As the Struggle for freedom in Venezuela continues, the Obama administration continues its tepid response to the human rights violations, and the American media remains oblivious as to what is taking place. So let’s educate ourselves. What is actually happening on the ground, and more importantly, why does it matter?
Why is Latin America so important? The Panama Canal is there, for starters. Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and it’s the World’s 6th largest producer of crude. Furthermore, they are the 3rd largest importer of oil to the United States behind Canada and Saudi Arabia. Brazil’s booming economy is now one of the world’s largest, and they, too, have a very large amount of proven oil reserves.
Over the last decade, Latin America accounts for $142.4 billion in U.S. exports. From their markets, to their oil production to their shipping lanes, Latin America plays a pivotal role in the American economy. However, over the last 2 decades, the United States has disengaged in Latin America. The Bush administration made an attempt to re-engage in the region, working out several free trade agreements, including the Colombia-FTA that President Obama loves to tout as his own. While this attempt can largely be called a failure, it signifies an awareness of the immense importance of Latin America to the United States and Barack Obama has completely disengaged with a region whose largest trading partner has become the Chinese. President Obama remains detached as ever as he has only visited a total of 3 countries in Latin America other than Mexico.
However, diplomatic engagement is more than visits and speeches, which made up the bulk of the schedule when Obama visited Costa Rica and Brazil. To give a clear example, Obama made two speeches in Costa Rica, while the Chinese built them a new soccer stadium.
Now the U.S. is dealing with a resurgent Russia which not only continues to support the Cuban government 90 miles off the coast of Florida, but is also supporting the communist regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. A few weeks ago a Russian spy ship docked in Cuba, full of weapons and surveillance equipment. Yet nobody in the media or the government seemed to put two and two together. That spy equipment and weaponry is headed straight to the streets of Venezuela to be used in the continued repression of its people who are protesting an economy in shambles, a controlled press, and an increasingly repressive regime.
STUDENTS DEFEND THEIR UNIVERSITY AND FIGHT FOR FREEDOM
So, while the Obama administration continues to flounder about its responses to Russia action in Crimea, how about taking a look at Russian actions closer to home in far less complicated conflicts and situations? While Obama’s eyes are on Russia, this is the largest foreign policy failure of the Obama administration. Diplomacy is often characterized as a game of chess, Barack Obama not only fails to see the whole board; he’s playing tic-tac-toe.
The Obama administration is failing to protect the interests of the United States in Latin America and is ignoring the repeated human rights violations of the hypocritical Maduro Regime who continues to enjoy the business of the U.S., the largest buyer of Venezuelan oil, despite Venezuelan officials continually labeling the U.S an “evil empire.”
As America continues to purchase Venezuelan oil, we cannot escape the fact that American money is funding the Maduro Regime through CITGO and thanks to the inaction of the Obama administration. CITGO is a Venezuelan government-run company operating in the United States. Many who read this have likely filled up at a CITGO station once or twice themselves.
Yet the Venezuela freedom fighters continue their struggle. The people of Venezuela have no food, and any little bit of sustenance that hit’s the shelves is controlled by the government, leading to scenes like the ones in the video below, where people stopped a truck in the middle of the street to try and get their hands on a gallon of milk. Three weeks ago after a cattle transport trailer crashed, the injured cows were killed by on lookers who then distributed the meat to whoever was there. In the photos above one can see people lined up at government controlled grocers for over 5 hours in order to get a pound of flour. Many have to go to a different store for rice, and a different one for vegetable oil.
Yet as the Maduro regime continues to taunt President Obama and the American military and Cuban forces continue to land at La Carlota and Maiquetia airports and then are handed Venezuela National Guard uniforms, the people of Venezuela are on the streets day after day after day. They continue to resist not just the police state, but the “colectivos” which are responsible for the now close to 30 dead. These “colectivos” are the equivalent of what Barack Obama refers to as a “civilian security force”. They are easily identifiable in the videos below as the thugs riding in mass on their motorcycles. They threaten the civil society, they harass and terrorize those who do not comply, and they kill or injure those who resist. The really frightening part is that they work closely with the National Guard and police forces. They are simply a paramilitary extension of the regime and while these paramilitary forces operate with impunity, so does the National Guard. In the second cut of the video below you see National Guard troops firing their weapons, tear gas, and percussion grenades on to residential buildings.
To summarize: While Congress passed the Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act, the Obama administration remains largely silent. CITGO continues to operate inside the United States. The United States is completely disengaged with Latin America as a whole as the Russians and Chinese continue their diplomatic and economic colonization of the region. The Venezuelan people continue to struggle against a repressive government. They are not asking the U.S. for weapons, money, or covert action but instead, simply want the world to know about their struggle- a struggle which resembles the Tea Party in the ultimate goals: Constitutional government, free press, sound economic policy, and education free from indoctrination.
Below are videos from the BEAR WITNESS VENEZUELA TV CHANNEL:
[hdwplayer id=31]
