only context in which I've seen either of them quoted in this newspaper, as a foil for a standup conservative.
9
I certainly don't support Maduro. But why should the US and other democracies jump into Venezuelan politics and support the takeover bid of the unelected opposition leader? Venezuelans are going to have to sort this out themselves. US political intervention simply strengthens Maduro and invites Russia in to support him. That is exactly what happened in Syria and to some extent in Iran.
11
You are half right Ms Hausmann.
Restoring "democracy" to Venz. is what we have tried to do in many third world countries and almost to a country failed.
It is up to the people democracy or no democracy to decide what government they want.
Afgans. wants to live in the Middle Ages with women being under men. We tried to change it to no avail.
Bottom line, intervene yes, if there is a humanitarian crisis which there is or in other countries if agreed upon atrocities are happening and preferably intervene in a multi lateral way.
Intervening in Venz. to promote democratic ideals is bound to fail.
Also if Maduro does not let humanitarian aid in then military intervention to do so is called for and he should be tried in The Hague if agreed upon war crimes can be proven.
However, don't intervene to prop up the opposition or bring in democracy. In almost all times they have proven to be just as bad as the people in power.
5
I think Ms. Hausmann has totally distorted the left's view on Venezuela. Personally, I know of no one who supports the Maduro regime, nor do I know of anyone who supports Maduro's style of socialism, which is drastically different from the social-democracy practiced by Western Europe.
What Ms. Hausmann does quite get is how toxic American intervention would be viewed by Venezuelans, and most of South and Central America. We are all in support of Mr. Guaido and I think the economic sanctions are a good thing, but any military intervention would be a terrible mistake. Our record on that front is dismal. Not "bad", "dismal", so there is no reason to go down that road unless we are begged to by a coalition of South and Central American nations.
This terrible regime may yet collapse under the weight of its own failures, but it doesn't need American soldiers to do so. I feel terribly for Venezuelans and hope that some day soon we can get supplies to their country and re-open oil trade, but I'm afraid we are still months or years away from that happening and cries from the left, good or bad, is not going to change that reality.
6
@Jim Dennis hi Dennis, excluding intervention, I have heard plenty of left leaders supporting Maduro and even saying his elections were fair. For example, I recently found Jill Stein (look her up in twitter or FB) saying elections were fair, and it's all about mainstream media fake news. I have read many others with similar views. I know because I'm venezuelan-american, and constantly get related news based on key words. Many venezuelans , who lean left, are extremely frustrated because many key democrats stop short of even calling out Maduro's Human Rights issues, killings, etc. They just want to oppose Trump regardless. I believe that will impact they way many latinos (aka Florida) will vote next year.
@Jim Dennis
Exactly Jim, you don't know! Having lived 30 years in Brazil, I have seen directly the people invading there from Venezuela. Almost all were afraid for their and their children's lives. There was no food in supermarkets; there were death squads roaming the streets and killing people for no reason. Inflation is as bad or worse than Germany's after the first world war which spawned Adolph Hitler. Intervention by the us alone is not a viable action. it must be done by Venezuela's neeighbors, with support from us.
@Marco - You too are cherry-picking extremist views and when I read Jill Stein's comments, it was about our rich 100+ year history of supporting right-wing extremists as a means to extract resources, so there's a lot of validity to that.
As for you choosing to vote for Trump because some liberals are not vociferous enough for you? That seems incredibly short-sighted. Meanwhile, are you OK with Trump supporting Putin, Mohammad Bin Salaman and Dutarte? All repressive leaders, no? And Trump loves them. Think carefully, my friend, think carefully.
She's probably right in everything she says about Venezuela, and seems oblivious to what is happening in the US. I can't speak for Chomsky and AOC and Bernie, but I would assume that if they say "hands off Venezuela" they don't mean this as a universal principle, that we should oppose humanitarianism and freedom -- they mean specifically "John Bolton's hands off Venezuela." She rails against "liberals", who probably all agree with her, but who aren't in a position to direct American foreign policy, any more than she is.
That said, she is right to criticize any who actually admire Maduro, and ignore the long history of corruption in Venezuela. It might have been helpful if she had also corrected the Republicans, just as ignorant, who attribute all of Venezuela's problems to "socialism".
13
@John Bergstrom Chomsky was right on the mark when he spoke about Venezula two years ago: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/04/05/chomsky_latin_american_socialists_in_venezuela_cuba_brazil_have_failed_to_build_sustainable_economies.html
@John Bergstrom Chomsky was right on the mark when he spoke about Venezula one year ago: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/04/05/chomsky_latin_american_socialists_in_venezuela_cuba_brazil_have_failed_to_build_sustainable_economies.html
This piece highlights a major issue in US politics: we seem to descend into extremism. There is a moderate road that legislators can get behind. I don't expect it to from the executive branch, but Congress needs to step up.
3
@Anthony no liberals I know, including myself, take that position. And I know quite a few in New York.
It is rare that a crisis in another country is revelatory about our own fringe politics. A politics of willful blindness and delusion. A heartless turning away based upon "solidarity with and for a comrade" on the hard left.
I've read all the hard left commentary posted here until I gave up in disgust and frustration. I'm glad though that one comment correctly noted Sanders, Chomsky, Stein, et. al. are not liberals. Those of us in the mainstream of the Democratic Party know this.
There is a humanitarian crisis there. The Gray Lady, and other quality journals have noted with alarm the arrival of Russian military assets. To the hard left there is no nuance, no middle ground, no search for ways we could broker (without Trump's heavy-handedness) a solution. No, it is all ideology and talking points, ignoring the fact that a multilateral approach with other American republics and international aid agencies could work under an interim replacement government.
It's about the people there not your precious secular religion of socialism or Marxism. Yet another reason, added to his age that Sanders is not an appropriate choice for Democrats or our country.
7
@Unworthy Servant
Not really, folks are usually blind to extremism on their own side.
Why is the political lens so distorting? Those on the left who embrace Maduro refuse to accept that an avowed Socialist could be wrong are like those on the right who refuse to admit that Trump is a failure. I am not talking about those who are opposed to intervention if they would also disavow intervention in another country that is right wing and abuses human rights. And I am not talking about those on the right who agree with the current administration's policies, but will not vote for Trump because of his character. It is those who go all-in for someone just because of their politics. Remember, there were plenty of apologists in the west for Stalin even after his brutality was known.
This brings up another related point. I believe that the left's disenchantment with Israel, which began well before Netanyahu, the settlements in previously Palestinian territory, etc., was because Israel was founded on Socialist principles and then abandoned them.
6
Wonderful comments.
The one things Sanders, Chomsky, Omar, et al have in common is that their reality is a reactive one in that they will oppose anything Trump is for. That makes for poor judgement and rotten independent thinking. They are not good leaders, just hatred fomenters.
2
@RINO I am comfortable describing myself as on the left, but don’t speak for “the left”. I don’t care for Maduro, but I don’t want to waste American resources including lives on this fools errand. I have been predicting that as soon as we got another republican President, we be headed down south to liberate the poor Venezuelan oil er people. Yeah, that is it, people.
3
True progressives have not sanitized the Maduro government. It is corrupt and has failed to govern, but this author conveniently omits that this was also true of the Perez administration that preceded President Chavez.
Not only was it corrupt but also murderous. Hundreds of peaceful demonstrators were killed under his regime. But critics were few because most of those who suffered were poor and the oil wealth flowed freely into the hands of the elites in Venezuela. Who was covering up the suffering and corruption then?
The US and those same elites who sent their children to American colleges while relegating Venezuelan children to poverty and illiteracy were not complaining about corruption then.
Chavez made his mistakes but he did not steal from the country and according the the Carter Center he held honest elections. Those qualities never immunized him from the efforts of the elites to assassinate him or the US support their efforts.
Maduro is no Chavez but the so called democratic opposition includes those same elements whose real opposition is not against corruption. Their complaint is that they once held power and now some of that power has been harnessed to support schools and hospitals, not million dollar condos in Miami.
Progressives support a presidential transition by voting in a new president at the end of Maduro's term, or a national referendum calling for early elections. The opposition supports neither and instead follows a puppet appointed by the US.
14
@Drspock
What do you really know about chavez or venezuela? Did you know that long before chavez the public education was that? Public, free, that i pay next to nothing for my education? I have no debts. Yes Chavez was elected, yes he was the response to the corruption lead by early administrations but make no mistakes and believe that his administration invested in hospitals and schools, no, “the condos in miami”are not own by venezuelan opposition, no, are own by the chavismo regime and what you called hospitals are primary care facilities lead by cuban doctors, what about the already existant ones or hospitals that are now in decay? What about our venezuelan doctors Who are now atending our people in the dark and with no medical supplies?
Please don’t talk about what you don't know with such certainty, you may have your opinion, but your facts are not accurate.
3
@Drspock
Corruption?? yes
But the president before Chavez was Rafael Caldera, a good friend of Hugo, it was without a doubt the most corrupt in venezuelan history.. until Hugo Chavez was elected in 1998.
1
Liberals, I am disappointed.
American support for democracy need not be complete replicas of the failures in the past. The Cold War is of no more and collective action on human rights has become the norm. 60 countries together denounced Maduro. It is not American interventionism, it is the world coming together to look out for our fellow citizens. For Venezuelans, the issue is not pro-Trump or anti-Trump, it is life or death. Collective support, financial or not, goes a long way in saving lives.
Also, ask not what America will do for Venezuela, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
11
I do not know any liberal who thinks Maduro should be your president or whatever his title is. That being said, I also don't think the U.S. should be responsible for regime change anywhere.
Donald Trump is incompetent in so many ways and he is our CIC.
We have failed is so many foreign incursions for "democracy", and failed miserably.
