For Venezuelans, the Focus Should Be on Caracas, not U.S. Sanctions
For Venezuelans, the Focus Should Be on Caracas, not U.S. Sanctions
The Summit of the Americas should stress cooperation rather than U.S.-Venezuela tensions, writes COA’s Eric Farnsworth for Financial Times' beyondbrics.
The Obama Administration’s new approach to Cuba has jolted Western Hemisphere leaders preparing for next week’s Summit of the Americas in Panama. According to senior host nation officials, the Summit will be historic as the first time since the Eisenhower Administration that all hemispheric leaders will meet together at the same time. Coupled with a recovering US economy regaining attractiveness to regional partners, the Summit offers a tailor-made opportunity to find new ways to cooperate on energy, agriculture, technology and innovation.
Unfortunately, this scenario is at risk of being undermined needlessly by hemispheric reaction to the Obama Administration’s sanctions on seven Venezuelan officials and the declaration that Venezuela is an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the US.
In response to the March 9 White House sanctions announcement, Nicholas Maduro, Venezuela’s president, publicly glorified the seven officials, began war games to prepare for an imminent “imperialist invasion” and both asked for and received emergency powers through the end of this year from his rubber-stamp legislature....
