SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Photo: Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza discusses the country's crisis with Democracy Now! hosts Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez (screenshot).
"You Can Stop This" -- Venezuela's Message to Americans
The country's Foreign Minister told Democracy Now! Monday that U.S. intervention can be stopped at the root.
Feb 24, 2019
The American people can stop a war on Venezuela, that country's foreign minister told Democracy Now! on Monday.
"I believe that the American people and the American institutions can stop this from happening, this insane proposal of invading Venezuela," Jorge Arreaza told Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzales during an interview. "And this is the right time to do it."
Americans should look carefully at what their country is doing, Arreaza said, especially around shipments of so-called "humanitarian aid." Joining other foreign policy experts, journalist and media critic Adam Johnson called the aid "bogus" in a column last week:
The current "something" in Venezuela we're all compelled to "do" is ensure the arrival of a humanitarian aid convoy. The fact that the bulk of the international aid community has either distanced itself from this PR stunt or outright opposes it has been widely ignored by the mainstream media.
Nevertheless, the U.S. has been trying to force convoys ostensibly containing aid into Venezuela from the Colombian border for over a week, leading to clashes over the weekend.
"What we saw last Saturday in the border, in both borders, with Colombia and Brazil, this was a spectacle," said Arreaza. "It was a show."
If it's a show, it's working. U.S. politicians are almost uniform in their support of the aid convoy and their denunciations of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is facing a soft coup from U.S. backed opposition leader Juan Guaido. Even Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the de facto left wing standard bearer in the Democratic Party, has come out in support of the aid convoy -- though he's been somewhat critical of regime change in Venezuela in principle.
As a number of progressives quickly pointed out, trusting humanitarian aid from the U.S. is a risky proposition at best for Latin American countries; all the more so when it comes from the Trump administration's Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams, former Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs during the Reagan administration who used humanitarian aid to smuggle arms to the Contras in Nicaragua.
Abrams is part of an unofficial triumvirate in charge of Venezuelan policy for the administration, alongside Vice President Mike Pence and National Security Advisor John Bolton. Arreaza had harsh words for the latter, calling Pence "the real boss of the Group of the Lima, the Lima Group," a coalition of American states brought together to end the Venezuelan crisis that's been described as "advocating for regime change" by critics. Bolton, Arreaza said, is "like a gangster," though the minister wryly expressed some appreciation for Bolton's honesty. "He has said something that is truth: All of this is about oil."
Any U.S. intervention will only lead to pain for the Venezuelan people, said Arreaza, and that's what Americans should focus on.
"Bombs will not differentiate who is Chavista and who is not Chavista," warned Arrazea.
Watch the full interview:
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The American people can stop a war on Venezuela, that country's foreign minister told Democracy Now! on Monday.
"I believe that the American people and the American institutions can stop this from happening, this insane proposal of invading Venezuela," Jorge Arreaza told Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzales during an interview. "And this is the right time to do it."
Americans should look carefully at what their country is doing, Arreaza said, especially around shipments of so-called "humanitarian aid." Joining other foreign policy experts, journalist and media critic Adam Johnson called the aid "bogus" in a column last week:
The current "something" in Venezuela we're all compelled to "do" is ensure the arrival of a humanitarian aid convoy. The fact that the bulk of the international aid community has either distanced itself from this PR stunt or outright opposes it has been widely ignored by the mainstream media.
Nevertheless, the U.S. has been trying to force convoys ostensibly containing aid into Venezuela from the Colombian border for over a week, leading to clashes over the weekend.
"What we saw last Saturday in the border, in both borders, with Colombia and Brazil, this was a spectacle," said Arreaza. "It was a show."
If it's a show, it's working. U.S. politicians are almost uniform in their support of the aid convoy and their denunciations of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is facing a soft coup from U.S. backed opposition leader Juan Guaido. Even Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the de facto left wing standard bearer in the Democratic Party, has come out in support of the aid convoy -- though he's been somewhat critical of regime change in Venezuela in principle.
As a number of progressives quickly pointed out, trusting humanitarian aid from the U.S. is a risky proposition at best for Latin American countries; all the more so when it comes from the Trump administration's Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams, former Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs during the Reagan administration who used humanitarian aid to smuggle arms to the Contras in Nicaragua.
Abrams is part of an unofficial triumvirate in charge of Venezuelan policy for the administration, alongside Vice President Mike Pence and National Security Advisor John Bolton. Arreaza had harsh words for the latter, calling Pence "the real boss of the Group of the Lima, the Lima Group," a coalition of American states brought together to end the Venezuelan crisis that's been described as "advocating for regime change" by critics. Bolton, Arreaza said, is "like a gangster," though the minister wryly expressed some appreciation for Bolton's honesty. "He has said something that is truth: All of this is about oil."
Any U.S. intervention will only lead to pain for the Venezuelan people, said Arreaza, and that's what Americans should focus on.
"Bombs will not differentiate who is Chavista and who is not Chavista," warned Arrazea.
Watch the full interview:
The American people can stop a war on Venezuela, that country's foreign minister told Democracy Now! on Monday.
"I believe that the American people and the American institutions can stop this from happening, this insane proposal of invading Venezuela," Jorge Arreaza told Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzales during an interview. "And this is the right time to do it."
Americans should look carefully at what their country is doing, Arreaza said, especially around shipments of so-called "humanitarian aid." Joining other foreign policy experts, journalist and media critic Adam Johnson called the aid "bogus" in a column last week:
The current "something" in Venezuela we're all compelled to "do" is ensure the arrival of a humanitarian aid convoy. The fact that the bulk of the international aid community has either distanced itself from this PR stunt or outright opposes it has been widely ignored by the mainstream media.
Nevertheless, the U.S. has been trying to force convoys ostensibly containing aid into Venezuela from the Colombian border for over a week, leading to clashes over the weekend.
"What we saw last Saturday in the border, in both borders, with Colombia and Brazil, this was a spectacle," said Arreaza. "It was a show."
If it's a show, it's working. U.S. politicians are almost uniform in their support of the aid convoy and their denunciations of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is facing a soft coup from U.S. backed opposition leader Juan Guaido. Even Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the de facto left wing standard bearer in the Democratic Party, has come out in support of the aid convoy -- though he's been somewhat critical of regime change in Venezuela in principle.
As a number of progressives quickly pointed out, trusting humanitarian aid from the U.S. is a risky proposition at best for Latin American countries; all the more so when it comes from the Trump administration's Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams, former Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs during the Reagan administration who used humanitarian aid to smuggle arms to the Contras in Nicaragua.
Abrams is part of an unofficial triumvirate in charge of Venezuelan policy for the administration, alongside Vice President Mike Pence and National Security Advisor John Bolton. Arreaza had harsh words for the latter, calling Pence "the real boss of the Group of the Lima, the Lima Group," a coalition of American states brought together to end the Venezuelan crisis that's been described as "advocating for regime change" by critics. Bolton, Arreaza said, is "like a gangster," though the minister wryly expressed some appreciation for Bolton's honesty. "He has said something that is truth: All of this is about oil."
Any U.S. intervention will only lead to pain for the Venezuelan people, said Arreaza, and that's what Americans should focus on.
"Bombs will not differentiate who is Chavista and who is not Chavista," warned Arrazea.
Watch the full interview:
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy