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HKS's Ricardo Hausmann, one of the leading scholars of Venezuela's economic history, lays out the case for military intervention by a coalition of the willing m

HKS's Ricardo Hausmann, one of the leading scholars of Venezuela's economic history, lays out the case for military intervention by a coalition of the willing made up of allies from North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe: D-Day Venezuela https://panampost.com/editor/2018/01/02/d-day-venezuela/ https://panampost.com/editor/2018/01/02/d-day-venezuela/ I believe current US policy in South America misses a vital and timely opportunity. US policy should gear toward infrastructure projects throughout the Western Hemisphere. Akin to China's $2T Belt and Road Initiative throughout Central Asia and Africa. Just today Indian PM Modi and China's Xi Jinping are holding an historic joint visit to Rwanda, where they will announce new trade agreements. Instead we see the same old strategy: sanctions in the hope of pro-democratic regime change, that only hurt the very people themselves.

mikeash 8y ago
After the massive success of Afghanistan and Iraq, I can’t see why anyone would oppose this proposal.
- gremlinsinc 8y ago
  Not sure if this was sarcasm or not... please be sarcasm..
  - mikeash 8y ago
    Your shields can't repel sarcasm of this magnitude.
bumholio 8y ago
That's a surprisingly bad idea, confirming the worst retoric of a dictator and pushing a country in full on civil war allegedly for saving it's people. Lest we forget, Venezuela degraded to this pitiful situation after the democratic election of a populist who proceeded to redistribute the oil wealth to the poorest citizens. The disastrous policies were very welcomed by parts of the population, and they must be democratically rejected or rescoped to not kill the economy.
- i_made_a_booboo 8y ago
  Venezuela does not function as a democracy. It hasn't for a while now.
  - bumholio 8y ago
    Indeed, there's been widespread electoral abuses. But there is still a multiparty political system, there is still some opposition. Democratic principles can still work, for example public pressure can cut off political support of the leaders from their own party base, looking for self preservation. These sort of soft revolutions happened all over Eastern Europe, and even during the Arab Spring. Basically, civil war is the absolute worst thing that can happen, so as long as there is still a chance the situation can solve itself peacefully, it should not be instigated from abroad.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
ataturk 8y ago
I really don't see why Americans should throw their lives away for Venezuelans. Every step of the way, the people of Venezuela supported their communist leadership and believed the propaganda. They can fix it themselves. The US has a much more grave threat right at our southern border in the failed state that is Mexico. We should militarize that border, create a buffer zone, and stop the influx of illegal immigrants and drugs and put a dent in the cartels' ability to project power into the US before the corruption totally overruns us, too.
Eridrus 8y ago
I doubt there is much political appetite for this in the US/Europe. It would have to be led by neighboring Latin American states. And who would that be? Brazil? Their politicians are probably pretty happy to sit by and gloat and accept talented refugees.
- gremlinsinc 8y ago
  I'd like to see Mexico lead the fray, people give Mexico a bad rep, if they led something like this and succeeded at 'saving' Venezuela it'd give them more cred. They should draft all the warlords and drug cartel members...hehe... "Bring your own guns".
  - ap3 8y ago
    Mexico’s historical foreign policy has been based on the principles of non-intervention, peaceful resolution of disputes and self-determination of all nations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrada_Doctrine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrada_Doctrine As President Juárez said:"Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace" https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Benito_Juárez https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Benito_Juárez Mexico’s new president AMLO thinks Juárez was the country’s best president, so I doubt we’ll see policy change in this admin. In the past he has publicly refused to say that Castro or Chavez were dictators - doing so would interfere in Cuba or Venezuela’s right of self-determination. BTW, his political opponents claim he will turn México into Venezuela. Edit:spelling
gremlinsinc 8y ago
We need not get involved. Regime change and policing the world isn't our responsibility. As bad as it is, we need our military to focus on us and our borders alone, we need to stop meddling in foreign affairs that don't affect us here at home.
- swarnie_ 8y ago
  > Regime change and policing the world isn't our responsibility I find this to be a really odd statement as its been the USA strategy for almost 70 years. Does this mean the general sentiment and overall strategy is changing at long last?
  - kamaal 8y ago
    >>Does this mean the general sentiment and overall strategy is changing at long last? Times change. 70 years back there were only 2 major powers. Europe was recovering from the world wars, although bulk of their human capital was intact, lets face it, Europe more or less lost the leadership of the world. Also at the same time, many big geographical areas and ancient cultures got their freedom from European colonial powers. So it was in US's interest to prevent new competition from coming up on all fronts- Military, Economy, Education, Human resources etc etc. So they had to keep everyone in check. This works as long you keep producing top notch human capital forever. You can't do that, as its quite literally impossible. Then when you lose things one bit at a time, you also have to face the grim reality that you are better off minding your own business. Its not easy to stop the whole worlds progress, to preserve your own. At least not forever.
- paulddraper 8y ago
  > we need to stop meddling in foreign affairs that don't affect us here at home. Your argument was sound until this point. Virtually every foreign affair in the world affects the United States. --- For example, in 2017, 7% of all US oil imports came from Venezuela. [1] In 2018, Venezuela is the #1 origin country of asylum applicants. [2] Venezuela's plight certainly affects Americans. What action the US should take is another question. [1] https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&t=6 https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&t=6 [2] https://www.dallasnews.com/news/immigration/2018/04/09/more-venezuelans-are-seeking-asylum-in-the-us-than-from-any-other-country https://www.dallasnews.com/news/immigration/2018/04/09/more-...
kamaal 8y ago
>>Instead we see the same old strategy: sanctions in the hope of pro-democratic regime change, that only hurt the very people themselves. Not a US citizen, but the US foreign policy is a relic of the past. Its really like peak Henry Kissinger 'Our way, or the highway' attitude, where everybody is supposed to fall in line or face invasion. China offers a far more novel and attractive option to let people live as they like, as long as they can have peaceful coexistence based on mutual interests. Empires and super powers often fall into this trap of trying to do everything and bullying everyone into submission. It might work for a while while you are at your peak. The issue is its impossible to sustain this forever.

