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It‘s high time for regime change in Venezuela

I think it’s time to call it. The President of the United States is apparently finally prepared to topple the Bolivarian regime of Venezuela, if need be with military force.

All diplomatic contact between Caracas and Washington via Special Envoy Richard Grenell has been broken off. Overwhelming naval, air and Marine Corps assets have been moved to the Caribbean theater to execute targeted raids in order to kill or capture the political and military elite of Venezuela, thereby destabilizing the regime to make way for a democratic renewal in a country that was once one of the most robust democracies in South America.

The administration rightly considers Nicolas Maduro an illegitimate President who illegally usurped power by flatly ignoring the results of his decisive electoral defeat last year. They are also correct in their assessment of his notorious criminal activities. He is indeed a fugitive from justice and his imprisonment will not just be a political and economic liberation for about 30 million Venezuelans at home or living abroad, but an overdue relief for the many victims of Venezuelan narco-crime all over the world. Accordingly, the designation of Maduro‘s Cartel de Soles as a FTO along with the administration‘s de facto declaration of war on narco-terrorists in Venezuela create the legal framework for a drastic and rapid military intervention.

The Venezuelan state, if one can call it that, is nothing but a house of cards. It comes closer to a syndicate than to an actual state. Impunity is all that keeps it from collapsing. Unfortunately, the Venezuelan civilians who are desperately waiting for a dramatic change haven’t been able to mount an armed resistance to counter the repression of a ruthless military, a cruel police force and violent armed gangs allied with the regime.
Opposition forces weren’t armed or trained by any outside power, hence they never stood much of a chance to free themselves from the anachronistic and autocratic joch that keeps them from realizing their human potential and flagrantly violates their most basic human rights and civil liberties.
The $50 million USD bounty on Maduro‘s head is now twice the amount that was promised for the capture of UBL. It‘s time for Maduro to be brought to justice in the United States for the narco-terrorism that he has tolerated, authorized, facilitated and in some cases engineered.

There‘s no place in this world for despots who turn once vibrant liberal western democracies into tyrannies, who impoverish once wealthy economies, who strike bargains with the global enemies of the free world to safeguard their hold on power at the expense of their own people or who compensate for their political and economic mismanagement by building a state-sponsored narcotics empire through which a quarter of the world‘s annual cocaine supply is now funneled.
There’s no place for a man who has unleashed an unprecedented refugee crisis on the entire Western Hemisphere, which led to the emigration of 7 million Venezuelans who had to leave their home since this needless, man-made crisis began to engulf their country.

The people of Venezuela rose up. They rallied behind the opposition, behind Juan Guaidó, behind María Corina Machado and behind President-elect Edmundo González. They voted for them despite fraud, manipulation and voter intimidation. They went on to protest the actions of the regime, peacefully, without arms repeatedly and for months despite the well-known terror and torture practices of the regime.
Yet, neither their civil courage as free citizens of the Republic nor the diplomatic isolation, the international criticism, the targeted and sectoral sanctions, nor President Biden‘s offer to exchange sanctions relief for free elections followed by a democratic transition were enough to rid the world of this man and his loyal coterie of conspirators.

The time for decisive military action has come. If the US and Venezuela‘s neighbors are not willing or able to train, arm, organize and fund an insurgency to bring this regime to its knees, the responsibility for removing it falls on the shoulders of highly trained, highly capable and highly equipped Marines, airmen, sailors and special forces of the US military who will be able to neutralize any hostile regime target inside Venezuela within mere days.

Once this surgical operation is concluded, the responsibility for a new era of hope in Venezuela will pass on to the millions of Venezuelans who can’t wait to close this perverse Marxist chapter of their nation‘s proud history.
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beckyromero · 36-40, F
Would it be nice to have a thriving democracy with human rights as a center point of it in Venezuela? Absolutely!

But I view Russia currently as the most dangerous security threat to the United States. After that, China. Then North Korea and then Iran.

The priority should be helping Ukraine defend itself (and therefore eastern and northern Europe) against continued Russian aggression. Other than combating the drug war and human trafficking with increase Coast Guard funding and maritime patrols, Venezuela is otherwise way down on the list of national security priorities.

