In recent statements to Bloomberg, Juan Guaidó—who in 2019 came to consolidate the recognition of 60 countries as interim president of Venezuela—has suggested that the United States should “easen” the sanctions that weigh on the narco-terrorist regime of Nicolás Maduro, in order to that the Venezuelan tyrant—of Colombian origin—return to the dialogue table established in Mexico with the permission of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Guaidó’s statement came after the Chavista National Electoral Council sabotaged the attempt to activate a recall referendum to remove Nicolás Maduro from power through a—theoretically—democratic path. This will not happen, and the “Venezuelan opposition” seems to have received the news with great serenity.
Going back on the policy of sanctions against the Venezuelan dictatorship—initiated by Barack Obama in 2015 and reinforced by Donald Trump’s administration—would send an extremely dangerous message to the dictators and authoritarian leaders of Latin America: “resist, that with a little with patience we will leave them alone.”
That is a luxury that President Biden cannot afford on a continent that is threatened like never before by authoritarian regimes. The bloodiest: Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
Juan Guaidó was recognized by much of the free world when he bravely stood up against the regime of Nicolás Maduro. However, he missed his historic opportunity and submitted to the collaborationist powers that sustain the dictatorship. The former deputy has lost to speak on behalf of Venezuelans, and listening to his spurious calls to reward Chavistas would be another unforgivable mistake in the disappointing foreign policy of the Biden-Harris administration.
As thousands of Venezuelans cross the southern border of the United States after having crossed half a continent in search of freedom, the worst message that Joe Biden could send them is relief for the tyrant who expelled them from their country.
