by Jennifer Merecki
The US government’s recent actions in Venezuela are unfortunate, and the US has a long and bloody track record of actions to overthrow governments, including the US government’s support of the 2002 Venezuelan coup. Venezuela’s oil has always made it very attractive to the rest of the world and leaves the country fighting off constant foreign interference. While Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, a fall in prices coupled with American company exploitation, corruption and mismanagement have left the country in chaos.
In the 1970s, the government nationalized the oil industry and the central bank. Nationalism and large company take overs caused Venezuela’s economic growth to stall. Since 2013, the country has been in the grips of corruption, deep recession and hyperinflation, triggering shortages of food, medicine and any necessities, causing people to flee the country. But it didn’t start there.
In 1904 Teddy Roosevelt declared that “all that this country desires is to see the neighboring countries stable, orderly, and prosperous. Any country whose people conduct themselves well can count upon our hearty friendship. If a nation shows that it knows how to act with reasonable efficiency and decency in social and political matters, if it keeps order and pays its obligations, it need fear no interference from the United States.” So, I’m curious, is the current administration using the Roosevelt Corollary to justify US intervention? Because it was made clear that it was to be “America First” and to keep our nose out of other country’s business. Obviously, our most progressive President, FDR, saw this mindset as beneficial and renounced interventionism and established his Good Neighbor policy in 1934.
It appears, the US government is clearly more interested in using Venezuela as a boogeyman to show dangers of social progressive politics. It was corrupt fascist geared socialism and not progressive democratic socialism that caused devastating economic and political unrest. But the right still seems hung up on misrepresenting facts and exploiting people’s fears
But remember, it was corruption and special monied interests that has got us back in the Latin American hot seat. Nonetheless, the situation remains extremely tense. Any small political miscalculation could provoke serious violence and chaos. Yes, perhaps, the elections in Venezuela may have been rigged but I do believe most people are not in favor of foreign government election interference. Can we say, “pot calling the kettle black”?
