Caracas Chronicles

Photo: Publimetro retrieved.

In the least surprising turn of events ever, the Communist Party of Chile (among other leftist organizations) created a petition in change.org to dissuade Trump’s administration of intervening in Latam in general, and specifically in Venezuela. This is promoted by one of the Left’s darlings, Camila Vallejo.

When it comes to these matters, intentions are important. We’ve said before that U.S. politicians are using Venezuela not out of a genuine concern for its well being, but to advance tiny steps in the public opinion agenda.

Camila Vallejo mimics Trump here, by invoking the worn out principle of no intervention that has been used by autocrats over and over when they are running their country to the ground and starving its citizens. It’s reasonable: they want to be left alone in their corrupt drug trafficking.

Here’s the money quote:

“The principle of no intervention, as the [principle of] not meddling in internal affairs, is in constant danger against the threat of foreign military force as a conflict resolution mechanism (…)  Besides the judgment that each may have over Venezuela’s situation, any solution to the crisis must be produced in line with international law principles, in which it’s unacceptable under any circumstance a military intervention, either foreign or internal.”

I can agree that the military solution is the least desired outcome, but chavismo is actively seeking to close any other possible means of resolution that starts a transition. Without it, Venezuela is destined to a Bosnian sized conflict, only prevented (perhaps) by how the Venezuelan Armed Forces have been gutted out of any operatibility and have turned themselves into the ultimate rent-seeking institution. Venezuela lacks polity and as such, peaceful resolutions are impossible.

As a policy maker, Vallejo won’t be able to ignore this problem. Chile has already received thousands of Venezuelan migrants, the 7-day-long bus ride and all, and the flow is bound to increase, despite the barriers placed by the government. She has been actively seeking immigration reform, but it’s unclear what her views are on the matter.

Vallejo and the Latam commies have never been known for coherence. The fact that Cuba has been intervening in Venezuelan affairs for decades, and extracting natural resources from it, is something that really doesn’t matter much to them. U.S. intervention in Latam is a very old paradigm, repeated and perpetuated by outlets like the NYT.  And I see where they come from: Chilean communist got burned by U.S. meddling, instead of getting burned by the lessons on mismanagement already materializing under Allende.

Deciding between intervention in Venezuela or 20 more years of chavismo seems like choosing between Scylla and Charybdis. What I would prefer for the likes of Trump or Vallejo is to listen to actual Venezuelans (very interesting polls here). Chile would have never defeated its dictatorship era without international pressure. In our time of need, Venezuelans would like the same, and maybe a little respect, after the actual oppression we’ve lived under.