I want the world to be rid of Putin, Kim, XI, Trump, etc., but it comes down to the will of the people and in most cases the military.
So, hands off the invasions, we have our own problems that must be solved, hopefully in 2020.
27
Maduro, who has made many mistakes in governing, got more than six million votes for president of Venezuela in an election that was boycotted by the infighting groups of the right in ballots cast on electronic voting machines which, unlike hackable US machines, leave a paper trail. The “acting President” chosen by the Trump Adminstration, Juan Guaidó, got exactly zero votes, none.
23
@Alfred di Genis
The elections were not boycotted, basically the oposition candidates were not allowed to run. Maduro handpicked the candidates.
2
@Eduardo
Here is NPR report from US (there are many sources) confirming that the “main opposition boycotted” the election for President of Venezuela:
https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2018/05/19/612487104/venezuela-to-hold-presidential-election-but-main-opposition-is-boycotting-it
2
@Alfred di Genis Alfred, read about Smarmatic, company in charge of the electronic voting system in Venezuela for about 20 years, which said that they found data manipulation of "at least" 1M votes in those elections).
For more info #ASKAVENEZUELAN
Dear Sir, Madam,
We just returned from Colombia, our trip was following the main highway from Bogotá to the border town of Cúcuta. For the first time in my 12 years of travelling and working in Colombia, we witnessed columns of refugees heading away from Venezuela. I would ask the professors and union leaders commenting on the situation to consider and witness the situation on the ground, not from an ideological point of view.
Patrick Dwyer
Calgary, Alberta Canada
18
@Patrick Dwyer: I don't think anybody claims that the situation is Venezuela is anything but a disaster. (well, OK, there was one person in the film clip) The question is about American intervention under the management of the Trump administration. For the rest of the world to try to promote some kind of solution is a good thing. For Trump to threaten military intervention is something else. That would be a disaster for the US in many ways, and would almost certainly be a disaster for Venezuela.
6
There is an uptick of support for full socialism nowadays, now that our government has been hijacked by corporate interests. Hugo Chavez branded himself as a socialist revolutionary in the vein of Che/Castro, while he was fully corrupt and living on oil money. Many started seeing him in a generous light. Maduro, his natural successor, has overseen a continuation of Chavez's policies and some people feel hypocrisy for turning against him.
3
I would only agree with "hands off" based on our sordid history in Latin America, along with the fact that the US has little credibility with Trump, and that Maduro and his cronies can use it against those who want democracy. And just because elements are against Maduro's incompetence doesn't give them any credibility. The Venezuelan oligarchy, the old class system, is likely waiting in the wings to retake their former positions. Maduro's mismanagement is not a failure of socialism, but pure incompetence, along with the stubbornness of ideology. Look at Saudi Arabia, a backward religious kingdom with the population of Venezuela, and they provide very well economically for all their citizens with oil revenue. Better managers apparently.
4
I agree 100%. I am as liberal as they come and I find it absolutely appalling that some self described progressives are lining up to defend the corrupt, authoritarian despot Maduro. No one wants another war or more regime change, but that doesn’t mean we can’t call a spade a spade.
12
@K. H. But, why do you say that no one wants another war, or more regime change? If that were the case, the situation would be different. In the recent crisis at the border bridges, the opposition seemed to be using humanitarian aid to promote regime change. The Trump administration is conspicuously "not taking anything off the table" regarding military intervention.
I agree about not defending Maduro, but that doesn't mean we should prepare to jump in and start "fixing" things. Like we did in Iraq. (You might take a look at our facilitation of regime change in Honduras, also. Bad results there. And that was when HRC was Secretary of State, so this isn't just an anti-Trump thing.)
1
OK I'm a liberal and my opinion on Venezueala is far from "hands off' but I hardly think the US, under the command of its own mad hatter is in any position to be undertaking material intervention in this situation. Honestly, so you are looking at Liberals as your "not friends?" (By the way, Andrade is in jail, and his horses have been auctioned off, so yeah, it's not like the US has been doing NOTHING, but it's not like every Venezuelan fugitive can be caught and prosecuted as he was). You have Putin setting up shop within the VZ borders, so intervention would not be a trifling affair and the US is not exactly swarming with allies at the moment, having alienated every single one of them thanks to Tweeter in Chief. It honestly is up to the VZ military to decide where they stand, and so far, they stand with Maduro. You would do much better to rant against the Generals, than the US leftists. The US has its hands tied at the moment and we will be lucky if we emerge from under Trump with any credible capabilities intact.
11
If anyone ever questioned the right of the citizenry to possess firearms to defend themselves against a tyrannical government, please see Venezuela. The people are completely defenseless against Maduro and are starving in the street. Now he is rationing electricity, all in a country sitting on billions of oil wealth.
10
@Jon Galt: The claim that a better armed population would somehow have solved the problems of Venezuela... well, there are armed civilians in the mix, but they seem to be the bad guys. Maduro has a lot of support in the population, as well as a lot of opposition. The military is strong, and seems to be in a position to tip the situation one way or another. A civil war would probably not be the best outcome at this point.
1
@Jon Galt Not to oversimplify, but reference Syria as an alternative to Venezuela.
In the event of a second civil war I'm not sure that we could really consider the 2nd amendment to be much of a safety net, so much as a guarantee of absolute destruction. But, I guess you'd feel more empowered as you bleed out in the street, instead of starving in it. That's positive right?
@Mark I would rather die fighting for my family than watch them starve or be violated. That is the difference between conservatives and liberals.
The United States should play no role in sanctioning, undermining or deposing the government and people who support the government of Venezuela. Asking for assistance in this regard is wildly immoral.
This is a wildly immoral essay.
14
@Nancy: Brava!
1
Too many of "us liberals" have been used - IN THE PAST - by people who really liked being part of their nations' 1% - or even 5% - and really couldn't care less that they had earnings and assets 10x or 100x the average person in the bottom half.
I'm sure that things are awful there, ... but when we even try to do the "moral calculus," is a comfortable middle class MORE or LESS important than the typical arrangement all throughout Latin America of ... peonage, for want of a better or more accurate word.
It's enough different in the U.S. to let most people with consciences sleep at night, and I know that the absence of liberty where you are is also troubling to us. But, again, when one looks at Brazil, one doesn't see an abundance of free speech or anything else pretty. One just sees a world of pain in the overwhelming percent of the populace and "the good life" for a few, protected by police, military, etc.
And the adage "My enemy's enemy is my friend" applies. You don't need - and, arrogant though it is on my part, probably don't deserve - help from liberals.... In due course, even a bumbling Trump can be counted on to foment regime change.
Most of us know who will benefit if/when Maduro or someone likes him is "back" in power. But the smarter of us know that millions will be worse off as a result.
3
if this woman would like to appeal to the liberals in the United States, she should first try to avoid lumping them all into the same category. Where did the author get the notion that liberals do not want to change the leadership in Venezuela?
5
@Paul: Right, she lumps together all liberals (except herself) along with the most naive young radical leftists. Most of us might not want to "change the leadership in Venezuela" ourselves, but we would love to see the Venezuelans change their own leadership. We would love to see them free themselves from that dysfunctional, typically corrupt oil-based economy. But we don't want to see the ultra-right in our own country strengthened by more foreign adventures.
Venezuela is a kleptocracy masked as socialism.
What is needed is a plan that is smart enough to succeed, enacted by people competent enough to carry it off.
If there is something to the "broken windows' approach to straightening out a neighborhood, this is it.
4
“The reason Venezuela is in the situation it finds itself in today is that the U.S. is actively bolstering an opposition movement and economically sabotaging Venezuela to put in place a government that serves Washington’s interests. It’s the same thing our government has been doing for decades in places like Korea, Iran, Guatemala, South Africa, Palestine, everywhere.”
“We can’t pretend like there’s something different about Venezuela, especially when John Bolton goes on TV and nonchalantly says that U.S. oil companies will benefit from a coup in Venezuela.”
“They’re lying to us about Venezuela just like they lied to us about Syria, Libya, Iraq, Vietnam, and Korea. We’re being emotionally manipulated by war propaganda disguised as humanitarianism. If the Pentagon really cared about poverty and hunger, the defense department budget should be spent lifting the 40 million Americans in poverty out of poverty and ending homelessness and malnutrition.”
https://www.mintpressnews.com/millennials-guide-promoting-regime-change-venezuela/255357/
12
Venezuela, Latin America in general, and the rest of the world have been "treated" to more than enough American intervention for more than a century. It has almost always done more harm than good, resulting in widespread death, destruction and empowerment of some of the worst reactionary forces on Planet Earth.
Enough. Just stop it. This is not the way "good guys" behave.
14
I'm a liberal. Most of the people I know are liberals. No one is sanitizing the situation in Venezuela. Republicans are distorting what liberals are saying and how liberals feel about Venezuela because they are afraid we might elect people that support national healthcare. That is actually what is going on in the US. The situation in Venezuela is horrible, and President Trump is not helping the people of Venezuela.
3
I strongly agree and disagree with this editorial at the same time.
Maduro is a terrible and incompetent dictator, Chavez was brighter but was also terrible and incompetent. He was also a textbook electoral authoritarian - he really was elected, but nothing else about the system was democratic. Maduro's neutering of the Assembly and sham presidential election turned it into a bona fide dictatorship. Some otherwise brilliant people like Chomsky really need to do a mea culpa on how they came to support Chavez and Maduro.
On the other hand, the US has a horrific history of regime change. US-backed regime change, with or without the help of local leaders on the ground, reliably produces outcomes that are even worse than the dictatorships and flawed democracies they are meant to replace. This is especially true in Latin America, and those wounds are still very raw. Anyone who comes to power with US help is going to be seen as extremely illegitimate by much of the populace, no matter how much they dislike Maduro. This is a recipe for a severe modern civil war, which is the one thing worse than a terrible dictatorship that starves people.
