Can U.S. Achieve Freedom for Venezuela?
The news was dramatic this past weekend with the arrest and apprehension of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. It was a strategic coup to sweep into Caracas in the middle of the night and apprehend the Maduros’ asleep in their palace. The major news channels took different positions, CNN hosting critics and FOX NEWS hailing the event. CNN showed protesters in the streets of New York; FOX NEWS featured Venezuelans celebrating in the streets of Miami over the arrest and potential freedom for Venezuela, some ecstatic about being able to return to their homeland. Over eight million of the population have fled from the country in recent years.
I have some friends from Venezuela; one a native woman who married an American who was working in the oil industry. They fled the country a dozen years ago, having to pay $25,000 to leave in fear of their lives. They relate the terror and fear of Chavez gangs roaming the countryside and seizing private property.
Those of us who had the opportunity to study American history in high school and an elective in college learned about the legendary Monroe Doctrine, always a question on history exams to explain the significance of the Monroe Doctrine proclaimed by President James Monroe in 1823. The Doctrine was proclaimed against foreign power colonization in the Western Hemisphere in exchange for Ameran non-interference in European affairs. The Doctrine proclaimed new colonization as a “Hostile Act.” The Doctrine is quoted as…”Drawing a line, saying the Americas were a distinct sphere from Europe closed to conflict.”
While America was an infant nation in 1823, 26 years before gold was discovered in Central City and Black Hawk and prior to the Civil War, America had limited military ability it was a challenge to enforce any ultimatum. The French, under Napolean, invaded Mexico and U.S. calvary chased Zapata rebels across the border into Mexico. Teddy Roosevelt led the charge up San Juan Hill in Cuba to free Cuba from Spanish domination. More recently, Britain invaded the Falkland Islands off the coast of Argentina that had hosted some of the Nazi regime leadership. Enforcing the Monroe Doctrine has waned under various administrations with American prowess and military strength unable or unwilling to enforce the Doctrine. President Obama proclaimed that it was “Over.” During the Biden Administration a $25,000 reward was offered for the arrest of Maduro. Venezuela became a haven for Communists.
It was my hope that under President Clinton, two Bush administrations, and the Obama and Biden terms that the United States would take more of an interest in Latin America; but it has not been the case by any of these administrations. A little bit here, and there, but largely ignoring Latin America with a poor immigration system, broken for decades. What happened to “Give us your huddled masses yearning to be free.”
When I was president of the National Newspaper Association in 2005, I toured many countries in Latin America meeting newspaper publishers and speaking to students. All related how the immigration system into the United States was failing with endless waits and the majority of the students going to Europe for their education. Many of the newspapers were suffering from lack of advertising, government intervention, and censorship without our great American protection of “Freedom of The Press.” There is great poverty in many countries and not surprising that so many millions of people stormed to the United States under Biden’s open borders. The obvious solution then, and now, is to assist those countries at home. The voluntary payment of $3000 by the Trump administration to return home is working slowly and is a kinder plan than ICE for many of the honest migrants. That amount of money in those poor countries is a godsend when they return home.
There are two questions that need to be resolved. Maduro and his wife will no doubt be convicted. Who knows what the penalties will include; they must wish that they had fled the country with their stolen wealth from the Venezualan people. They would have been welcomed in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, or China as allies and heroes. The second question and more troubling is how the Trump Administration relates to the present government leaders still in partial power and will the general population rise to support a new regime. President Trump has made it clear that he wants to rebuild the oil industry and restore the wealth to the people of Venezuela and provide jobs. Much of the oil industry was confiscated by President Hugo Chavez before he died of cancer. I was visiting with friends in Nicaragua when Chavez came to see President Ortega, he was supplying him with cheap oil to assist in Ortega’s iron fisted take-over of Nicaragua. They were both hailed as heroes with the cheap oil.
Lastly, I participated in a National Newspaper Study Mission to Cuba. We were able to obtain visas and teach for a week at the Jose Marti School of Journalism. We were allowed to speak freely about freedom of the press and related subjects on American independence. The classroom was full of young students. How they were screened for entry might be a different question. We toured the infamous “Bay of Pigs” where the invasion by freedom fighters to free Cuba failed because Castro was tipped off of the time and place of the invasion. Castro had his army on hand to greet and capture the forces. President Kennedy had pledged to support the fighters if they could land and appear to have success in the first 24 hours of the assault. He did not support the group, and no U.S. military entered the fray. Cuban theory has it that survivors planned his assassination in Dallas for revenge.
In summary, this administration plans on enforcing the Monroe Doctrine and has the muscle to walk the talk. The Communists have formed a triangle of support from the cesspool of Venezuela to Cuba, and Nicaragua, and spreading like a disease to other Latin America countries and even to New York City with the new mayor.
Like ancient Rome before the fall, the enemies are at our gates.
We are celebrating our beloved Broncos and a possible Super Bowl run while our foes have established very strong footholds in Venezuela. No doubt political parties and leadership will disagree over the present and the future. Many will agree that Maduro had to go, but what’s next? Let’s hope that peace through strength works and freedom and democracy will reign again for the people in Venezuela.