Faculty Mentor

Dr. Majid Sharifi

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2019

Department

International Affairs

Abstract

Venezuela, due to economic and political sabotage, has been experiencing a humanitarian crisis since the late part of 2018. This oil-exporting nation was faced with economic decline after 9/11, the 2008 economic recession and again in 2014; as a result of oil prices tanking. Under Cesar Chavez’s presidency the Venezuelan Bolivar faced destabilizing inflation rates surged in part by the ‘economic war’ against private enterprise and the bourgeoisie class, as well as a lack of diversification of exports and a dependency on imported goods. After Chavez's death in 2013, Nicolás Maduro took office and social unrest intensified.

Since 2014:

  • Over three million Venezuelans have fled the country.
  • Shortages of basic goods have become a daily occurrence.
  • With 90 percent of its of its citizens are living in poverty, 85 percent of medicines are scarce and 61.2 percent of Venezuelans report going to bed hungry.
  • Claims of human rights violations, such as, arbitrary arrest and killings by government security forces.
  • Venezuela been experiencing political turmoil, 2016-today.
  • The US State Treasury has enacted sanctions against Venezuela's banking and financial sectors, their leading industry PDVSA, government officials, businesses and towards any nation aiding the Maduro government.
  • Operación Libertad

In the midst of these devastating crises the current administration promises to aid the Venezuelan people in their search for liberty and freedom from a ‘usurper regime’; by placing their full support behind the leader of the opposition and president of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó. The US has initiated an international pressure campaign to force Maduro’s resignation. And is using humanitarian aid warfare tactics to influence the minds and hearts of desperate Venezuelans. Administration officials have purposely worsen the living conditions of Venezuelan citizens in order to invoke regime change. The American intervention in Venezuela is an opportunist scheme meant to exploit the current crises in order to further a neoliberal capitalist agenda and deliver president Trump an international political win before the 2020 elections. The US once again is following traditional policies and practices of the Monroe Doctrine to intervene Latin American affairs. Support is provided with the examples of Guatemala (1954), Dominican Republic (1965), Chile (1973) and Argentina (1975-76) and Venezuela’s 2002 coup attempt.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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