No to Maduro, no to regime change. Just stay out of this one - we cannot help. Any attempt to do so will make a bad situation worse.
5
US aid to Venezuela would be good, but I don't see how it can be gotten into Venezuela without violence against the Venezuelan government.
If the US really wants to help Venezuela, it could drop sanctions, drop aid from the air (and drop the theatrics), and un-freeze Venezuala’s bank accounts. Oh, and any black ops currently underway against that country should be halted. They probably started while President Chavez was in power. Finally, appoint Oliver Stone as ambassador to Venezuela. There. Problem solved. Venezuela becomes like Denmark, Norway, Sweden, etc. Granted, Venezuela has to break away from dépendance on an oil-based economy, but so do parts of the US.
9
She is wrong. Opposing U.S. military intervention is not the same as "dangerously glorifying a brutal dictator". This comedian-activist is mischaracterizing the opposition to military intervention in the exact same way she claims the opposition is glorifying a dictator.
Too many lies by the interventionists. Why can't they win an election? Why do they boycott elections instead? Is it because they fear the upscale, urban, wealthy population will lose another election to the mostly rural uneducated voters? So, instead of fighting them at the ballot box, the upscale urban voters are doing what they always do, asking the United States to overthrow an elected socialist leader.
Many think so.
18
@Marco Philoso you are partially right but chavez last election wasn’ That transparent neither was the last of maduro and to believe that state elections or municipalities elections are must of all chavistas when the opposition is not that much of a minority is hard to believe.
The amount of political prisoners or political exiled is yo high to believe that calling for elections will solve the problem.
1
Solution: bring this to the International Court of Justice. Yes, the US does not recognize that world order judiciary, but perhaps this is a perfect time to allow that system to demonstrate just how good it is. If the UN is shackled by pastisanism, perhaps the ICJ can sort this out. Either Maduro needs ousting, or his regime needs freedom from superpower domination.
4
@Feldman
You know what happens if it goes to the UN? Nothing. The ICJ has no power to intervene in a foreign country to make arrests or otherwise detain people. They can't bring about justice until the people are already in custody. That requires a change in the government or the intervention of another power.
1
The fact that he is a dictator does not necessarily mean we should go in, pretty youmg woman notwithstanding. (I recall the same technique in an article on Afghan women in this paper just recently.)
Now if refugees from Venezuela start showing up on our border, that's another matter.
2
There are some far left folks who may support Maduro; most liberals I know do not. Make that all of them. What we are wary of is having the US under this President undertake a military operation to oust Maduro and install Guaido, and end up making a horrible situation worse. Which is what most US policies toward South and Central America accomplished over the last 70 years.
2
Thanks to Joanna Hausmann for speaking out on the destructive, self-serving, hypocritical political grandstanding from both right-wing and left-wing American groups. We need to help the people of Venezuela live freely, have a functioning representative democracy, and have access to healthcare, electricity and food, please! Thank you, Joanna, for speaking the truth and calling out the hypocrisy coming from both sides of the political circus. True Americans should be against ALL dictators of any political ideology. And they should stand up for human rights in ALL countries of the world, not just a cherry-picked few filtered by their political prejudices.
3
For as long as the American government continues to pretend that our own national sovereignty is sacrosanct, we’re really not in the best position to tell other countries how to govern themselves.
Nothing quite says ‘America’ like hypocrisy, though.
8
To qualify my opinion let me state that I think that Trump is a disgrace, and it's ascension to power, with the backing of the herd of thieves and predators that has become the Republican party has caused immeasurable damage to the United Sates here and abroad.
That said, we must not fall into the trap of reflexively going into the complete polar opposite of everything that Trump even hints of liking. The progressive movement needs to adopt measured and rational responses based on facts, in order to build credibility among the general population.
The fact is that the Chaves/Maduro regime managed to turn Venezuela into a failed state after being perhaps the richest country in Latin America.
Military intervention should not be an option for a number of reasons, but the universal repudiation of the Maduro regime, followed by isolation from the international community and providing humanitarian aid to the Venezuelan people should be a common goal of all of us in the US. Anything other than that will only serve Trump and again, reduce our credibility among the general populations here and abroad.
2
American liberals don't care about Venzuela. Let me say, as someone married to a Venezuelan and with a elderly Venezuelan mother-in-law living with us: there is no food in Venezuela, there is no medicine in Venezuela, my wife recently had an aunt die because the electricity went out in the hospital. They have no clean water. It is atrocious. And the money has all been stolen - it's all going to Maduro and the people he is paying off to stay in power.
It's absolutely disgusting seeing my fellow Democrats rooting for Maduro. And that's what you're doing. There is no "hands off Venezuela, but I don't support their government." You either support Maduro, or you support everything that can be done to get rid of him, and help people EAT. That's what is at stake here. People are literally starving to death in Venezuela.
I abhor Trump, and he is 100% correct on Venezuela.
8
@Mike
There is far less food, medicine, electricity and water in Yemen, in Somalia, in Congo DR, in Gaza, in Afghanistan, in Libya.
Of the 6 listed 5 are caused by direct American action and America is still involved in keeping the 4 of these in their current state.
There actually more homeless people and people living in far worse conditions in Brazil than are in Venezuela.
Even the country with the biggest economy in the world, the US, has homeless people(more than Venezuela), people eating out of trashcans.
Focusing on that is simply disingenuous especially when the 2 years of financial sanctions, 5 years of general sanctions, 20 years of hostility are glossed over.
When the fact that billions of dollars of assets and resources are outright being stolen by the US and it;s allies is not mentioned then your point comes across more as a smear than a fact based opinion.
Even if there are bad policies and mistakes of Maduro and Chavez, US hostility, sanctions and theft has contributed a much greater portion to the suffering of ordinary Venezuelans than what their own government has done.
As a counterpoint Saudi Arabia's princes loot much more of their country's wealth than any other country and Eastern Saudi Arabia is poor yet America hails them as allies
4
@Charles
Poverty rate in Brazil: 25%
Poverty rate in Venezuela: 90%
You, like most liberals, have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.
@Charles Yemen, Somalia, Congo DR, Gaza, Afghanistan, Libya are not in your backyard full of Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists ready to target you. Americans are their target, you better be aware of it.
1
I am not American and know enough Venezuelan history to understand that when Mexico had its revolution and nationalized its petroleum industry (1917) and the self professed Fascist William F. Buckley Sr moved his base of operations to Caracas so what is happening now was made inevitable.
I am sad for Venezuela and her people and wish there was an easy way to liberal democracy but I just look to our close by Southern neighbour and see Venezuela all over again but this time the world hangs in the balance.
3
What Ms. Hausmann doesn't get about America ... or, really, what she doesn't acknowledge is that Trump is the only American who matters right now. In no way are American liberals undercutting efforts against Venezuela's dictator, because Trump doesn't care what liberals Americans (or Venezuelans) think.
Trump is now threatening to close the US-Mexico border. He has just terminated US aid to Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua (or, as FoxNews termed them, "Three Mexican Countries"). Does anyone honestly think Trump cares about the Venezuelan people?
Trump's only interest is smashing someone who openly defies him. And once, Trump smashes his opponent, his only interest is retelling how he smashed them. If Trump decides to intervene, it won't be with food, medicine, or construction aid.
That's why some liberals/progressives are against US intervention, because Trump doesn't build, he only breaks.
3
Of all the dictators around Trump actually has more in common with Maduro and Chavez, rule by lies and propaganda. They fixate on "enemies" both foreign and domestic. Chavez had some good policies in his beginning but his deep seated narcissism similar to Trump's trumped everything. Trump would love to just eliminate the duly elected Congress here the same way Maduro has done to their National Assembly.
They had a chance to make their "revolution" work and they blew it big time.
Even so on this once again Trump has a point but for all the wrong reasons. He is pushing basic imperialism. Venezuela needs true friends that will help and support it in reestablishing democracy. Trump has no answers here.
The video is a good one. The same thing can be said of their friends the Cubans.
Meh. What Joanna has to say is all too true up to the point of suggesting American involvement. Let Central and South America deal with this fiasco. It is equally parts (1) a poverty class, (2) a landlord class, and (3) Cuba. They are all to blame. I left out the Narcos and Military but I'm too lazy to fix it. Anyway. let these people stew in their own silly argument. What's the rush? It stands as an object lesson to the rest of that sad continent. Our intervention should consist of doing everything possible to improve life in Columbia and Brazil. Let Venezuela be independent.
Hmm..."support democracy" how? Dump a bunch of money we don't have into a country with a government that doesn't work? Or, are you talking about military support? I'm pretty sure we tried "nation building" in Iraq and Afghanistan and are paying for the military presence over there.
More importantly, why does it always fall on our shoulders to "lead the world to democratic utopia"? England has a military, don't they? Germany has plenty of money, don't they? How about one of our allies put on their big-boy pants and lead on this one?
3
This is tone-deaf and Times readers deserve better. If you want the backing of an imperial power for regime change, check somewhere else.
3
The left is pathologically naïve. True socialism does not work and leads to dictatorship and the death of democracy. The proof is the former Soviet Union, the PRC, Cuba, and on and on and now Venezuela. But, people will do what they are rewarded for doing: the economic model. Use it, with some governmental control, and humanity prospers.
2
Unfortunately, the Democratic Party has been hijacked by the hard Left...sanctimonious, aggressive partisans masquerading as ‘progressives’. Dread the thought of this faction gaining any more political influence. They do not serve the best interests of the American citizenry, nor anyone else for that matter.
4
It’s not at all surprising that the hard socialist left supports the socialist dictatorship of Venezuela. Omar’s, AOC, Warren’s domestic policy proposals at their core are very similar to Maduro’s (massive free social programs paid for by huge tax increases and nationalizarion/regulation of private companies).