mikeash 8y ago

After the massive success of Afghanistan and Iraq, I can’t see why anyone would oppose this proposal.

gremlinsinc 8y ago
Not sure if this was sarcasm or not... please be sarcasm..
- mikeash 8y ago
  Your shields can't repel sarcasm of this magnitude.

bumholio 8y ago

That's a surprisingly bad idea, confirming the worst retoric of a dictator and pushing a country in full on civil war allegedly for saving it's people. Lest we forget, Venezuela degraded to this pitiful situation after the democratic election of a populist who proceeded to redistribute the oil wealth to the poorest citizens. The disastrous policies were very welcomed by parts of the population, and they must be democratically rejected or rescoped to not kill the economy.

i_made_a_booboo 8y ago
Venezuela does not function as a democracy. It hasn't for a while now.
- bumholio 8y ago
  Indeed, there's been widespread electoral abuses. But there is still a multiparty political system, there is still some opposition. Democratic principles can still work, for example public pressure can cut off political support of the leaders from their own party base, looking for self preservation. These sort of soft revolutions happened all over Eastern Europe, and even during the Arab Spring. Basically, civil war is the absolute worst thing that can happen, so as long as there is still a chance the situation can solve itself peacefully, it should not be instigated from abroad.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

ataturk 8y ago

I really don't see why Americans should throw their lives away for Venezuelans. Every step of the way, the people of Venezuela supported their communist leadership and believed the propaganda. They can fix it themselves. The US has a much more grave threat right at our southern border in the failed state that is Mexico. We should militarize that border, create a buffer zone, and stop the influx of illegal immigrants and drugs and put a dent in the cartels' ability to project power into the US before the corruption totally overruns us, too.

Eridrus 8y ago

I doubt there is much political appetite for this in the US/Europe. It would have to be led by neighboring Latin American states. And who would that be? Brazil? Their politicians are probably pretty happy to sit by and gloat and accept talented refugees.

gremlinsinc 8y ago
I'd like to see Mexico lead the fray, people give Mexico a bad rep, if they led something like this and succeeded at 'saving' Venezuela it'd give them more cred. They should draft all the warlords and drug cartel members...hehe... "Bring your own guns".
- ap3 8y ago
  Mexico’s historical foreign policy has been based on the principles of non-intervention, peaceful resolution of disputes and self-determination of all nations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrada_Doctrine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrada_Doctrine As President Juárez said:"Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace" https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Benito_Juárez https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Benito_Juárez Mexico’s new president AMLO thinks Juárez was the country’s best president, so I doubt we’ll see policy change in this admin. In the past he has publicly refused to say that Castro or Chavez were dictators - doing so would interfere in Cuba or Venezuela’s right of self-determination. BTW, his political opponents claim he will turn México into Venezuela. Edit:spelling

gremlinsinc 8y ago

We need not get involved. Regime change and policing the world isn't our responsibility. As bad as it is, we need our military to focus on us and our borders alone, we need to stop meddling in foreign affairs that don't affect us here at home.

swarnie_ 8y ago
> Regime change and policing the world isn't our responsibility I find this to be a really odd statement as its been the USA strategy for almost 70 years. Does this mean the general sentiment and overall strategy is changing at long last?
- kamaal 8y ago
  >>Does this mean the general sentiment and overall strategy is changing at long last? Times change. 70 years back there were only 2 major powers. Europe was recovering from the world wars, although bulk of their human capital was intact, lets face it, Europe more or less lost the leadership of the world. Also at the same time, many big geographical areas and ancient cultures got their freedom from European colonial powers. So it was in US's interest to prevent new competition from coming up on all fronts- Military, Economy, Education, Human resources etc etc. So they had to keep everyone in check. This works as long you keep producing top notch human capital forever. You can't do that, as its quite literally impossible. Then when you lose things one bit at a time, you also have to face the grim reality that you are better off minding your own business. Its not easy to stop the whole worlds progress, to preserve your own. At least not forever.
paulddraper 8y ago
> we need to stop meddling in foreign affairs that don't affect us here at home. Your argument was sound until this point. Virtually every foreign affair in the world affects the United States. --- For example, in 2017, 7% of all US oil imports came from Venezuela. [1] In 2018, Venezuela is the #1 origin country of asylum applicants. [2] Venezuela's plight certainly affects Americans. What action the US should take is another question. [1] https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&t=6 https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&t=6 [2] https://www.dallasnews.com/news/immigration/2018/04/09/more-venezuelans-are-seeking-asylum-in-the-us-than-from-any-other-country https://www.dallasnews.com/news/immigration/2018/04/09/more-...

kamaal 8y ago

>>Instead we see the same old strategy: sanctions in the hope of pro-democratic regime change, that only hurt the very people themselves. Not a US citizen, but the US foreign policy is a relic of the past. Its really like peak Henry Kissinger 'Our way, or the highway' attitude, where everybody is supposed to fall in line or face invasion. China offers a far more novel and attractive option to let people live as they like, as long as they can have peaceful coexistence based on mutual interests. Empires and super powers often fall into this trap of trying to do everything and bullying everyone into submission. It might work for a while while you are at your peak. The issue is its impossible to sustain this forever.