Duval Times

The United States should immediately reinstate sanctions against the Venezuelan regime

February 1, 2024

Diario Las Américas

"No van a tener una vía libre para las acciones que tomen y que contradicen los compromisos que han asumido para avanzar hacia elecciones libres y justas" (They will not have a free pass for the actions they take that contradict the commitments they have made to move towards free and fair elections). This is what Secretary of State Antony Blinken said when asked about President Joe Biden's decision to lift sanctions against the narco-regime in Venezuela last October. Four months later, I demand that Secretary Blinken uphold his own standard: we must immediately reinstate sanctions against Venezuela.

...Since last week, the Maduro regime has banned Machado from running for 15 years, while his mercenaries repress her team and vandalize her campaign headquarters.

...The White House is waiting until April to reinstate any sanctions on the oil and gas sector in Venezuela, allowing the narco-regime of Maduro to use greater income from the fossil fuel industry to support his tyranny for the next three months. Even after the April deadline imposed by the Biden administration, the dictator will have full freedom to sell some natural gas free of sanctions and settle the debt of his criminal regime.

...Today, there are more political prisoners in Venezuelan cells than before the Biden administration started its negotiations.

Allowing Maduro to take advantage of the generosity of the United States is also a shame for our country globally... We must restore our international credibility, and quickly, or more people will unjustly die...

...Venezuela is of great geographical importance. Its dictatorship is one of the main gateways in our hemisphere for the great adversaries of the United States, from Iran to Russia and China. Also, the Venezuelan regime provides assistance to narco-terrorists who send drugs and violence to countries in our region, including Ecuador and the United States. We have a lot to lose if we strengthen such a dangerous narco-criminal regime.

...The president is constrained by socialist sympathizers within his administration and the extremist base within the Democratic Party who believe that sanctions, rather than a repressive regime and an open border, are the cause of the migration crisis in Venezuela. These same sympathizers convinced Biden to lift sanctions on Venezuela in the first place and to release the notorious Colombian frontman, Alex Saab.

If we continue to appease both Maduro and his henchmen, the world, and our region in particular, will become more dangerous and more anti-American...

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