1
Oh, we understand very well. We know that any involvement of the United States in "change" will mean only worse condition for the vast majority of the people of Venezuela. We know that the only reason why the U.S. cares about Venezuela is oil an the fact that the wealthy have suffered. We know that the current situation is partly caused by US policies and that the U.S. does not have the interests of the Venezuelan people in mind when it talks about "change." So, yes, change is good. The people of Venezuela should use every legal and non-violent method to work for change. March, vote, advocate. Do it!! But encouraging treason, sabotage, violence, fraud and coups are what the opposition has so far done! You want our support? You first need to behave in a manner that would reflect the kind of change you say you want.
7
Messing around with other countries is mostly a second order affair. That means its not about your intentions, its about the disaster you cause. You lost me when you said Noam Chomsky is your counter example. But I agree Maduro is a dictator, dictators are bad and glorifying Chavez and Maduro because other alternatives are bad too is pretty lame at this point. Listen to Noam Chomsky though.
1
It sets a dangerous precedent to argue that you can not be against war or intervention because you are not from that place which is being intervened. Take for example the Iraq War, would it have been not okay to protest against the Iraq war if you were not from Iraq? Of course not. In the same vein, it's dishonest to say you can't protest or advocate for something just because you are not from that place. Moreover, should a white person not have been abolitionist because they themselves were not a slave? Again, of course not. Lastly, history shows us that anytime the U.S intervenes in a state, that state is objectively worse off. So, how about we allow the situation to play out itself, instead of trying to shoot our way to a solution.
4
I encourage Ms. Joanna to stay with her comedian gigs and not inform us about the "truth" of Venezuela. She parrots traditional, institutional, conservative perspectives shared by her dad and all the other wealthy Venezuelans who have taken their money and flown out to better climes in US, Europe, etc.
There was massive corruption in Venezuela before Chavez, during Chavez, and since Chavez. Just like in the US: massive corruption.
Ms. Hausmann speaks of "democracy". How about us, the US regime, dealing with fifty million poor in the US and the so-called "democracy" here.
Ms. Hausmann pleas for a restoration of infrastructure so that the lights can go. Does she for one moment believe that the blackouts were anything but an attack by the US ?
Squeezing Venezuela, causing chaos, causing millions of people to suffer is a long term foreign policy of the US. After the failure of the Bay of Pigs, follow US foreign policy in Chile (1973), in Nicaragua (1980s), in El Salvador (1980s), continuing against Cuba and Iran, and now Venezuela.
The US has no interest in Venezuela except the oil. And imagine, we have Elliott Abrams and John Bolton once again speaking "truths" and telling it like it is.
Graduate of Tufts University and Fulbright scholar to Venezuela, 2008.
5
No one should be denying the problems with your current leader. I don't think either Noam Chomsky or Ilhan Omar are supporting Maduro as a good leader. What folks on the left have a problem with is the United States' history of regime changes. From Saddam Hussein to Moammar Gadhafi,we leave countries in an unrecognizable shambles in our attempts to restore "democracy".
Latin America's own history of U.S-backed dictatorships and coups, including the Pinochet regime of the 1970's, the Contras of the 1980's, Guatemala, etc. have been witness to major human rights violations and innumerable extrajudicial assassinations. As recently as 2012 the U.S, backed the illegal coup in Honduras. Our country's unequivocal support for the current right-wing military leader of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro leads me to wonder why you want our country involved in your internal affairs.
U. S. destabilizations haven't been kind to people who are civilians, bystanders or happen to not want the U.S. there. My question for the author of this article is, why do you want U.S.-backed regime change? Shouldn't your people on the ground do this for themselves?
168
@kepallist
"I don't think either Noam Chomsky or Ilhan Omar are supporting Maduro as a good leader." Maybe, but they certainly have not been very decisive with their condemnation.
17
@kepallist I did not find support for US backed regime change in this video, but a plea to all Americans to stop using Venezuela as a political football to make points in American elections. There is also some sound advise to liberals to not get distracted by socialism versus capitalism arguments when the real threat to any democracy, whether it is socialist or capitalist, is corruption.
34
@kepallist
Sure, let the Venezuelans become cannon fodder.
Maduro currently has the full support of the incredibly corrupt military. And now Russian troops. Do you want rivers of blood to flow through the streets of Caracas?
I DON"T support military intervention, but we should do whatever we can to support the people of Venezuela.
24
The USG's war on Venezuelans has nothing to do with democracy or so-called "liberal" values. It's another liberal-imperialist war for oil. Americans do need democracy but in Georgia and Florida. The USG has no standing to wage economic war on other countries. The wreckage and devastation from Vietnam on to Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria are evidence enough of the maliciousness of US foreign policy which seems nothing more than murder. The USG needs to renounce violence, including economic violence, Washington creates these humanitarian crises. Stop 'sanitizing' murderous US foreign policy would be a start.
10
The Right is using Venezuela has a poster child for the failure of socialism. It is understandable that those who oppose the American Right and advocate for policies such as universal health care and social security might rush to the defense of the current Venezuelan regime.
Venezuela is in reality a poster child for the undesirability of having a One-trick economy which is State-controlled, and a wanted poster for corruption.
4
It is so hard to see how people is unable to see the tragedy that Venezuelans are going through, we live a extremely painful common and personal tragedy. No matter if you are in Venezuela or you emigrated our quality of life have downgraded to a level that is unrecognizable. I miss my country, I want to have a future in my nation. This shouldn't be an ideological fight, neither a racial matter (personally Im a journalism student from an indigenous heritage, not exactly a white capitalist). Please if you can do something is to put on the side of the people, and to fight for freedom in our continent.
26
@Samuel Larreal
Probably the best NY Times comment I've ever read. Bravo!
It should be easy to choose sides in this one.
2
However well-intentioned Ms. Hausmann's comments are (I fear they are quite disingenuous, but it's hard to say), it is a moot point; Elliott Abrams and the CIA will see that we somehow involve ourselves in the upcoming coup attempt in Venezuela and "regime change" that will fail hilariously and destabilize the entire region when we have suddenly find ourselves handling "insurgents" for a decade plus. The US government seems pretty decided about this as well; there's bipartisan recognition for the utterly powerless Guaido. Democrats and Republicans alike seem content to live in a fantasy land where the US can instruct other nations as it sees fit while sanctioning it for disobedience and blaming the resultant economic crises on anything other than the obvious cause: economic sanctions
12
@dylanhume87 and as if I am some sort of sooth-saying prophet, I am proven right. Ms. Hausmann is not an impartial observer, a lone Venezuelan with the guts to do what is right for her people. No, her Dad is Guaido's advisor. She's complicit, as he his. And now, as the Times is. Hey editorial: you didn't think it was worth mentioning that this family is 100% corrupt opposition?
I wish we would lead with quality humanitarian help and stay out of the politics. But I object to the way the far left is being called 'liberal' in this op-ed. They are for a socialist economic society. Our 'Liberal' American wants a capitalist economy with socialized health and education so we all pay into the the economic ability of everyone to have a good start at achieving the American dream. That is hardly the same as far left socialism. It's actually a promise of our constitution.
My concern in Venezuela and my personal anti-Maduro feelings have more to do with his civil rights violence and association with Russia. The last thing we need is a Russian foothold in the the southern hemisphere.
1
@sec What characterizes socialists and conservatives, beyond a certain point, is prioritization of an ideologized methodology (the team flag) over consequences. Consequences ARE the team flag for true liberals (and for the far right, except they want BAD consequences).
1
@sec
Ah, I see the project of associating every political label but 'conservative' as equivalent to 'socialism' is well under way. Can the return of 'pinko-communist' be far behind?
What's so fascinating about this is that ONLY conservatives have been caught red-handed and convicted for improper associations, imperiling our national security even, with the current regime of Russian leaders that inherited the world's largest socialist-communist government. Projection much?
1
This article shows that people are increasingly willing and eager to assign fringe/radical ideas to an entire group. A couple people chant in support of Maduro, and suddenly there is a "growing movement on the American left" to not only constrain U.S. interventionism, but to actively support the corrupt and incompetent Maduro government.
And I don't know if it's intentional, but the author and others repeatedly suggest that the "Hands Off Venezuela" movement is incompatible with supporting opposition governments and humanitarian aid. However, these are clearly not mutually exclusive. A person can, on the one hand, support Guaido or another opposition movement that offers a better set values or policies than Maduro, while simultaneously advocating against direct U.S. military or political intervention. These are entirely consistent positions, yet many (if not most) in the media treat these as opposing ideas.
22
@Ben K, really? Have you been over to see the comments on the news article about Trump, Venezuela, and Red Lines? The same old same old are out in force: Noam Chomsky, The Intercept, RT, the old Ron Paulists. They don't comprise "a couple of people" any more than any other fringe viral internet group does. They have a huge following, including among journalists.
Yes, they are fringe, no they are not a couple of people.
1
the thing to be most concerned about vis-à-vis US policy towards Venezuela is what Elliot Abrams rehabilitation by Trump who appointed Abrams as United States Special Representative for Venezuela portends for Venezuela.
the current wave of refugees from Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua is the direct outcome of Abrams actions as Reagan's under secretary of state which destroyed the already frayed social fabric of those nations.
12
The Maduro government is not perfect to be sure. The problem is that American efforts at regime change from Vietnam to Chile to Iraq have been both unsuccessful and had unexpected consequences. There was no ISIS until we invaded Iraq. To accomplish regime change in Afghanistan would have required an occupation force of 225000. Basic military theory says an occupying force will need 10 times the number of people in Maduro's military. Are you willing to bring back the draft and raise income taxes?