We didn't do well in the last jungle war we fought, the one that President Bonespurs skipped out on, and with the gang that, as Adm. Hasley would put it, "couldn't hit a bull in the butt with a bass fiddle," I sure as hell wouldn't want to trust the lives of our young women and men in uniform to Trump, Vance and Hegseth.
@beckyromero trump wants venezuela's oil, and he doesn't regard them as a military power
CedricH · 22-25, M
@beckyromero It’s not a question of either or. US military action in Venezuela doesn’t prevent the Trump administration from finally escalating US support for Ukraine.
beckyromero · 36-40, F
@CedricH

It's difficult enough for Trump to do one thing right, let alone two.
meJess · F
So the US who may or may not be one person one vote (electoral college) and may or may not allow voting by non-citizens (photo ID fuss at polling stations) are the experts on fair elections?

Regime change by the US is always legitimate (WMD in Iraq) with a clear plan on how to move back to a local regime afterwards (or run away as in Afghanistan)

The US also claims to be anti-colonial, I wonder if Hawaii, Puerto Rico etc agree.

US policy of regime change explains why Iran and North Korea are so desperate to have the bomb.

That doesn’t mean I support the current government in Venezuela.
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
@meJess Just a quick pint, Hawaii is an actual state, Puerto Rico, Guam, etc., are US territories, VERY big differences.
Kwek00 · 41-45, M
The President of the United States is apparently finally prepared to topple the Bolivarian regime of Venezuela, if need be with military force.[

[...]

There‘s no place in this world for despots who turn once vibrant liberal western democracies into tyrannies, who impoverish once wealthy economies, who strike bargains with the global enemies of the free world to safeguard their hold on power at the expense of their own people or who compensate for their political and economic mismanagement by building a state-sponsored narcotics empire through which a quarter of the world‘s annual cocaine supply is now funneled.

Just want to appreciate the irony here.
CedricH · 22-25, M
@samueltyler2 That’s what I just said. They used to be extremely anti-catholic but moved on from that even as they became more skeptical of affirmative action in favor of African Americans.
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
@CedricH fine, but your statement made it sound simultaneously, it was not. I love your term skeptical of affirmative action, call it what it is, they are bigoted.
Kwek00 · 41-45, M
@CedricH
Complete nonsense. Those people were still hoping for a re-segregation. They simply didn’t get what they wanted because Reagan literally contained their ambitions.

How? By using the rethoric, where black people kept being held down? You do understand that there can be a form of segregation without laws right? Ever been to the South Cedric. There are still entire communities out there that live seperate from eachother. You might not be able to undo the civil rights acts, but peer pressure in communities can be a terrible thing. And when the civil rights act passed, redistribution (aka social security) became a target by the republican party. Because hey... you can't have those black people getting white peoples money and start creating a life for eachother. Even though it's not legal, you can still disqualify people on other grounds then just their skin color. So if you need to hire a worker, you'll figure out how to make sure not to take the black person.

Yeah, it was so natural, that the change of rhetoric inside the republican party seems to have tainted for ever. That sin, 40 years later is comming home to roost. I don't use the word "organic" or "natural" for people that make changes in their party to actively catch more voters. That's not "natural", that's designed.

Well, no. Southern democrats didn't stop voting, that's why they pushed Wallace to the front... but these people didn't have the numbers. So if no one pampered to them, they would have stayed what they were forever. A marginal group that lost. Either they changed their perspectives or kept being that way. Sadly, the republican party wasn't doing so great in the elections and they needed more voters. So they sold their soul to a cause that should have been lost. And for the 2nd time in America history, these people were giving a new home WITHOUT having to reflect on their values and the culture that marginalised them in the first place. But the republican party took in these illiberal elements, and look where we are now. It just consumed the republican party and now this generation has to deal with this garbage again.
ViciDraco · 41-45, M
The US has led the broader global coalition in waging economic warfare and inciting political strife against Venezuela. It's a house of cards because we went the extra mile to make sure they would not and could not succeed.

Marxism isn't the villain of this story, the US and global capitalist forces are.

