Maduro Holds onto Power in Venezuela
Venezuela is reeling under President Maduro’s leadership. He’s ruling more like an autocratic tyrant than a socialist revolutionary.
Venezuela’s interim president, Juan Guaido, has announced his intention of returning to his homeland [today] from Ecuador, a move that would likely result in his arrest by Venezuelan authorities. …
Last weekend, Guaido coordinated a failed effort to bring aid from Colombia and Brazil into Venezuela, where security forces loyal to [President Nicolás] Maduro blocked the supplies. [This, despite fear of starvation forcing millions to emigrate, and millions more to scavenge at home, for food.] Maduro has described Guaido’s gambit as part of a US-backed plot to overthrow him.
(Deutsche Welle, March 3, 2019)
Maduro has a firm grip on power. Yet pathological insecurity has him blocking humanitarian aid. This is because he fears Venezuelans having anyone else to thank for their daily bread. And that includes the Almighty God himself.
And so Maduro is lording over widespread starvation amidst economic malaise. In doing so, he’s aping the autocratic leaders of North Korea, DR Congo, and Zimbabwe.
But Maduro spends much of his time scapegoating America. Except he seems more concerned about personal grievances. The welfare of his people be damned.
The Guaido dilemma
Unlike Maduro, Guaido cares about the welfare of Venezuelans. That’s why he’s risking arrest. Except that he seems fated to end up like Morgan Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai was elected president of Zimbabwe. But its autocratic tyrant refused to transfer power. Instead, he forced Tsvangirai to live either in exile or house arrest. I fear Guaido’s only hope is a military coup against Maduro.
The Chavismo legacy
At first, Hugo Chávez’s socialist ideals resonated with Venezuelans. But they soon realized he was more of a robbing hoodlum than a Robin Hood. His kleptocracy became legendary. He became a tin-pot dictator.
Venezuela’s economic decline stems directly from his failed socialist experiment. His Chavismo revolution has left the country mired in poverty. And forlorn hope prevails among Venezuelans. Because Chávez tapped his chief crony, Nicolás Maduro, to succeed him.
But Chávez’s legacy is no more commendable than that of François ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier, Mobutu Sese Seko, Muammar Gaddafi, and Robert Mugabe.
Chavismo continuing under Maduro
Nicolás Maduro’s rule is aping his mentor’s in every dictatorial and kleptocratic respect. And so relief for Venezuelans remains a pipe dream. But Maduro appears hell-bent on aping Mugabe’s notorious 37-year rule. Whereas Chávez only ruled for 11 years.
This means Venezuelans are bound to begin fleeing their socialist dystopia. This is the way Cubans have been fleeing theirs for decades. Beware, America.
The Military’s Role and the Cry for Venezuela
The most surprising thing about Maduro’s rule is his grip on the military. After all, unlike Chávez, he is no military hero. Hell, he has no military experience.
Yet military leaders remain as loyal to him as they were to Chávez. I suspect this is because Maduro has given them free rein to turn Venezuela into a narco state. Only that explains their loyalty. Which of course makes Maduro more drug lord than president.
Meanwhile, the tragedy of Venezuela continues to unfold under the world’s gaze. Most notable is China’s indifference. This puts into despairing clarity its claim as the new patron of developing nations. Of course, energy-independent America no longer needs its oil. So…
We cry for you, Venezuela. But you’d be forgiven for dismissing them as crocodile tears.
Legacy Note: With over 5,600 posts spanning 20 years, I am easily the most prolific blogger on the most eclectic array of topics on the web. That makes The iPINIONS Journal an unparalleled archive of informed political and cultural commentary. Visit the ARCHIVES section in the sidebar or search by topic. You won’t find a more consistent, independent voice on world affairs.