Bizarre, International

Trump Declares That Military Options Are Being Considered in Venezuela

donald_trump_president-elect_portrait_croppedAt a time when President Nicolas Maduro is facing rising opposition (even among his traditional supporters), there is one thing that would materially help him rally supporters: a threat of U.S. military intervention. Now other Latin American countries critical of Maduro in the past have denounced Trump’s comments.   It is for that reason that many people were shocked by President Trump’s statement on Friday that he is considering military options in his decision how to respond to Maduro authoritarian policies.  For those of us who deeply opposed both Hugo Chavez and his successor Maduro, the statement could not be more disheartening. As noted by the Wall Street Journal, experts believe that Trump gave Maduro exactly what he needed to fulfill his long unsupported narrative of a war with the U.S.  As was the case with North Korean comments and the State Department, no one appears more surprised on these comments than the Defense Department.

On Friday, after renewing threats against North Korea, Trump publicly stated that “We have many options for Venezuela, including a possible military option if necessary.” He then added “We have troops all over the world in places that are very far away. Venezuela is not very far away and the people are suffering and they’re dying.”

The fact that this comment comes after news that Russia is trying to gain control over Venezuela’s oil will only fuel anti-American sentiments in the country — and support Maduro’s arguments that the U.S. wants to gain control over its oil for itself.  It is also a highly implausible threat since there is no compelling justification at the moment for a U.S. intervention.  Moreover, the effort of the State Department to send a high-ranking diplomat to speak with Venezuela is now expected to severely undermined given the implied threat of military intervention.

Ironically, Trump has been hammering his generals on losing in Afghanistan and suggested an interest in a total pullout. Yet, he then said that he was considering an intervention in Venezuela — a move that could unite the country behind Maduro and hand him the very victory that has eluded him.  Maduro’s son is already rallying people against the threatened U.S. intervention.

Maduro can now take that statement to Venezuela’s new Constituent Assembly as he demands unchecked powers.

For the many people who want to see an end to the Maduro regime, Trump’s statement is a serious blow.  There are thousands of people risking their very lives in the streets of Venezuela.  This gives Maduro more justification to ramp up military operations and to blame the United States for the disaster by Chavez and Maduro created in the one prosperous country.

147 thoughts on “Trump Declares That Military Options Are Being Considered in Venezuela”

  1. TRUMP IS A ZIONIST NAZI CRIMINAL

    American Whores of Zionist Nazi Israel
    The Zionist Nazis have infiltrated these organizations for decades;
    Congress, White House, Hollywood, Wall Street, Local & National Mainstream Media, U.S. Governments, Justice Department, Republican & Democratic Parties, Corporations, Court System, The Federal Reserve System, CIA, FBI, Military, Colleges & Universities, Churches, Health Care, CDC, Pharmaceuticals, etc.

    http://www.veteranstoday.com/2013/07/23/helen-thomass-courageous-legacy-zionists-go-home/

  2. If you want to know who the dupes are, read the posts and there they are, the ‘fighters’ with the extreme positions based on how tough America is. The world when dealt with without nuance morphs into this extreme condition. This condition is easier for the mindless to understand, it’s either us or them, right or left, good or bad; and of course America is right, good, us, etc. The root problem in America today and for some time is that oligarchs control our leadership through the simplistic presentation of ‘stuff’, avoiding the details, and pitting one extreme against the other. You don’t see this so much in the more advanced and ‘real’ democracies where private funding of elections/representatives is against the law. But, here in the crucible of all freedoms, it is constitutionally correct to allow a corporation or billionaire to buy and sell our democracy. Now, do you wonder why the world laughs at us or sees us as fools; rich fools with dozens of aircraft carriers, but fools never the less. Could it be because our fools elected the biggest fool of all to the Presidency?

    1. If corporate leadership were based on merit, it might make sense for corporations to rule the world. Unfortunately corporate leadership is too often based on nepotism and birth privilege, not merit. Only the ability to profit from exploitation is necessary, not the ability to sustain humanity.

      1. Doglover

        The problem with allowing corporate wizzkids into politics is that they are more often than not and out of necessity, narrow minded. A broad perspective is not how one makes it in the corporate world. One has to carve out a slice of an existing or potential pie and perfect the widget. From then on the individual sees the world through the paradigm of their success. Add onto this narrow perspective, regardless of how successful, an origin of wealth, privilege, and connections peculiar to the widget and no matter how successful the individual falls woefully short of seeing the world in all its facets. Trump is the ultimate cloistered example of this sort of thing. Given the number of voters who see success in business, regardless of how it was attained, as the benchmark of ability, we have what we have today. The evil in our system is the belief that money is sacred and should determine who rules who. America is closer to what it criticizes than what it holds sacred.

