Public Comment

Both President Trump and President Madura are facing off moving towards a cataclysmic showdown. Mr. Trump’s veiled threat to the Venezuelan military to abandon President Nicolás Maduro or “lose everything” can only be interpreted as a pretext for military intervention. 

Yes, the military should abandon Mr. Maduro, who has guided one of Latin America’s richest countries to total ruin with a valueless currency, hyperinflation driving up food, medicine and other commodity prices out of reach for the average citizen. But it should not be America’s role to impose its will on Venezuela. History is replete with failed US military adventures–Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, the 17 year quagmire in Afghanistan.  

The offer of humanitarian aid seems completely out of character given Mt Trump’s admiration for the world’s strong men like Putin, General Assisi, Duterte, President Erdogan, Xi Jinping and his latest love, Kim Jong-Un of North Korea. Vice President Pence tried to gain European support projecting the US as a beacon of light with his recent visit to the European Parliament but the tepid reaction he received made clear the Europeans don’t buy a sudden burst of altruism from the White House. It is telling The United Nations, the Red Cross and other relief organizations have refused to work with the U.S. on delivering aid to Venezuela, which they say is politically motivated. Finally, Mr. Trump has expressed a strong desire to gain access to Venezuela’s oil which he said would be a huge bonanza to American oil companies.