The Trump administration rightly increased pressure on Nicolas Maduro’s pretend-presidency on Thursday, introducing significant new sanctions on his oil export infrastructure.
The sanctions have the potential to reduce Venezuela’s oil export market by up to 40%. That would further cripple the de facto dictator’s access to much needed foreign capital and undermine his patronage relationship with the Venezuelan military.
The American action also fits with new domestic steps by interim President Juan Guaido. The legitimate democratic president and the legitimate legislature on Thursday passed legislation banning oil exports to Cuba. While Maduro will ignore that legislation, it further formalizes the illegitimacy of Maduro’s using his nation’s oil reserves as his own private piggy bank. Another victory in that regard came earlier this month when Maduro’s cronyism facilitator Alex Saab was arrested in Africa.
All of this matters.
Because what is happening in this land with the world’s largest proven oil reserves is a true catastrophe. Years of corruption and mismanagement by Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, have seen Venezuela’s oil industry fall into almost total collapse. Against the backdrop of collapsing global oil prices and U.S. sanctions in response to Maduro’s destruction of democracy, the Venezuelan people are suffering greatly. In 2020, life in Venezuela means being caught between hyperinflation, basic goods shortages, a collapsed medical system, and stratospheric violent crime rates. Oh, and food is also very expensive and hard to come by.
The United Nations graph below shows just how bad the food shortage situation has become.
It’s right that the U.S. keep taking action to address the root cause of this situation.
While it’s important that the Trump administration continues to defer to Guaido on issues such as gasoline imports, so as to avoid making things worse for Venezuelans, the only way that things will ultimately change for the better is for Maduro to leave power. Only then can representative government take power and decision start being made for the service of the nation rather than a small circle of elites.
That won’t happen until the dictator loses the support of the military.
But every time the Trump administration makes it harder for Maduro to sell oil and payoff his armed guardians, the predilection of those guardians to support him will decline. The U.S. should continue to make clear to military commanders that those who chose to abandon Maduro will be removed quickly from U.S. sanctions lists and offered American support under any future Venezuelan administration. Taking this approach, Maduro will find ever-increasing weight against his rule.
We shouldn’t turn a blind eye to Venezuela’s continued suffering. With peaceful pressure, America can end this tragedy.