10
The foreign policy of the United States has always been about supporting large US and international corporations, especially those with oil interests. Unfortunately, those policies in Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia have been at odds with human rights, women’s rights, and democracy. US efforts to control outcomes have, many times, gone awry and have sown the seeds of radicalism and terrorism.
Ironically, Trump campaigned on avoiding George W. Bush’s policy of going to war in Iraq over oil. Now Trump seems to want to go into Venezuela or influence the outcomes there. We should know why and have more information. Trump does not care about the economic conditions of the people in Venezuela any more than he cares about the economic conditions of the people in Central America who join the “caravans” coming to the United States. Mr. Trump does not care about women’s rights in Saudi Arabia or the rights of the free press, supposedly democratic principles of freedom.
Having said those things, providing assistance to ameliorate suffering in another country, if done on a consistent, principled basis is praiseworthy; however, we have no consistency.
Moreover, we must not needless get involved in needless military intervention.
10
I completely agree with Joanna Hausmann's argument, the US doing nothing in Venezuela is the same as preserving the Chavez-Maduro regime which has beggared a country with the world largest oil reserves (once again proving oil is not a blessing but a curse for most emerging economies).
My only concern is America does not do nuanced responses to these types of problems very well. So she will have to accept the inevitable policy and political overreach that will follow any American intervention including the reality that the current administration will expect some form of payback for their help - Trumps morality is only transactionary (take the oil!!!).
Venezuela's other option is exactly what they have right now. Some humanitarian aid accompanied by loud Trumpian noises of support without any actual intervention. The wild hope being Maduro falls under his own weight - allowing Trump to claim victory for freedom in Venezuela. Recognizing when the inevitable political dysfunction that follows such acts occur, the American government will be indifference to the chaos that follows - exactly the same circumstances that stifled the Arab spring.
7
@Frederick
Yout comment seems positive, but perhaps overly nuanced. It sounds like you agree with Ms. Haussmann, but assume that anything we do to help will be wrong. Do you have any recommendations?
@Tombo
I support American intervention in Venezuela (after all children are dying from neglect brought on by Maduro) but Venezuelans have to understand that intervention is not the solution to their problems. It is a pause button. Once the self congratulation and back slapping ends, the real hard work of rebuilding a functioning society will cause America's political system to lose interest fast!
Venezuela will need nation building and that is messy and complicated and needs a deft, nuance touch - all the things we no longer like to be involved in.
It is true that the politics of Maduro and his leadership cadre are bankrupt, and that the he has brought Venezuela to a lamentable state. However, Venezuelan people to sort out the current situation for themselves, and to seek their own avenues for repair and reconciliation. I am opposed to the Trump Administration's meddling in Venezuela and in other parts of Latin America, and would be adamantly opposed to a U.S. military intervention [though if Maduro's authoritarianism descends into well-documented large-scale massacres]. Juan Guiado simply seems like a useful stooge for the Trump Administration: Once ensconced in power, his first order of business would be to give sweetheart deals and concessions to the U.S. Oil companies.
The Trump administration is essentially striving for what amounts to imposition of a bloodless clue. But such a resolution will scar Venezuela's civil society and hobble its political autonomy for generations to come.
Maduro is an issue that needs to be resolved by the Venezuelans themselves, and only by them.
14
@Outerboro Unfortunately my friend, Venezuela's civil society is really fractured and there is a deep scar. You are mistaken about the origin and intentions of Mr. Guaido. Actually, you are also mistaken about Venezuela - USA relationship in terms of oil. USA is one of the few countries that actually has the capability to process Venezuela heavy oil. So what is the long term gain of breaking an actual business relation that favors USA
5
@Outerboro Maduro is a western world issue. Since the moment the iranians, Hezbollah and Hamas entered the country, together with Russians and Chinese, Americans are the target. You might close your eyes and pretend it doesn't exist. It won't get away. You will fill it in many other ways. You are a the target.
1
@Outerboro
Unfortunately, for Venezuelans to resolve this themselves will take a willingness on the part of the people who would take action to see themselves (and their families) killed. In-country revolutions are incredibly violent and supremely risky.
It’s not like the American Revolution, where the oppressive government is thousands of miles away, and must send their troops by slow sailing ships. And even then, we may not have made it without the support of France.
The “American left” was for the civil rights movement and against the Vietnam War, the lies of Weapons of Mass Destruction, the invasion of Iraq, the prolonging of senseless wars, and now the violation of the independence of a country against which it has placed illegal sanctions and boycotts. That’s a very solid record that even a comedian who supports Trump’s policy can match.
8
I see a lot of comments here saying that "Hands Off Venezuela" is not a tacit endorsement of Maduro, but anything short of complete condemnation of Chavismo serves no purpose other than the preservation of his horrible regime.
On the other hand, the collapse of Venezuela is not because of socialism per se, but rather the installation of crony ideologues in technical positions within the government and especially PDVSA, the state-owned oil company, whose agendas differ radically from those of their constituents.
There is indeed a cautionary tale in Venezuela, but it's about kleptocracy and not socialism. There is no such thing as American Exceptionalism; a quick look at the outlandish nominations that have been confirmed by our Senate should send a chill down the spine of every person with a modicum of awareness.
35
@Bob
No, it’s because of socialism and about socialism. Socialism and communism always end this way. It’s the inevitable result of such a system involving human beings.
I just wonder how many examples are necessary for some people on the left to clearly see that socialism is not something to even wade into the vicinity of. All of the problems leading to the collapse, corruption of, or overall degradation of a socialist or communist society are directly related to the socialism.
17
@Dollar
You are confusing third world mentality with socialism. Most of Western and Central Europe has been arguably under some guise of socialism for several decades and they are still functional democratic societies (even with all the mess we see today). Third world societies jump from one extreme to another searching for a happy medium to keep all their disparate interest groups and ethnicities happy. Creating moments of joy followed by prolonged moments of fear and sadness. It is not the policies but the lack of solid institutional foundations (a history of solid transparent government) that destabilize these countries and create chaos.
7
@Dollar
"I just wonder how many examples are necessary for some people on the left to clearly see that socialism is not something to even wade into the vicinity of."
Sweden? Denmark? Norway?
even Canada, if you define "socialism" as providing universal health care to all of your citizens.
Chavez/Maduro's Venezuela is not socialist. It is an authoritarian kleptocracy.
4
"From Noam Chomsky to Ilhan Omar..."
Chomsky and Omar are to liberals as The Freedom caucus is to Susan Collins and Jeff Flake are to conservatives
that being said it would be more useful to acknowledge what Elliot Abrams rehabilitation by Trump who appointed Abrams as United States Special Representative for Venezuela portends for Venezuela.
the current wave of refugees from Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua is the direct outcome of Abrams actions as Reagan's under secretary of state which destroyed that already frayed social fabric of those nations.
16
The government of Venezuela has for a long time been working on moving to a country with elections but not Democracy. They have also worked hard to create an economic failed state. They have also sold out the future of the country to Russia and China. In no way shape or form do I support what started out as reforms has become.
With that said, I'm not sure how constructive of a role Uncle Sam, personified by Donald Trump, will be able to take in moving the country back towards democratic norms. Sanctions against corrupt and bad actors makes sense but not against the country as a whole.
The other concern is that even if or after Maduro and his regime are somehow ousted there is a lot of work and resources that will be needed to bring the country back from being a failed state. Nobody is going to want to pick up the tab. It would also take a long time to rebuild and will the people who come in to pick up the pieces be in a situation like Obama and the Democrats in 2009 where they didn't cause the problem but were assigned the blame by the majority for not cleaning it up over night?
Maduro and his ilk need to be gone but don't get the idea that it would be anything other than a start.
6
@ThosF..1) The longer everybody waits, more destruction and suffering will ensue. (2) Unfortunately, those bad actors are like cancer for Venezuela's society. Using that for comparison, in order to kill or remove cancer cells the society as a whole suffers. Those bad guys are stealing and vacuuming all the economical goods the Venezuela produces. (3) Once they are removed, Venezuela is so rich that it will become a good investment. It is sort of a company like Apple or Coca Cola that loses some value in the market...You buy cheap and then sell with a high value
1
I think a lot of this is related to a sort of cult following on the left, which is an inability to acknowledge that some of the recent political heroes of the left are actually wrong about some pretty major things. In the last election both sides used opposition to Hillary as a way to avoid having to really think through some of the criticism of their own ideas. The inability to admit fault is rampant on both sides the aisle. I say this as someone who is on the "left" politically. I have been horrified by people I know on both sides in recent years. I am not trying to make them equivalent - Trump and the Republicans are a far greater threat right now than anything the left has to offer. But guess what? Sanders is really, really wrong about this - much of his political ideology is rooted in the past, and previously fought battles over socialism. The discussion needs to shift beyond "socialism is all bad" and ALSO "socialism is all good - if it's not, it's someone else's fault."
23
@reader Exactly this. I'm a pretty liberal person, but what's been disturbing to me is that left wing has become one of the worst culprits of knee-jerk, reactionary, cult thinking. The attack and smearing of anyone who doesn’t tow the far-far left identity politics line are immediately attacked and labeled all sorts of unreasonable things like "bootlicker," "establishment Dem," and "centrist" which is nonsense.
While conservatives lost their marbles years ago, and have since relentlessly pursued a strategy of divide-and-conquer at any cost. It’s sad to see liberals resort to the same mindless groupthink. The thing is too, history has shown when both sides go down that hard extremist, intolerant, tack, everyone suffers, but the liberals, in particular, lose.
4
@reader
Elliot Abrams is not going to do anything good for the people of Venezuela.
1
Why does this piece refer to these people as "Liberals"? "Liberal" just refers to "establishment Democrat," or "pro-capitalist, socially progressive voter." That does not describe any of the "Hands of Venezuela" people. Noam Chomsky is an Anarcho-Communist. AOC and Bernie are Democratic Socialists. The list goes on. These people are not pro-capitalist. They are not liberals.