        1. I just read a book that expands on your comments….The New Human Rights Movement by Peter Joseph

    2. I’ll translate Rain Man’s polemic. “America sucks, Europe and Canada are wonderful.

  3. There is absolutely no legal basis for a military intervention here. Trump is committing war crimes since he took office. He is now considering illegal war making in N. Korea which is likely to blow up a big chunk of the world.

    We have the govt. documents (find them on wikileaks) that make clear our only aim in Venezuela is their oil. USGinc. does not have any business regime changing, taking other nation’s assets, controlling other nations, and trying to start WWIII.

    Many people who voted from Trump did so because they thought he would keep the US out of foreign entanglements and get back to the business of MAGA. Instead he’s decided that Obama and Clinton’s foreign policy was correct after all!

    i am hoping Constitutional law scholars will file suit. I am hoping the international community has had enough of the insanity and will put some breaks on this madness. Most of all, I am hoping that the American people will stop going along with these wars. They are unjust, illegal and they will utterly destroy the US from the inside out.

    There are other ways to deal with things besides war. War profits the few and harms the many. A smart and just leadership would turn away from wars and get busy working on actual solutions to international problems when we are asked to do so. Otherwise, Trump should be spending time on rebuilding this nation, just as he had promised to do.

    Is there any point where the American people will stop and refuse all this war making? It needs to happen and it needs to happen now.

    1. Jill:

      You’d benefit from a good course on international law and foreign policy. Start with topics like humanitarian intervention and rights of self-defense in the nuclear age.

      2. mespo,

        you really mean SELECTIVE humanitarian intervention (like in Yemen, or Ruanda Burundi etc), or the ‘butcher’ of Aleppo versus the ‘butchers’ of Mosul and Raka where we created the biggest ruckus about Assad government bombing of terrorist held territory and there has been zero beep about the civilian deaths due to our bombing in both Mosul and Raka – where are the white helmets in Mosul?

        Regarding self defense, that has become a joke, it is like that cartoon of a while ago showing Iran surrounded by US bases and we are complaining that their country is too close to our bases and is a threat to US!! Or the more recent one, where one of our generals complained that Russian troops are now right at the border of NATO!!

        Your comment is baseless, it works for the average ill informed American (Isaacbasonkavich above has an excellent post that you may benefit from)

        1. Must not be too baseless as you spent two paragraphs futility avoiding my point that there are legal bases for military action in both NoKo and Venezuela.

    2. Jill-
      Yours are excellent well-informed comments, unlike many others who post on this blog.

  4. Leaders don’t let the reactions of their opponents govern their actions. To his critics, if Trump does nothing, he’s a heartless monster. If he threatens to fix the situation through military force (the only viable and timely tool available) he’s a fool. If he wrings his hands and laments the suffering while signaling his uncompromising virtue even as others suffer and die, he’s a Democrat. And that’s why true leaders don’t let the reactions of their opponents govern their actions. Damn fool Churchill offending those Germans by vowing to fight them wherever they might be found.

    1. mespo,
      While some might enjoy reading what they consider excellent well-informed comments, I appreciate you using reason and logic as well to make your points. Have a great weekend!

  5. Kind of like how Cuba started, an idiot neighbor threatening, forcing the country to the extremes and into the arms of the opposition. Trump’s idiocy is great when attracting mindless followers here in the US but, like the dictators he is targeting, there’s no viable end game. Sooner or later, hopefully sooner, the gasbag will run out of steam. Let’s see now, he’s blamed everything on Obama, Clinton, Comey, etc and threatened to lock everybody up, he’s given a yugely greater profile to two dictators-North Korea and Venezuela, so that their people will be forced to bend to defend, he continues to estrange the US from the rest of the world, as the rest of the world focuses on reducing fossil fuel consumption Trump champions coal, well, keep reading Fox News and the Washington Times cuz they don’t print this. Tuck your head into the sand.

  6. Trump’s “narrative” is a mere “micro aggression”. Trump should not be principal of any school.

  8. Someone else on this blog reverts to pig latin to avoid being censured or “moderated”. We should all go that route. Does someone know a website which explains how to employ pig latin?
    Do you take a word apart and revise it: itShay. Take the first letter off and add it to end with “hay”?
    I need help here.