This has never been about freedom, this has always been about butt-hurt private enterprise that was no longer able to extract maximum profits out of the Venezuelan people and lands.
ViciDraco · 41-45, M
@sunsporter1649 Try actually reading the post. You aren't even on topic.
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
@ViciDraco he/she is rarely. wait, you will get a cartoon post from them soon.
ViciDraco · 41-45, M
@samueltyler2 That's what I'm expecting the reply to be. Usually the cartoon isn't related to the topic either.
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
Since when is the US expected to be the police of the world? I have heard so many argue against globalization, now you want the US to attack a sovereign nation? Really?
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
@CedricH did you read what you sent? How is that proof? It is an announcement related to a pronouncement by the discredited Attorney General, William Barr, acting on behalf of his master, Donald Trump. You never chose to answer, what is your definition of a narcotic?
CedricH · 22-25, M
@samueltyler2 The evidence you were asking for are part included in the charges.
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
@CedricH BS, the charge lists generalities, and show no evidence of any direct connection between Venezuela and the US drug abuse problem.
Supposing the US does knock over the regime and supposing it turns into the cesspool that Iraq became? The problem is now bigger than Maduro. The regime has already killed off .ve's democratic institutions, so as much as I would want to instakill Maduro myself, what good is it going to do if that just makes way for the next isolationist strong man?
SpudMuffin · 61-69, M
There‘s no place in this world for despots who turn once vibrant liberal western democracies into tyrannies, who impoverish once wealthy economies, who strike bargains with the global enemies of the free world to safeguard their hold on power at the expense of their own people

Isn't that Trump?
SpudMuffin · 61-69, M
@sunsporter1649 are you sure? Do you want to go and check?
sunsporter1649 · 70-79, M
@SpudMuffin Already did, how 'bout you?

SpudMuffin · 61-69, M
@sunsporter1649 who's that?
Convivial · 26-30, F
You sure you're not talking about merica when you say all those things?
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
@CedricH ingivebup with you, you cannot answer the question. You are the one saying they are on the same category. When i asked you to show that, you listed a bunch of political descriptors but not how both trump and Chavez share the same positions.
CedricH · 22-25, M
@samueltyler2 For God‘s sake. The descriptors are the parallels.
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
@CedricH no, if you think the descriptors got them, you need to show they fit the descriptors.

This isn't the first time you have shown your lack of sensitivity to the issues. I wish you luck on your future.
Yeah Venezuela's government has long been evil but why should the USA interfere?
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CedricH · 22-25, M
@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow Well, that’s about the only thing you truly understand. Youth slang. Congratulations. Very fitting.
sunsporter1649 · 70-79, M
This is not our right to decide, we must stop dictating other countries.
@CedricH You all are salivating over Venezuela's oil, nothing more.
@NativePortlander1970 That's what Trump wants, I think.
CedricH · 22-25, M
@NativePortlander1970 I couldn’t care less. I‘ve advocated for an oil embargo on Russia since 2022 despite the costs. If I cared about a larger global oil supply I‘d let Chevron drill in Venezuela. The Maduro government wants them to but if you want to remove a regime you don’t provide them with a cash cow which they can milk at their pleasure.
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@CedricH Nope I think it is 100% counterproductive. Maduro is already using this crisis to assume dictatorial “special powers” and rally public opinion behind patriotic calls for national solidarity. Also, Trump’s bullying of other left-leaning Latin American countries such as Colombia, and his presumptuous cheerleading for rightwing populists in Argentina and El Salvador, is spurring a regional backlash.
CedricH · 22-25, M
@wildland Again, one has nothing to do with the other. Trump‘s bullying of Colombia is indeed counterproductive but it‘s also not a precondition for military action in Venezuela. A close relationship with Argentina, meanwhile, is bolstering the US footprint in the region even if you might not like Argentina’s democratically elected President.

If Trump doesn’t follow through on his threats then this whole exercise will obviously prove highly counterproductive because it would present Maduro with a raison d‘être for his illegal Presidency and the US would lose credibility.
Still, that‘s not the case if the administration should follow through with its threats which is the premise and subtle assumption of this post.
@CedricH It's just horrendous. There’s no plan. Trump throws his weight about, makes impetuous misjudgments, stokes fear of foreigners and bases policy on whether he “likes” other leaders.

 
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