When autocratic leader Hugo Chavez was dying of cancer in Havana at the young age of 58, he had already hand picked a successor to carry out his vision of a dominate South America with Venezuela at the reigns. His choice was an obedient, strong-willed former union boss named Nicolas Maduro. Chavez knew Maduro wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but someone capable of being a bully and holding the republic together when times ahead would likely get tough.
Maduro was warned that his first order of business was to get rid of Leopoldo Lopez, because the ex-Caracas mayor was a proponent of democracy and a definite threat to the ultimate dream. And like Don Corleone assigning a “job” to Luka Brasi, the order was carried out… sort of anyway. Lopez was rounded up, arrested and sent to prison. But that act would trigger a nonstop protest from Venezuelans that has been the regime’s worst nightmare.
Some 10 years later with continuous unrest throughout the republic, Nicolas Maduro still clings to power. Backed by the military, a Revolutionary Guard and special forces that terrorize ordinary citizens, Maduro rules with an iron fist. While he lives like a king, Venezuelans exist under desperate economic conditions. Folks who seek freedom and dare to cross him are singled out, their homes earmarked and ransacked. Thousands have been arrested over trumped up charges, and hundreds have been killed in the streets.
After serving four years in Venezuela’s infamous Ramo Verde prison, Lopez managed to escape and took refuge at the Spanish embassy in Caracas. He and his wife would live for a time in Spain, drumming up support for a free Venezuela in Europe. Now 53, Lopez has returned to South America, laying a similar infrastructure in neighboring nations friendly to the concept of freedom. Other opposition leaders inside Venezuela have followed in Leopoldo’s footsteps, including Juan Guaido, a Chavez rival since 2007 who was once a key figure in the National Assembly. At one point in the 2018 election, Guaido won the popular vote and dared to proclaim himself president, only to be locked out of the assembly building and forced into hiding by Maduro’s “goon squad.” Juan now lives in Miami, with most of his assets frozen by the existing government.
That brings us to the current election sham that took place on July 28th. Popular Maduro rival Maria Corina Machado was not allowed to run for president due to alleged corruption charges by the Maduro regime. So her appointed replacement was Edmundo Gonzalez, a distinguished 74 year old former ambassador without an enemy in the world. And according to proven published results, this gentleman won by nearly 70% of the vote. But without any transparent findings or reports from the National Electoral Council, which certifies official election tallies, Maduro proclaimed himself the winner. When asked to substantiate his declaration, the burly ruler announced that the voting machines had been “hacked,” but it had been determined that he was the clear winner. On August 22nd, without confirmation by the electoral commission, the Maduro controlled Supreme Court confirmed that the government would remain in power.
Predictably, people immediately took to the streets in Caracas and three other major cities in protest, and were met with tear gas and Maduro’s ruthless security forces. According to the Venezuelan human rights group PROVEA, over 2,400 people were detained with 24 deaths. Social media sites have been blocked and only a few days ago, the entire country suffered a power blackout, which Maduro blamed on an attempted coup. Opposition leaders like Machado and Gonzalez, fearing for their lives, have gone into hiding.
It’s vast crude oil reserves in dire need of updated refinery equipment, Venezuela negotiated a deal in 2020 with Iran to help resolve that issue. But what has kept the Maduro regime afloat economically has been the illicit drug trade and its partnership with regional cartels. It’s no secret that Hugo Chavez had a lucrative business arrangement with the Colombian based FARC, the top cocaine trafficking group, as far back as 2005. However, when that criminal organization disbanded in 2017, Maduro and his security chief Diosdado Cabello have used Venezuela’s strategic location to become a major narco state. But unlike Chavez, who was a folk hero of sorts to the poor, the current dictator has kept all that wealth to himself and his elite inner circle.
The United States has welcomed several million immigrants during the Biden Administration, a large portion of them Venezuelans fearing for their lives and seeking asylum. The Organization of American States (OAS) has expressed its deep concerns over the current crisis, demanding that the government, “respect the popular will of the people for democratic change.” Furthermore, an independent group of countries led by the U.S., the United Kingdom and the European Union presented a “Statement On the Venezuela Election,” expressing a condemnation of the repression of protesters, and the violence that has claimed the lives of many Venezuelans in the post election context.”
The reality though, is that strong words and harsh sanctions mean nothing to Nicolas Maduro because he has surrounded himself with bad actors like Iran, Russia and China that support his government and neighboring Cuba. An internal “coup” so to speak, is not possible because the military would crush such resistance and create more bloodshed. The only possible way to remove Maduro from power and return democracy to Venezuela is through the will of the people and increased international pressure, coupled with a decision by our own government to push Russia and China out of our region. That’s something that should have been done decades ago.
