Caracas Chronicles

Boy, this communiqué from the MUD in response to Barack Obama’s recent Executive Order is a clear example of the old adage about a camel being a horse designed by a committee. What a mish-mash.

Let’s break it down – what is the text saying?

1. Venezuela is not a threat, and the only thing that is a threat are the government’s policies.

Really? Venezuela is not a threat to Colombia’s stability? What about Venezuela’s position in the UN Security Council – by aligning itself with Russia and China, does it not become a threat to US foreign policy? Furthermore, their attempt to change the topic into domestic policy is lame and coarsely done. “Foreign policy? We only want to talk about people lining up on the streets! Do’t ask us about foreign policy!”

2. We have consistently rejected measures against a country, but we are OK with measures against an individual.

Um … it’s OK to be against measures that affect all Venezuelans – we all are. But why mention them, when the Executive Order clearly states that these are measures against seven chavista thugs? Do they not see how they are feeding into the government’s narrative. Don’t think of an elephant guys. Don’t.

3. We prefer punishment under international law over unilateral actions.

OK, here is where they really lost me. How is “international law” (such a hazily defined term) going to prevent the SEBIN guys from continuing to violate Venezuela’s human rights? How can “international law” punish people such as Katherine Harrington by taking away their assets.

We can agree or disagree about the effectiveness of the unilateral measures such as the recent Executive Order, but thinking that “international law” is going to rein in Maduro is simply not realistic. It’s as if they have learned nothing.

If anything, “international law” is going to bolster Maduro, given how so many countries are willing to look away while the regime does what it wants – countries which the MUD chastises in the same communiqué in which it pleads for “international law” to help us.

4. We thank the international community for helping us, but the job is ours to do, so please don’t interfere.

So, which is it guys? Do you want the international community to help or not? Because you can’t have it both ways. You have spent countless hours lobbying the international community for this or that. When somebody does something, you squeal in terror at the mere thought of being seen as “vendepatria.” Defínanse.

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I don’t want to belittle how difficult a situation this one is for the opposition. But it would have been enough to put out a mere statement saying something like

“This is a private issue between the government of the United States and seven corrupt individuals. We continue to fight for the release of all political prisoners, and for Venezuelans’ human rights.”

Instead, the rice-and-mango that came out makes their position … incomprehensible.