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Trump's threat of 'military option' wins cheers from struggling Venezuelans

Amanda Trejos
USA TODAY
People participate during an 'anti-imperialist' march in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 14, 2017.

Venezuelan lawyer Mariu Nieves believes the U.S. military is her country's only hope to end its economic and political crisis. 

Nieves, 58, who lives on Margarita Island off the northeastern coast of Venezuela, said the international community and Catholic Church have made little progress in stopping months of anti-government protests and President Nicolás Maduro's move away from democracy toward more authoritarian rule.

"We wish and pray to God that there will be a U.S. military intervention. We see it as a help, as an SOS," Nieves said.

Nieves worries about her father being malnourished, as well as the lack of food and low salaries of Venezuelans. She's also concerned for her friends in the capital Caracas who say they don't venture out of their homes for fear of being killed. 

Vice President Pence on Wednesday visited a Venezuelan enclave in South Florida to discuss the possibility of a U.S. military intervention in the once oil-rich country.

"The collapse of Venezuela, the dictatorship, will drive more illegal migration corroding our borders, burdening our economies," Pence said. "The collapse of Venezuela will ultimately endanger the wellbeing of all who call the western hemisphere home. We cannot let that happen, we will not let that happen."

The visit happened after President Trump said this month that the United States has "many options for Venezuela, including a possible military option if necessary." 

On Friday, Trump imposed new sanctions on Venezuela to further isolate the Maduro regime. The forth round of sanctions attempts to restrict U.S financial institutions from engaging in financial deals with the Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA. 

The U.S and European Union have publicly condemned the Maduro regime and have urged the Venezuelan government to restore democracy. Instead, Maduro, 54, held a vote last month to elect a new Constituent Assembly to rewrite the country's constitution to give him more authority. The assembly is bypassing the existing congress dominated by opposition politicians. 

After the controversial vote, Trump told reporters on Aug. 11: “We have troops all over the world in places that are very far away. Venezuela is not very far away and the people are suffering and they’re dying.”  

A poll shortly after Trump's remarks showed that 79% of Venezuelans favored U.S. military intervention, while only 17% rejected it, according to the state-owned public television network based in Caracas, Corporación Venezolana de Televisión or VTV.

“We are desperate to get rid of our government, and if that involves an intervention then do it, but do it now,” said Cynthia Cortés, a Venezuelan graphic designer who lives in Maryland. “The faster we get rid of our drug-trafficking leaders the better.”

Cortés said Venezuelans desperately hope for international help, and even though she dislikes Trump, she appreciates his support on this matter. "Whoever is against Maduro I will support," she said.

Many other Venezuelans share the same view, believing that military intervention should be aimed at Maduro and his government and not an invasion of the country. Trump has yet to further explain his August remark. 

While some fear more violence in the country, Martin Rodil, president of the Venezuelan American Leadership Council, thinks Trump's words were misinterpreted. Rodil said a military solution could mean many things.

Rodil said the U.S. understands the complexity of the Venezuelan crisis and knows that unlike other Latin American countries, Venezuela's government is run by a "criminal organization." The foundation of the government needs to be replaced, not only Maduro, Rodil said.

Like Cortés, Rodil appreciates Trump's efforts, including sanctions that Washington slapped on Maduro in July after the vote for a Constituent Assembly.

"The president has done more in six months than (President Barack) Obama did in eight years, and that's the truth," Rodil said. "He has done a great job by placing it (Venezuela) on the radar, not only in the U.S. but in all the region." 

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino called Trump's remarks “an act of craziness” and “supreme extremism.”  Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza also slammed the U.S threat, calling it particularly menacing given Maduro’s renewed call for closer ties with Trump and a request to meet with him in September. 

Peru and Colombia’s foreign ministers also condemned Trump’s language, saying Venezuela’s crisis should be resolved peacefully rather than taking military measures, according to the Associated Press.

“It is hard to imagine for Trump to have said anything worse,” said Geoff Ramsey, an associate at the Washington Office on Latin America. “Most people see this as an unnecessary distraction that forces people in the opposition to criticize Trump at a time when they need more efforts to criticize Maduro.”

Ramsey said it is highly unlikely that the U.S will consider a military intervention since there is “no appetite” for it in the region. But he said Trump’s remark should still be taken seriously.

More:Why is Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro so controversial?

White House:U.S. hits Venezuelan president with financial sanctions

Related:Why Venezuela's political crisis matters to Americans

 

 

   

 

 

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