I agree with them, by the way. But yeah, don't call them liberals. That's not what they are.
22
@BB There are many aspects of 'liberal' that describe the peeps you're identifying to a significant degree. It is fairly silly to over-use single dimensional descriptions. eg, Chomsky really is not very radical, just a sensible, informed, enlightened person who indeed helped establish 'liberal' before the pop-culture aspect of it blended excessively with consumerism. You HAVE to see cultural components as waves, that rise and fade, rise and fade. Let us not join the 'impatience' of the right when it comes to understanding who we are.
2
Nobody is glorifying Maduro and Venezuelan people are no children that needs uncle Sam's supervision. US just needs to get its hands off Venezuela so that Venezuelan people can determine their own fate. While at it, get hands off Iran, North Korea, ...
The root cause of Venezuelan ills is not Maduro. Rather, it's the years of US sanctions and meddling that cut off the Venezuelan trade and prevented Venezuela from pursuing sound economic agenda. Venezuela is inherently rich country and they can get their act together once the US get its hands off and terminate the "adversarial relations" with Venezuela. And when they do, they'll eventually find their way to democracy and prosperity, like Korea did after decades of dictatorship.
22
Venezuela did not get into this position due to the actions of the USA but rather, inept leadership that has destroyed their economy. While it is true that recently we have imposed economic barriers to the country, those actions are not what caused the collapse of the economy there (it was poor management coupled with a crash in oil prices). We should offer support to the opposition in hope that the country is able to oust the current leadership but that support should certainly not extend to military intervention or financing of militia in the country.
4
@TK Sung. That's not true. The root cause of Venezuelan ills is Maduro precisely. This political movement has been in power for more than 20 years. They destroyed the private sector and its more important oil company (PDVSA). It is so corrupted that the electrical sector has been destroyed. Lately there have been blackouts. USA has been imposing sanctions last 3 months. What happened before that?
3
@TK Sung "The root cause of Venezuelan ills is not Maduro. Rather, it's the years of US sanctions and meddling that cut off the Venezuelan trade and prevented Venezuela from pursuing sound economic agenda" this is absolutely and completely wrong. Read: https://quillette.com/2019/03/25/venezuela-and-the-half-truths-of-noam-chomsky/
2
There is rampant inflation, few medical supplies, and the average Venezuelan has lost 20 pounds in one year because of a lack of food. How can anyone say there is no crisis? Ilhan Omar's job appears to be butting in when she doesn't know the facts to keep her name in the news and then when criticized, pretend she is the victim. Let her work on fixing Somalia. As for the other leftists, are they blind? Most South American countries do not recognize Maduro as the legitimate president, so for once, we are on the right side. However, Maduro is refusing humanitarian aid from other countries, while he eats to his heart's content. Joanna Hausmann says we should send humanitarian aid but that hasn't worked. I think it is up to the South American countries to handle this themselves. We should offer our support but not carry out the coup ourselves. We should also remember that Sanders had a hard time answering the question of why Maduro is not a dictator. We already have one president who loves dictators, except Maduro, we don't need another one.
29
@S.L. I remember the surgical strike that Mr. President Reagan did in Panama. Extracting Mr Noriega out of Panama and then moving out of the country. That's precisely what Venezuela needs. Once those bad actors are out of the picture, Venezuela will recover itself. The body most of the time heal itself, but sometimes you need a medical doctor or a surgeon.
2
Let's continue to pay lip service to the idea of a global society--all the while ignoring serious humanitarian crises requiring intervention. A wise person once said "An injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere."
9
I think most leftists (like myself) would agree that humanitarian aid is a good thing -- supplies, food, etc. What I find troubling is John Bolton hinting at a future military intervention (i.e. "5000 troops to Columbia" written on his notepad). If you look at the last 80 years of US history you'd be hard-pressed to find a military intervention that left the country better off than when we arrived. The US has help organize violent coup d'etats in 12 Latin American countries, usually establishing new authoritarian governments that just happen to be friendly to NATO and US oil interests. Trump doesn't care about the suffering of Venezuelans, and neither does Bolton -- The US wouldn't fix Venezuela, it would turn a profit off its collapse as it always does.
4
@Randeep Chauhan Do you really think what Venezuela needs is an intervention by the US? Look how well that worked for Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
3
Thanks for showing another side of the problem. But there is more blame to be placed on our government than on hers.
5
@Bartolo- Venezuela has had financial problems long before we butted in with sanctions. The price of oil went down and Venezuela could not support all the socialist programs with less money. The president appointed people to run the oil company who had no idea what they were doing. As the price of oil rose, the oil workers union called a strike. The crisis was headed their way years before we got involved.
4
Well at least they are not stealing our gold.
It's very very hard for people of Venezuela to reject its current system and dictator, both established through largely fair democratic elections - albeit elections to give up democracy in the process.
And interference won't help in the long run. For historical exhibits, see the Shah of Iran, Noriega of Panama, Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Today's Iraq, Today's Afghanistan, the list goes on.
7
@Avi Democratic Ellections? last election was only with Maduro and colaborators participating, not a single international democratic observer considered the elections as fair, not even the Vatican, you do the math
Even granting the position that Maduro and his predecessor Chavez are socialist ideologues who have impaired the Venezuelan economy terribly with their policies, how does this justify the US government and the Bank of England driving Venezuela into penury by imposing sanctions, freezing the bank accounts of the country, withholding the US-held assets of the Venezuelan oil company Citco, and refusing to transfer gold reserves owned by Venezuela? How much of Venezuela's current economic crisis and inability to pays its foreign debt obligations is due to the fact that it's unable to access its own bank accounts and gold reserve?
13
@DC Reade Do you really think that US sanctions starting recently caused the economic problem in Venezuela? The sanctions were directed specifically to people involved in corruption and drugs trafficking. Citgo is now under control of the government. More money for Maduro is more guns for paramilitares and more repression. Take some time to review the actual level of political prisoners and attacks against the population. The electrical crisis was not caused by the sanctions, it was caused by corruption and you proposed to let them used the gold reserves and Citgo? Open your eyes
4
@DC Reade they were not going to pay it. They say they have no money because of sanctions but supply a hospital on drmmand just for show when the UN commission was going yo see it? Real venezuelans don't care about the sanctions. Better ti be saved for next administration than spent on the current one's luxury in the Us and Europe.
@DC Reade
"How much of Venezuela's current economic crisis and inability to pays its foreign debt obligations is due to the fact that it's unable to access its own bank accounts and gold reserve?"
Pretty much none. Venezuela became an economic disaster long before broad sanctions were imposed.
Venezuela has a pretty long history corruption - under the oligarchs before Chavez and under Maduro afterwards. At least the oligarchs valued competence when it came to exploiting the country's incredibly rich natural resources which, in addition to oil include gold, iron and bauxite. Putting political cronies in charge ensured those resources would become increasingly unavailable to provide any public good.
1
I don't know of any Maduro supporters among my liberal friends; not one. I think most American progressives are aware that Trump views "Venezuela" as a craven point-scoring opportunity, simply because the Maduro regime calls itself socialist. If Maduro's regime called itself right-wing -- all the circumstances being equal aside from that -- he and his cronies would be weekending at Magalago. I really think that's a fairer assessment of where we're coming from on this one. Does anyone really think that Trump is more concerned than the American left, with respect to the well-being of the Venezuelan people? Really?
130
@dan, I do not believe in Trump, however, the government support to Venezuela has been real and clear, and the liberals are fighting Trump instead of helping Venezuela.
3
@dan
Agreed Dan. A few embarrassing clips of some particularly left wing intellectuals and some foolish college students notwithstanding, this seems a bit specious to me.
Having said that, if that small but vocal minority could stop their tacit or explicit support of the gangster leading the country, everyone would be better off.
6
@dan Everybody knows that Mr. Maduro is not socialist. He is leading a corrupt government. Not only that, they are not capable or they do not have enough knowledge to lift Venezuela. They just want to be in power.
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Venezuela looks to become a watershed for Russian power ambitions relative to US geopolitical goals. Defunding the State Department will both increase suffering in Venezuela and encourage Russia to turn up the volume on it’s mischief to get a share of Venezuela’s vast oil wealth.
The article rightly points out liberals tendency to see all foreign interventions as tainted by bad intentions. Liberals need to advocate for reason and common sense values and eschew their intolerant and over righteous positions.
It may take some time, but our country wants to return to the enlightenment values it was founded on. The outmoded gender and race issues of the past don’t have to taint the virtues of classic enlightenment thought. Enlightened thinking can be self modernizing.
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The issue is fundamentally about trust. No matter how bad life under Maduro gets, the historical oligarchy is not a viable alternative. Even though many middle and upper class Venezuelans say that life would be better under under Guaido, the majority would rather talk their chances with the Chavez/Maduro legacy rather that go back to the way things were.
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@J Oggia, The "historical oligarchy" is not in Venezuela a long time ago, the new oligarchy and upper class were born under Chavez-Maduro regime, and when you talk about MAJORITY think first that people dying and starving are more than 80% of the population.
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@J Oggia This is completely false just look at the refugee crisis or the mass protests in Venezuela. The massive inflation has destroyed the economy that has only grown the poor class.
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You have No idea what you are talking about. If you think the people of Venezuela would rather stay with Maduro than have free elections and a Change of Government you should Move to Vzla and see what living in Vzla really feels.
This video makes "Hands off Venezuela" sound like the Left in America is saying "no one should offer humanitarian aid to Venezuela," or "no one should try to help democratically-minded people in Venezuela realize their political visions."
The hard left in America is not saying that--and no sane person would say that.
