Calculating the situation here is indeed challenging: “The United States continues to recognize the authority of the democratically elected National Assembly of 2015 as the last remaining democratic institution and Juan Guaidó as the interim president of Venezuela. We welcome the agreement reached to extend the authority of the 2015 National Assembly and interim president Guaidó as its president.” But what does “authority” really mean? The term is defined as “the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.” In an ideal world, state officials would be compelled to answer questions about the supposed “authority” of Juan Guaidó: what is his power or right to give orders (please provide specific examples)? Who follows his orders? What decisions has Guaidó made that affect the balance of power in Venezuela? Who obeys him?
The recognition by the U.S. State Department of Guaidó as the “interim president of Venezuela” hinges on an “agreement reached” by representatives of the four main political parties grouped under the umbrella of the “opposition” to Nicolás Maduro. These parties include Acción Democrática, Un Nuevo Tiempo, Voluntad Popular, and Primero Justicia.
Check the Twitter feeds of each leader of these four political parties (Henry Ramos Allup, Manuel Rosales, Leopoldo López, and Henrique Capriles respectively).
See if there’s any evidence of that “agreement reached” as claimed by the State Department.
Check if Capriles, Rosales, and Ramos Allup are celebrating or even mentioning the recognition extended by the State Department to Guaidó.
Look to see if any of them comment on Guaidó’s power/right to give orders.
Find out if any of them mention decisions made by Guaidó.
Explore whether any of them recognize Guaidó’s authority.
Investigate if there are indications of obedience to Guaidó from any of them.
To further illustrate this point, try to find any joint statement produced by the aforementioned leaders of the umbrella group that could justify the following claim made by the State Department: “We welcome the agreement reached to extend the authority of the 2015 National Assembly and its interim president Guaidó.”
Good luck.
Elsewhere, the Wall Street Journal highlighted the flawed policy of the State Department in “U.S.-Backed Opposition in Venezuela Crumbles as Nicolás Maduro Tightens Control”:
“But what started as a movement for democracy with street protests, critics say, has turned into an international bureaucracy of 1,600 workers with little popular support or accountability within Venezuela, even as they operate state-owned enterprises abroad valued in billions of dollars.”
The article delves into the mismanagement of Venezuelan assets abroad by the opposition, including a quote that succinctly captures the reality of the situation: “The opposition can’t even balance a checkbook, let alone govern a country.”
As we’ve argued, the entire structure is corrupt. There is no distinction between chavismo and the “opposition”; there’s just one class of Venezuelan politicians, all equally eager and desperate to engage in looting. This is the reality regarding Venezuelan politicians. What is hard to grasp is the willingness of the state and treasury to support this. Recognizing a nonexistent authority merely perpetuates and feeds the very real cronyism and rampant corruption taking place in CITGO, Monomeros, Nynas, etc. That is to say, the looting of Venezuelan public funds has the “recognition” of the Biden administration.
@FIFAcom faced severe backlash a while ago. Like every global corruption scandal, it had a #Venezuela component.
If anyone looks into the business operations of @PDVSA from @jandresgimenez (head of @FVF_Oficial), the previous scandal will pale in comparison.
Cc @USTreasury @TheJusticeDept pic.twitter.com/gUUH26EPew
— Alek Boyd “Plagiarism is theft” (@infodi0) January 5, 2022
Meanwhile, Treasury sanctions are creating a new class of billionaires who laugh all the way to their non-USD accounts worldwide. While it’s shocking to see how quickly the void left by Alex Saab has been filled, the blatant nature of the new players is even more astonishing, highlighting the absolute lack of accountability among U.S. puppets.
There was a time to point out virtue when the Venezuelan opposition could claim the moral high ground and play the victim card. There was a time when it was possible to point the finger at chavismo’s bribery destroying the nation. Not anymore. The fact that such behavior is condoned by the U.S. government is a significant part of the problem, a loud endorsement of chavismo, an absolute tragedy. Venezuela is, and will continue to be, in dire straits.