    1. My previous comment is awaiting “moderation” because I could not spull “country”.

    2. Ferguson Peet – just google pig latin instructions. You might even find a video on Youtube.

      1. Pig Latin takes the first consonant (or consonant cluster) of an English word, moves it to the end of the word and suffixes an ay, or if a word begins with a vowel you just add way to the end. For example, pig becomes igpay, banana becomes ananabay, and aadvark becomes aadvarkway.

      1. Jeff Flaky is running against Trump in 2020 but he is going to lose his Senate seat in the interim, leaving him even more impotent. He’s a nothingburger.

        1. But, Jeff Flaky will get a lotta phony love from you liberals when he says stuff like this. He’s on CNN constantly, I thought he might have his own freakin’ show.

        2. Nick Spinilli – I think little Jeffy is staying in the Senate. He keeps sending me emails telling me how the horrible Democrats have raised all this money to bring him down and what a great conservative he is. Which reminds me. I have to call his office next week and tell him that I won’t be voting for Jeffy for dog-catcher, if he doesn’t become an actual conservative.

  11. Found the perfect politician for Venezuela……It’s Teddy

    Teddy immigrated from Venezuela to the U.S. He’s an Indian. He became the high school class president. Teddy assimilated quickly. He did lots of LSD & went to rock concerts. Specifically, the Grateful Dead.

    So yeah, I’m in favor of Trump overthrowing Nicolas Maduro & installing Teddy as President of Venezuela.

  12. Weird how if the oil industry there is so cheap our usa outfits aren’t buying it? Will russia have more “property” rights? The fact is cuba is propping up their govt. And our military action would probably….be leaflets to venezuela….and bombs on cuba. But for cuba ven. Wouldn’t be like this. And those ppl there who don’t know that maybe will soon. But for castro….no mudoro. Soon america could supply suppplies with such information. Not everything has to be bombs. And we can outbid russia anyday if we wanted to!

  13. It is regretful that the professor is in opposition to a democratically elected government in Venezuela now beset by problems caused by outside political and economic influences, and apparently in favor of the former so-called ‘governments’ of tinhorn dictators that we helped to engineer in the region and supported over the years. Venezuela is a sovereign country as are all the others, no matter how small or inept, and we have no right to interfere. We are no longer the shining model we once were, nor the world’s policeman, in particular since our country has glaring problems of its own that need to be addressed first.

    2. “glaring U.S. problems”- increased colonialism within the nation’s borders, which is the result of concentrated wealth. Manifestations include Walton-funded GenNext goals, the hedge funds of Democrats for Education Reform, and the “research and enhancement” of neighborhood surveillance by the Arnold Foundation and Pew Trusts.

  14. Ma’duro he take me money when he run Venezuela.

    On a more serious note, I remember several years ago when the US stated it considered Venezuela a national security threat but did not offer much elaboration as to why. I believe this was during Mr. Chavez’ presidency.

    In this case I wonder who is the intended audience of President Trump’s Venezuela talk. Perhaps it was mainly for North Korean consumption, serving a purpose of conveying the resolve to prosecute a war and the ability to open a two font war if needed, a form of insinuating that the DPRK’s fortitude is not what it expects itself to be.

    1. Read between your lines…we should have in 2008 been more serious south…..but we weren’t. It is what it is. But we are still the city on the hill. If we aren’t who is? Most us have hvac they don’t even have tp! But they used to….I get t think what you say….but think of it this way….if at the ballot box your choice is ac or no ac….who ya gonna vote for? That is not democracy that is duress!

    2. The US has trained militants around the world. One wonders if they are like huskies trained to pull a dog sled, who are “chomping at the bit” to actually do what they were trained, paid, and glorified to do.

  15. Russia buys there oil but Maduro pockets the income. The only strategic reason to make the statement “I am considering?” is knowing saying that will push Maduro over the edge even faster. The second reason is when the time comes no other group can provide food, shelter, clothing, medicine etc as fast as the military IF they have some reasonably acceptable government to take Maduro’s place. If latin american history follows it’s usual path that means a military government. Thinking about it the USA did a deal with just such a government when it gave away the Panama Canal Zone and had to go back to ensure the security of the canal as per the treaty. Venezuela is just a case of humanitarian relief. They have nothing to offer we need.

    1. You are so wrong ….they could offer….property rights. That is the foundation to a functioning society. If they don’t function there they come here and say gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme. Until we cant function.

    2. Venezuela has nothing to fear but fear itself. The N. Koreans want to nuke them. America needs to do one thing to react to this place and that is build a wall on our borders and not let anyone in to our country from there.

      1. How will a wall stop those who come with a tourist visa, student visa, work visa, and overstay their visas?

        1. You mean the 45 percent of illegal immigration? Good question and when will we see headlines they are being deported too? Maybe they don’t break next laws?

