[News] Venezuela Retains Political Control After New US Coercive Measures

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/14629


  Venezuela Retains Political Control After New US Coercive Measures

By Nino Pagliccia - One World - August 15, 2019
------------------------------------------------------------------------

In political terms the government of Venezuela had a good month of July 
while managing very critical economic circumstances. Reps of 120 Non 
Aligned Movement (NAM) countries attended their ministerial meeting in 
Caracas, and more than 700 delegates from dozens of leftist parties and 
social movements from about 32 countries were in attendance for the 
25^th encounter of the Sao Paulo Forum (SPF), also in Caracas, a few 
days later. Even the quick recovery from what appeared to be another 
sabotage of the electric power grid, which occurred in the days between 
the two meetings, was seen as a sign of an efficient and responsive 
government fully in control.

However, the month of August had a more challenging beginning for 
Venezuela. But we think that the Maduro government still retains full 
command of the political situation.

On August 5, the day before the meeting of the so-called Lima Group in 
Lima, Peru, United States President Donald Trump signed an Executive 
Order 
<https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-blocking-property-government-venezuela/> 
on “Blocking Property of the Government of Venezuela”. This may well be 
the most severe unilateral coercive measure (sanction) against Venezuela 
to this date. It also meets the criteria of a total blockade on the 
country, despite Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s denial that “this is 
not an embargo 
<https://www.state.gov/the-united-states-imposes-maximum-pressure-on-former-maduro-regime/>”.

The more serious and controversial issue of the Trump’s executive order 
is that it implies the possibility of its extraterritorial application. 
US National Security Adviser John Bolton left no doubt about that 
intention saying 
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-administration-threatens-to-sanction-russia-china-for-aiding-venezuelas-government/2019/08/06/0ed664b6-b852-11e9-bad6-609f75bfd97f_story.html> 
that the order “also authorizes sanctions on foreign persons who provide 
support or goods or services to any designated person, including the 
government of Venezuela.”

The EU immediately opposed 
<https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/EU-Opposes-Recent-US-Total-Blockade-Against-Venezuela--20190807-0006.html> 
Washington’s threat and other countries may follow. But we know that 
Trump is not shying away from his version of “if you’re not with us, you 
are against us”. He has recently implemented 
<https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/US-to-Fully-Apply-Helms-Burton-Act-Against-Cuba-From-Today-20190502-0008.html>, 
for the first time since 1996, Title III of the Helms-Burton Act 
(blockade) on Cuba, which allows US persons, whose property was taken 
over by the Cuban government after 1959, to sue companies and 
individuals who "traffic" in those properties in US courts. This has 
serious implications for many European and Canadian companies currently 
operating in Cuba.

The US blockade of Venezuela is intended to “make the Venezuelan economy 
scream”; nevertheless, the blockade does not guarantee the collapse of 
the economy. After almost 60 years of persistent and harsh US blockade, 
Cuba’s economy has done fairly well in maintaining its socialist 
project, initially with the support of the former Soviet Union, and 
since the early 1990s with the development of a thriving tourist sector 
that has brought substantial foreign investment to the chagrin of the US 
government.

Therefore, in geopolitical terms, the extraterritorial element of the 
blockade on Venezuela is the US second line of attack - unlikely 
directed at the EU or Canada that have recognized self appointed 
“interim president” Juan Guaidó - rather directed at Russia and China 
that have sided in words and deeds with the elected president Nicolás 
Maduro.

Russia has not only sold military equipment to Venezuela and trained its 
military, but last July 10 the two countries signed a protocol 
<https://sputniknews.com/latam/201908081076502394-russia-venezuela-sign-protocol-facilitating-rosnefts-activities-at-venezuelan-gas-fields/> 
on facilitating Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft's activities in 
two gas fields on the continental shelf of the Bolivarian Republic of 
Venezuela.

China has also developed important economic cooperation with Venezuela. 
A joint venture of over $1.8 billion between Venezuelan Petroleum Corp 
(CVP) and China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) was just reported 
<https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/energy-commodities/venezuela-begins-expansion-of-crude-joint-venture-with-china>.

Enter John Bolton with a threatening message 
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-administration-threatens-to-sanction-russia-china-for-aiding-venezuelas-government/2019/08/06/0ed664b6-b852-11e9-bad6-609f75bfd97f_story.html> 
in Lima: “to both Russia and China, we say that your support to the 
Maduro regime is intolerable, particularly to the democratic regime that 
will replace Maduro.”

Both in tone and actions Washington is sounding increasingly desperate 
and frustrated at the lack of tangible results in its effort at regime 
change in Venezuela. The US has usually been absent at meetings of the 
“Lima Group”; it is not even a member of it. Canada has normally taken 
on the “leadership” role with other a dozen or so nations.

The Lima meeting was clearly driven by a combative US government with 
the high profile presence of National Security Advisor John Bolton and 
Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. If Bolton held Washington’s stick, 
Ross offered its carrot as a vague recovery plan for Venezuela after 
Maduro. Of the 100 governments invited, only about 60 reps were present, 
mostly observers. Many declined, including Russia and China.

If Washington’s intention was to bring on board more international 
allies, the strategy didn’t work. The UN Assembly would have been a 
larger and captive audience. Why was that venue not chosen?

The answer lies in the balance of support for the Maduro government. 
While reportedly about 50 governments do not, 120 NAM governments showed 
their support with their presence and joint declaration 
<http://mppre.gob.ve/2019/07/22/declaracion-reunion-ministerial-mnoal/> 
in Caracas in July.

The Maduro government seems to show a better understanding of the world 
order, the role of the UN and the mustering of public support. This 
spells failure of the US blockade as it did in the case of Cuba, at 
least politically. Caracas is still in control. It has not only 
denounced 
<http://mppre.gob.ve/comunicado/venezuela-denuncia-comunidad-internacional-nueva-agresion-trump-terrorismo-economico/> 
the White House executive order, calling it “economic and political 
terrorism,” illegal according the UN Charter, but it is also making a 
direct appeal to the UN. As we write, a campaign to collect signatures 
<https://albaciudad.org/2019/08/presidente-maduro-con-su-firma-el-pueblo-venezolano-alza-su-voz-con-dignidad-contra-el-imperio/> 
for a “Letter from Venezuelans to the Secretary General of the United 
Nations” is underway. All world supporters are invited to sign as well.

/The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not 
necessarily reflect those of the Venezuelanalysis editorial staff./

-- 
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 
863.9977 https://freedomarchives.org/
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