When Joe Biden was in office, he declared war on the fossil fuel industry.
Biden then cut a deal with Venezuela, easing sanctions that had been placed against the regime.
Before leaving office, he put those sanctions back in place, but with Trump taking over office, tensions have risen much higher.
Biden dropped the sanctions against Venezuela because he needed the country’s help for oil production.
However, as time progressed, Venezuela had not lived up to its part of the deal regarding human rights violations. John Otis explained, “Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who polls predict would beat Maduro in a free election, remains disqualified from the race. Government critics and members of Machado's campaign team have been jailed.”
Otis continued, “Meanwhile, the regime has blocked millions of Venezuelans from registering to vote. Francisco Rodriguez, a Venezuelan who teaches international studies at the University of Denver, says the election is shaping up to be a farce.”
So, Biden had no choice but to reinstall the sanctions.
Trump has never had a problem letting our adversaries and enemies know that while he does not like war, he will not hesitate to use our military to protect our interests.
Trump and Venezuela have been jousting fairly regularly, which has now drawn the ire of Colombian President Gustava Petro, who is also warning Trump.
Petro stated, “The Gringos are mad if they think invading Venezuela will solve their problems. They are dragging Venezuela into a Syria-like situation, with the problem that they are dragging Colombia too.”
He continued, “I told Trump, through his emissaries, that it would be the worst mistake. And it is not, as the press says, that we are allies of Maduro. My term will pass, so too that of Maduro’s, whatever the year. My time is set by the Constitution.”
Donald Trump was not intimidated by Colombia’s threat, nor would I expect him to. Trump has now reportedly ordered U.S. warships to patrol international waters around Venezuela in an effort to stop cartels, deploying significant assets to the area.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnel explained, "On day one of the Trump Administration, the President published an Executive Order designating drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, clearly identifying them as a direct threat to the national security of the United States.”
He continued, "These cartels have engaged in historic violence and terror throughout our Hemisphere—and around the globe-- that has destabilized economies and internal security of countries but also flooded the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs."
I completely support the move by Trump, as we have to do something to slow down the flow of drugs into this country, as well as human trafficking operations. Columbia can posture all it wants, but it is not a real threat in terms of defeating our forces. And I just don’t see Russia or China stepping in to square off over this particular issue.
