When it Comes to Venezuela, Trump Follows in Obama Footsteps
When it Comes to Venezuela, Trump Follows in Obama Footsteps
"Many Caribbean countries are hesitant to turn against the Maduro regime. In some cases, this is because they are members of...Petrocaribe and benefit from subsidies," explained AS/COA's Eric Farnsworth as regional action lags on Venezuela crisis.
Protests against the government of Nicolás Maduro are entering their third month. Over 60 people have been killed in faceoffs between protesters and security forces, at least 1,000 have been jailed, and 75 percent of Venezuelans lost an average of 19 pounds over the past year.
A Wednesday meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of American States failed to produce a single statement on the crisis. The meeting is the latest–and perhaps most high-profile–example of how divided the Americas are in dealing with the rapidly escalating events in Venezuela.
And it looks unlikely that the Donald Trump White House will chart a new course....
But every vote is equal, and 14 of them are held by Caribbean countries, many of which are unwilling or hesitant to turn against the Maduro regime. In some cases, this is because they are members of the Venezuelan-Caribbean oil alliance Petrocaribe and benefit from subsidies. In other cases, it’s because they are loyal out of memory of Hugo Chavez, who paid for public works, airports, and infrastructure in Caribbean countries, as Eric Farnsworth of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas explained to FP.
Another diplomat from the region told FP that those countries that want action taken on Venezuela had expected the Trump administration to try to flip the Caribbean countries’ votes….