Rather, "Hands off Venezuela" is a direct response to the hard right, which is simply attempting to install the leader in Venezuela that would most directly benefit the American Capital Status Quo. This kind of coup is not--and has never been--about humanitarianism. It is--and has always been--about America maintaining its military hegemony in the world.
The Left is trying to break the cycle of Imperialism. Why, you ask? Because American Imperialism has lead to the death of millions--MILLIONS!--of innocent Civilians, in a dozen countries, since the 1950s. Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos--something like half of the countries in South America. The world is not better off for any of those wars. Those countries certainly are not better off. Not even America is better off! So let's stop it.
Our foreign policy needs a course change. I don't trust the Right to handle our foreign policy anymore.
Once Democratic Socialists get control of the American government, then we can have a meaningful discussion about what our policy towards Venezuela should be. Until then, we should provide humanitarian aid, like the good rich country we are.
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@BB
South Korea is better off than it would be due to US intervention. Chile is better off today because Allende lost power. Cuba would be better off today if Castro had been toppled or had never come to power. South Vietnam would certainly be better off today if it had not been overrun by the North after the US left. And Venezuela will be better off if we (the US) can help bring regime change there.
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@It isn't working
"Chile is better off today": tell that to the families of the thousands of desaparecidos killed under Pinochet.
How do you know that these countries are better off having had the USA meddle in their political affairs? You don't. On the contrary, in the particular case of Cuba under Castro, it's hard to imagine that DECADES of sanctions imposed by the US. didn't have an extremely adverse affect on the people.
In recent times: how have Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya done after we stepped in to lend a helping hand?
If all you care about is oil and other American "interests" abroad, then by all means, keep supporting the destruction of other countries in the name of democracy.
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@BB do this exercise, go to twitter accounts of #HandsoffVenezuela promoters. Most of the content they share is Maduro's propaganda. They are helping and supporting the regime. Who's paying for that? Who's feeding the info? That movement is working for Maduro, inadvertently or not.
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The current trend of rejecting intervention in Venezuela from the Left is unfortunate. While the culture of ideological purity and perhaps virtue signaling is rising on the Left, it creates in its wake an absolutist space with limited options because of a supposed historical context. There is no reason why Western leadership in the Venezuelan crisis need be a repeat of past imperialist ventures in Latin America. Instead of utilizing past U.S. meddling in the Global South as case studies of how not to intervene, we instead get hard non-interventionist stances from leaders on the left, many of whom are signalling to prospective voters that they do not represent the old guard of imperialist hawks. Regardless, we are a fortunate nation with the power and ability to intervene in the plight of the Venezuelan people. It should not be surprising that to denounce past global and economic hegemony is in vogue for the current generation of young voters. Millennials raised on protracted foreign war and increasing economic stagnation are rightfully critical of old policy and global capitalism. However, it is a disservice to the people under the yoke of dictators like Maduro that those who may have helped did nothing in fear of repeating their past mistakes, or worse, for fear of failing to saving face for political gain.
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@Evan
Well, the US government has "intervened" already, by freezing billions of dollars worth of bank accounts and assets held by the Venezuelan government and its state-owned oil company, Citco. And I'm not getting how anyone can interpret that action as a Venezuelan policy.
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@Evan You would leave it to a Trump administration to take this on and see it to completion in such a manner? Seriously?!
@Evan
So by the same logic, you would support, say, Russian or Israeli interference in our own governmental affairs; say, the engineering of a coup to overthrow the thieving oligarchy currently in power?
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No one is ignoring that there's a humanitarian crisis, and there aren't any people I know of who are supporting Maduro. But Trump is not helping you by cutting off your supplies and pretending he's concerned about a humanitarian crisis.
The only reason he and the rest of the GOP are even paying any attention is that your country has one of the richest oil reserves on the planet.
And I bet even Ed does not find that to be at all funny.
There isn't a growing number of people for Maduro.
Maybe the word you're looking for when it comes to Trump's moves on your country as a "groaning" number of people for competence.
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@Jbugko. USA is one of the few countries capable of dealing with a heavy oil as Venezuela produces. Some USA had to accommodate itself to impose these sanctions.
It is dishonest to not point out that Maduro, for all his flaws and failures, nonetheless has the support of a great part of the Venezuelan population. It may be half or more of the population. It is the largest share of the lower classes and it is reflected in the makeup of the army which supports him and which sees outside interference in Venezuela’s affairs as an attack on the country’s sovereignty. Patriotism, or as Trump has it “nationalism,” is not limited to the United States.
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Nonsense.
Re Maduro and Venezuela, the knowledge base that one requires is summarized by the following text, which comes from Wikipedia:
{Because of this, the European Union, the Organization of American States, the Lima Group and countries including Australia and the United States rejected the electoral process. However, countries including China, South Africa, Cuba, Iran, Egypt, Russia, Syria, Turkey and others recognized the election result.}
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@Alfred di Genis He doesn't have even 20% of the support, please do a bit more research, look at the protest, look at the mass exodus from the country (between 10% to 19% have emigrated)
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@Alfred di Genis
How do you know he has support of majority? What evidence? The last election was rigged. I doubt he will allow a new election now. In his first election when times were better he got a bare majority.
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The "dire humanitarian situation" is largely the creation of the U.S. of A -- the sanctions which, we were told for months, were only targeting individual malefactors.
Even if Maduro is the devil, why would any American familiar with the U.S. history of intervention in Latin America, and its "approach" to oil-rich states, support U.S. policy?
Haven't John Bolton, Marco Rubio and Donald Trump already been explicit on the matter of U.S. interest, and the interests of U.S. oil companies, in Venezuelan oil? And since when did any of them give a hoot about freedom, democracy and human rights?
And not supporting their program means leftists must be "on another planet"?
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@jrd: Yes, precisely! You ask, "Even if Maduro is the devil, why would any American familiar with the U.S. history of intervention in Latin America, and its "approach" to oil-rich states, support U.S. policy?"
I often feel that Americans have collectively forgotten all about " the U.S. history of intervention in Latin America." And frankly, this newspaper has helped them to forget.
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@jrd Did you not see the Video??? the sanctions before January of this year were only to a few individuals, the economy collapsed long before then.
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@jrd Crisis started QUITE A LOT before the 1st sanction to the goverment, which was 2 months ago, this crisis has being running for years, is funny how people outside wants to justify Maduro only to go againts Trump
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Ms. Hausmann, It seems the European ancestry population of Venezuela is against Mr. Maduro but the non-European population/ poor folks are for Mr. Maduro. And American intervention is not for the people but most likely for its commercial interests.
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@Ugly and Fat Git The vast majority of the refugees arriving to Colombia through the border city of Cucuta are not of european ancestry. Over 4 million people have left the country most of which were never rich. At this point the crisis has gotten so out of control that everyone is affected. Aid is needed now. Commercial interest or not - Moduro needs to leave Miraflores so that venezuelans can rebuild their country. It was quite livable and enjoyble for all 20 years ago. Now supermarkets are empty, power outages affect all. It is very rough everywhere in the country.
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@Ugly and Fat Git If you were to actually do some research, you would notice that actually, the poor folks are divided, the whole nation is divided, that doesn't mean it's a 50/50. Venezuela does need a change, the US isn't doing this on it's own, various ONG, including ONU, EU and some other human rights ONG had been condemning Maduro's actions.
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Didn’t you see the video of the demonstration in Venezuela? Most people there were definitely not White Europeans
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Thank you, Joanna. Unfortunately, it is today and has been historically challenging for US politicians and even well-meaning citizens to see other countries as they actually are and outside a projection of our own U.S. domestic needs and tensions. Yes, I strongly believe that the well-being and will and Venezuelans themselves should be a strong consideration!!
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Unfortunately, this may be a case with liberals that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
So if Trump doesn't like Maduro, maybe some liberals think Maduro is okay.
Maduro is not okay.
On a separate note, I lived in South America for 12 years.
Most countries have always had worse inequality even than what we have today.
Because of that, poor people take a chance on Hugo Chavez, Lula in Brazil, and Evo Morales in Bolivia.
Of course, they end up being as big a crook as the politicians on the right.
In Brazil, Lula far outdid any corruption before him.
If you don't want poor people voting for leftist populist, the upper classes in South America should give them the same education and opportunity they give their own children.
And another side note pertaining to the US, that is how we got Trump because of Reagan trickle-down economics.
The part I haven't figured out is those voters who were hurt by Reaganomics, disliked the Democrats who will do way more for them and instead those voters voted for Trump and they got the 2017 tax cut for the wealthy to be paid for by them and their children.
In our country, the ruling class has figured out how to get the best of both worlds.
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@Independent
My sentiments exactly! I'm an American of Cuban descent who grew up in Cuba around the time Fidel Castro overthrew the Batista dictatorship witnessed despite being a young boy, the bait-and-switch pulled on the people of Cuba. Everyone expected democracy what Cuba got was more than a half-century of tyranny and poverty that persists today. Venezuela is headed down the same path. Worse, in the event of a civil war their Russian-equipped armed forces are more lethal than Batista's ever were. Liberals (and as a moderate I used to count myself amongst you), wake up!! I also have yet to figure out how the people hurt by Reagonomics the most voted for Trump.
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@Independent
When the democrats took back power in 92. They decided to keep up with Reaganomics. They doubled down on the idea of fighting exclusively on the field of a culture war. They were hoping to trade voters, they could unload the baggage associated with having to offer anything of substance to working class voters and instead chase mythical "moderates" in the suburbs.
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@Independent
In 1896 William Jennings Bryan won the Democratic nomination as a left wing populist. His left wing populists are today's Trump base. Today's voodoo economics were Bryan's Cross of Gold and bimetal reserve currency and what Ambrose Bierce called the Abracadabrans are today's religious right and the fantasy of ancient allegory becoming divine revelation.