  16. Obviously Mr. Turley you didn’t hear Mr. Trump’s statement or you don’t understand the situation in Venezuela.

    1. Why don’t you enlighten us? What Trump did is not helpful–and it will rally the people…..

  17. It’s not like the crossed-arm orange Dimwit has something he wants to distract from:

    military military military military military military military military military military military military military low-approval-ratings military military military military military military military military

    1. Actually Turmps approval ratings are surprisingly high considering the massive media attacks comparable to the media attacks (and approval ratings) on President Clinton. What Trump needs to distract from are the Mueller investigations into his lifetime of shady and highly corrupt business practices.

      1. What Trump needs to distract from are the Mueller investigations into his lifetime of shady and highly corrupt business practices.

        And there you have it. An investigation without limits will find something on anyone. The question is how relevant is it today?

      2. I am sure if they were so shadey mueller would have busted him while he headed the fbi for ten years. To do so now shouts…I am meuller I was incompetent then but trust me now…..

  18. I just don’t understand why we would want to invade Venezuela. The country is a mess.

  19. President Trump should be looking in creating more jobs in the USA among hundreds of other problems instead of trying to get involved in Venezuela’s problems. Somebody should inform President Trump that Venezuela is another country that happens to be located in Continental America. And that when we call the USA, America, it does not mean that the rest of the countries in Central and South America are part of the USA America.

    We do not consider Canada part of the USA America. Treat those American countries as you treat Canada. Let them solve their problems alone. We have already created enough problems in El Salvador and Honduras. Just to name only two of them.

    1. Spot on GH! Chile and Guatamala also come readily to mind. We have enough pressing internal issues which need to be addressed. Let the Venezuelans deal with Maduro.

    2. Mr Trump doesn’t need to create jobs. Clean energy is creating massive numbers of jobs for “blue collar” workers as well as high tech workers.

  20. So we just sit back and watch people being starved by their Rulers? Remember Hitler? His incredible imperviousness to torture. Millions died and we said “never again”. Then came the Bosnia, et al, and we watched (what happened to “never again”?). And now, Venezuela. Every night more and more pictures of the desperation and for once our President says we don’t want to watch anymore, stop it, or we’ll stop it for you. Is it true that several humanitarian organizations have tried to get food into the country? Are they stopped at the border, forced to leave what they’ve brought and go back? Watching people die when there is food, but only for the select few. Shall we ignore it, what happened to “never again?”

    1. Sandi Hemming if we are going to be fixing problems in other countries, what do you have to say about SaudiArabia? They decapitate whoever writes against their crimes. Still the USA is sending them weapons to kill people in Yemen(?) What about the slavery in China? And the Mafia in Russia that kills whoever they do not like? We do not have to choose whom we will help and cover our eyes when the others commit abuses against their own people. That is unfair. Or is it the oil in Venezuela that knocks on your investment portfolio and tells you whom we are suppose to help? I am tired of the lies that our society is submerged in.

      1. Have you not heard of what is in the National interest of the United States?

      2. That’s a lot to respond to. I think the reason Venezuela gets more attention is its nearness. We don’t need their oil. As I understand Russia purchases their oil from Venezuela. Why do we fight anywhere? Wherever we hear of most? The Venezuelans who can get out of Venezuela try to get here, but we don’t want that. My hardest moments are seeing children’s faces. Babies next to their dead mothers, what happens to them? Children with total fear in their eyes. Are other South American countries willing to take them? Does anyone care?

    2. SH – so do another Berlin airlift – drop MREs, diapers, formula, packets of seeds, batteries, etc. into the country to help the citizens. No bombs or boots on the ground. That will do more to “win the hearts/minds of the people

      1. Autumn – I think they need several teams of accountants airlifted into the country to straighten out their books. Nothing is going to help until they have a stable economy.

      2. Autumn

        Installing a friendly dictator who’ll destroy the gains achieved and allow U.S. energy companies to regain control of their natural resources – is what JT is supporting. He must really be upset about all the new housing, new colleges, and medical care that the most vulnerable citizens there now have access too.

        Or, maybe he thinks that what Venezuela needs most is for Jeb Bush to go back there and take over the banking business. We know he can do it, because he was sent there in 1977 to run a branch bank – and who knows if Jeb was reporting to CIA or its banking partner in Houston.

      1. Several private organizations, I’m told, did food drops, but government took them.

    4. The position of drug overdoes as cause of death in the U.S.? The number of people without medical care and who go to bed hungry in the U.S.?
      Your arguments would stand on higher ground if coming from Scandinavian countries.

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