At least seven million citizens fled abroad as his country – seen as the envy of Latin America with oil-based prosperity and stability when I visited three decades ago – fell apart. He was propped up by ugly autocracies in Beijing, Havana, Moscow and Tehran engaged in a global fight against democracy and freedom. And he laundered cash for lethal terrorist groups.
Maduro was, in short, a monster. A stain on humanity. No decent person should shed tears at the demise of his gruesome dictatorship. Yet however abhorrent his behaviour, however pleasing to see this thieving thug in handcuffs, it does not excuse his abduction by the United States.
Trump is, of course, the president who posed as a peacemaker to attain power, saying “I am not going to start wars”. Yet since returning to office last year, he has bombed Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. He has threatened to annex Greenland, a resource-rich island belonging to a Nato ally. Now he has instigated regime change in Caracas while menacing Colombia, Cuba and Mexico.
Yet as we know from painful recent history, especially in the Middle East, it is impossible to predict consequences of such disruptive interventions. Maduro is loathed by most people in his shattered nation – but so was Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, as I saw reporting his overthrow, and just look at that nation’s subsequent tragedy. The ripples could spread to places such as struggling Cuba, which needs Venezuelan oil to survive and has sent thousands of its security operatives to shore up the nation’s regime.
The US spent five months assembling its forces in the Caribbean, the largest naval armada seen in the region since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. The pre-dawn raid to snatch the moustached strongman and his wife – a powerful political operator in her own right – was daring and impressive, militarily.
Appropriate-Bet8779 on
Within one week, Trump has: deposed Maduro (Venezuela) via an direct assault, hinted at seizing Greenland, threatened Iran with more strikes, and threatened Columbia.
Congress sits idly as he nears a blitzkreig of his own….
aza-industries on
No shit, who didn’t see this coming?
trump has wanted to be a putin “strongman” for decades.
Weak men with simple minds.
trump’s a lot more stupid than putin though.
the_cla on
You have to wonder (since we know nothing about their actual conversations) if Putin put ideas like “invade Venezuela” into Trump’s head to advance Putin’s plan to reconstitute the Soviet Union.
theguy1336 on
He’s attacking Venezuela, and has threatened to attack Greenland, Mexico, Iran, and Colombia. Cuba too.
It’s literally like the beginning of WW2 with Adolf.
LustLizard- on
Who’s side is he on anyway? today is settling for peace tomorrow he’s dropping bombs and justifying reason for invasion.
SassySashimi- on
Nothing says “America First” like repeating the justification for invading a neighboring country.
There’s only one thing that should echo between these two.
nazarein on
yes, krasnov brought us down to putins level so we can no longer high-road russia.
theblackdane on
Seems clear that Putin has told Trump that he should take control of the Americas and Russia will take Europe. The EU needs to prepare for a two-fronted war or sacrifice Greenland. Are we great yet?
13 Comments
[Nicolás Maduro](https://inews.co.uk/topic/nicolas-maduro?srsltid=AfmBOop41wFXgL5nZ75QfN04XikFLHV7SSsZtt_NMmSqsFztKuS8flOG&ico=in-line_link) ran one of the world’s most repulsive regimes for 13 years, building on the corrupt inheritance of [his predecessor Hugo Chavez ](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/revolution-in-ruins-the-hugo-chavez-story-review-venezuela-crisis-nicolas-maduro-247041?srsltid=AfmBOooM9qPzrvmquoCOpX3eHYAP4hgr5gfLSveZMI3ZaXn38qJnoYKe&ico=in-line_link)to send Venezuela hurtling down the road to ruin. He preached socialism while pillaging state coffers, intimidating foes, stealing elections, impoverishing his people, inflicting hunger and sparking the world’s worst displacement crisis.
At least seven million citizens fled abroad as his country – seen as the envy of Latin America with oil-based prosperity and stability when I visited three decades ago – fell apart. He was propped up by ugly autocracies in Beijing, Havana, Moscow and Tehran engaged in a global fight against democracy and freedom. And he laundered cash for lethal terrorist groups.
Maduro was, in short, a monster. A stain on humanity. No decent person should shed tears at the demise of his gruesome dictatorship. Yet however abhorrent his behaviour, however pleasing to see this thieving thug in handcuffs, it does not excuse his abduction by the United States.
[President Donald Trump’s decision](https://inews.co.uk/news/how-us-raid-capture-venezuelas-president-unfolded-4146763?srsltid=AfmBOoqwbX0zkW4H4DcViKmpgCm8QtLNueLwOwZ7gS_gjLbZGas6uRzE&ico=in-line_link) to send his armed forces into a sovereign nation to oust its tyrannical leader smacks of performative populist politics. His assault lacks coherent explanation, flouts international law, violates his country’s constitution, threatens to send Venezuela spiralling into worse crisis, and [gives a green light to other imperialistic regimes](https://inews.co.uk/opinion/no-country-safe-trumps-anarchy-venezuela-4147280?srsltid=AfmBOooQud-53FXqbu4wv3zHWgPP3FnIdoKK-kIOxp9renn4c6dHCkVy&ico=in-line_link) wanting to grab some land or resources.
Trump is, of course, the president who posed as a peacemaker to attain power, saying “I am not going to start wars”. Yet since returning to office last year, he has bombed Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. He has threatened to annex Greenland, a resource-rich island belonging to a Nato ally. Now he has instigated regime change in Caracas while menacing Colombia, Cuba and Mexico.
Yet as we know from painful recent history, especially in the Middle East, it is impossible to predict consequences of such disruptive interventions. Maduro is loathed by most people in his shattered nation – but so was Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, as I saw reporting his overthrow, and just look at that nation’s subsequent tragedy. The ripples could spread to places such as struggling Cuba, which needs Venezuelan oil to survive and has sent thousands of its security operatives to shore up the nation’s regime.
The US spent five months assembling its forces in the Caribbean, the largest naval armada seen in the region since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. The pre-dawn raid to snatch the moustached strongman and his wife – a powerful political operator in her own right – was daring and impressive, militarily.
Within one week, Trump has: deposed Maduro (Venezuela) via an direct assault, hinted at seizing Greenland, threatened Iran with more strikes, and threatened Columbia.
Congress sits idly as he nears a blitzkreig of his own….
No shit, who didn’t see this coming?
trump has wanted to be a putin “strongman” for decades.
Weak men with simple minds.
trump’s a lot more stupid than putin though.
You have to wonder (since we know nothing about their actual conversations) if Putin put ideas like “invade Venezuela” into Trump’s head to advance Putin’s plan to reconstitute the Soviet Union.
He’s attacking Venezuela, and has threatened to attack Greenland, Mexico, Iran, and Colombia. Cuba too.
It’s literally like the beginning of WW2 with Adolf.
Who’s side is he on anyway? today is settling for peace tomorrow he’s dropping bombs and justifying reason for invasion.
Nothing says “America First” like repeating the justification for invading a neighboring country.
Close friend of Epstein by the way.
After [Roy Cohn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Cohn) died Trump didn’t have a buddy to tell him what to do until Vladimir came along.
There’s only one thing that should echo between these two.
yes, krasnov brought us down to putins level so we can no longer high-road russia.
Seems clear that Putin has told Trump that he should take control of the Americas and Russia will take Europe. The EU needs to prepare for a two-fronted war or sacrifice Greenland. Are we great yet?
The republicans want to be Putin.