I do not hate people for whom belief is more important than science but a Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo and Ted Cruz should be unknown ordinary citizens in a country that fantasizes itself as the world leader in 2019.
I want to stand on the largest soapbox in the world and yell the words of Hannah Arendt and warn of the banality of evil.
There is no magic in capitalism or socialism and only a population that experiences the damage of ideology over pragmatism can fix the disaster. I fear it is too late to fix America's insanity.
As a Canadian whose country is at war with Saudi Arabia over morals and ethics I cringe every time Saudi Arabia is called a USA ally. I do not fear the Saudis but its allies are not our friends and we cannot trust them.
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I agree that we are in danger of enabling the status quo in Venezuela through inaction. Still, given our history, it is worth considering how best to act to protect Venezuela. Given the autocrat tendencies of the United States at present, it is difficult to see how the intervention of one autocratic regime is morally superior to another autocratic regime. Initiating collective action through our allies, and dare I say it the U.N. seems to be a better way to start, so that those countries that value democracy can unite in trying to force Maduro out. As policeman to the world, we seriously risk being perceived as bullies of the world. With Trump in office the difference between the one and the other is probably nominal.
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@Samantha
Patently absurd.
@Samantha
Have you heard the news the president is trying very hard to extradite us from all those miserable global Civil wars like Syria and Afghanistan. But a strange coalition of McCain NeoCons and Leftists (NYT) are preventing him from doing that. The UN recognises Maduro still and btw most likely its our government that is involved in those blackouts if you remember the Contra era?. If Venezuela was pro-USA we wouldn't care right? but its socialist so we have to bring it down.
Excellent video! Thank you for the historical and accurate accounting of the truth of what is happening in Venezuela.
So, once again, we Americans are left with the question: who is behind the manipulation of the far left and far right in this country?
And how do we help Venezuela?
How do we prevent the US turning into a failed state?
14
My perception is that the left isn't blind to the criticisms of Maduro, but is rightfully critical of the intentions behind the campaign to overthrow him. We are clearly not ideologically against dictatorships, considering that we support most of the world's dictators. We can't argue with a straight face that struggling economies, starvation, and other woes of the world keep us from sleeping at night. What we do not want is military action and intentionally making a bad situation worse in order to further our own ideological and economic agendas. We can support all Venezuelans who want a change in leadership without supporting military action, espionage, and increased sanctions (extremely hypocritical) to achieve those ends. Help from America, especially under this administration, comes with a long price. I am not sure you have truly considered if you want to pay that price in the long run.
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@Marcus
No price is higher than what we are paying now. Asking the Venezuelan people to "do it themselves" is akin to asking a kidnap victim to save themselves.
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@Jack Sadovnic Really? I would argue that Iraq in the 2000s paid a higher price. You think that can't happen in Venezuela?
@sedanchair. No, it can't. For a myriad reasons, it can't. Venezuela is not Iraq. It's not the Arabian desert nor has it an army willing to immolate themselves for God or Country. Different national psyche altogether when the great majority of citizenry would actually welcome an intervention and be willing to work with the "intervention forces" to retake and rebuild the country. We are on our knees to a criminal regime, envision any doomsday outcome you like, it will be worse if things stay as they are. It's a cancer and if we don't operate we die. Don't confuse intervention with invasion.
She's right in saying the Maduro regime doesn't deserve the support of the 'American Left,' but just saying 'support democracy and humanitarian aid' isn't much of an alternative policy choice being offered. If 'hands off' is the wrong choice, what should 'hands on' look like? Support for armed resistance? Massing of an OAS military force at the border? American-led invasion? None of those looks very attractive. We need specifics about what more can and should be done short of military action to help Venezuelans push Maduro and his gang out of power.
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Thank you! Its critical that we not excuse the horrendous mismanagement of Venezuela just because their "anti-imperialist" stance makes the left feel good.
Venezuela and Zimbabwe are textbook cases of charismatic populists running countries into the ground.
Each had the natural resources to make it the powerhouse of their region. Yet each succumbed to the whims of leaders who cared more about thumbing their nose at the world stage than the boring old work of keeping the trains running for its citizens.
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@Arturo on the contrary, Venezuela and Zimbabwe failed because they adopted socialism, abandoned free markets and the rule of law. failure follows those policies as the night follows the day.
1
Joanna makes a lot of good points, but completely glosses over the massive conflict of interest in Venezuela regarding its oil. In fact, to my recollection the word is never even uttered in this video, and that makes my eyebrows raise. It is incredibly difficult to see the United States' motives as pure when senior officials have been quoted directly saying that securing Venezuelan oil for American companies is a priority.
"It would make a difference if we could have American companies produce the oil in Venezuela. It would be good for Venezuela and the people of the United States." -- John Bolton, January 2019
Of course, it just so happens that Juan Guaido is a free market capitalist who presumably would be very amenable to business deals with the US -- how lucky!
The humanitarian situation in Venezuela is dire, but until the US stops acting like a mobster running a protection racket, Americans should be deeply skeptical of its motives, and in particular any action that could lead to armed military conflict.
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@Allen N, so please name the US oil company that the "mobster US" set up to pump oil in either Iraq or Afghanistan? Russia and China dominate the free market in energy in those two countries despite every other editorialist in this paper arguing that the US was just in it for the oil.
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@Allen N
So, Do you agree with Russia, China and Cuba taking all our oil and natural resources? Considering that none of those government have collaborate in anything to improve our economy and growing as a country, in all this year's they have been "supporting" the Venezuelan socialist government. In fact, they are collaborating to do the opposite! I suppose that you prefer see millions of people die with not food, medicine, water and light.
7
@Allen N Do you think it is better if China manages to lock up Venezuelan oil for themselves? Maybe establish a few navy and army bases as well? Just sayin'.
7
I'm glad I actually watched this video rather than assuming what the argument was going to be based on the headline.
I generally distrust any claims that the U.S. is in a position to decide who other countries' governments should be run by. In that sense, I support a "hands off" approach. At the same time, that wouldn't stop me from acknowledging Maduro is an anti-democratic tyrant, which many on the left apparently are hesitant to do for fear of playing into narratives about the need for "regime change."
Maybe what many on the left need to recognize is that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" is a pretty mindless political principle.
14
Does the ideological left think that criticizing Maduro and Chavez will undermine their own socialist goals? The two leaders nationalized the petroleum industry in Venezuela, an idea akin to the New Green Deal in its sweep. Taking over the entire petroleum industry, The Green New Deal plans to reduce carbon emissions to zero while Chavez handed over petroleum production to party apparatchiks and military officers and they destroyed it by their corruption and incompetence. Chavez and Maduro have also destroyed democratic institutions by rigging elections and corrupting the National Assembly, the legislative branch. Do Bernie and AOC feel an affinity with Chavez and Maduro. Don’t they in the least see that the Green New Deal is beyond their competence and would destroy our economy?
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@Richard
The Green New Deal is an idea, not a set of policies. I like most of what I've seen of the Green New Deal in it's original form. The Devil is in the details and that is why it's so important to have a loyal opposition. To make good policy both sides need to work together. The US was built on compromise.
5
@Richard It's obvious that you have no idea what the green new deal encompasses. Stopping subsidies to fossil fuel companies who are already enormously profitable and gradually adding a carbon tax to free us from fossil fuels at some point would be a great plus. Running out of oil and gas at some point without having alternatives will destroy our economy.
4
@George
I do have an idea about the GND and your comment proves it. Your saying that “gradually adding a carbon tax will free us from fossil fuels at some point” proves you have no idea, just a vague fuzzy feeling. What tax will it take to free us from fossil fuels? It would have to be enormous, several dollars a gallon, before we stop driving. Meanwhile you would see a revolt of the American public that will make the French “yellow vests” look like child’s play. At what point would Americans start selling their gas driven cars and biking everywhere? With nuclear off the table, Will we have in ten years “alternatives” like solar and wind that take the place of petroleum? No way. As you say, “at some point” all this will happen, but you have no idea how to reach that “point” or when.
1
The author appears to assume that US ideological support for foreign policies have something to do with events outside the US. Unfortunately, the truth is that most of the party orthodoxy in either the left or the right choose their positions based on their visceral reactions to who is President and what is in line with their current domestic political agenda.
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I have been following the Venezuela for quite some time. I must say this video really sums up the situation. I agree with her assessment. No military intervention, but support for the opposition and humanitarian aid.
Speaking of military intervention, the Russians have just sent in 100 troops. So I ask members of the left, who is the imperialist in this scenario?
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@Scott
I hold no allegiance to a political ideology of any sort. Instead, I embrace a consistent set of principles, and try to uphold them.
Now, to your point:
Were the Russians invited by the government of the sovereign nation of Venezuela, or not?
Is a contingent of 100 troops to be seriously considered as a combat force? The US government has routinely sent military units of at least equivalent size to foreign nations in crisis for the purpose of protecting US diplomatic personnel and staff.
26
@Scott, it's important to remember that "imperialism" is not defined as a country coming to an ally's aid militarily, financially, or otherwise.
Those of us who support Hands Off Venezuela recognize that the opposition is ready to undue all of the wonderful social revolutionary changes that Maduro's predecessor made. They are open about that. They openly flirt with Bolsonaro-style politics. This is why the Bolivarian revolutionaries must remain strong and united in the face of this bizarrely implemented Western coup. Russia has come to the aid of their partner, and rightfully so.
Imperialism? Guess again, Scott.
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@DC Reade
"Were the Russians invited by the government of the sovereign nation of Venezuela, or not?"
The key is the definition of "sovereign." Most of the nations of the world who've weighed in have agreed that the recent elections were rigged. And they've recognized Guiado as the legitimate leader of the country. So who is the "sovereign" leader?
8