Just my take on Venezuela

EDITOR: From the outset, let me register my dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in Venezuela. I have been following the situation for the past few years since the economic blockade began. I search for all sides of the story … and I must add that the propaganda machine is in high gear, as we witness the continuing show-down … opposition fighting with fire, Maduro fighting back with water … but when the water runs out … !!!

The fact is that the US wants a cheap source of oil and has their sights on Venezuela. Independent American journalists and media analysts share the same opinion. However, a pro-socialist government wants the wealth, especially the revenue from oil sales to be used in programs for health, education, housing and the list goes on, but greedy and selfish individuals, like the biblical Judas, appear in every country of the world, with Venezuela being no exception.

The hypocrisy of the US and other countries towing the line and toeing the line must be condemned. On one hand the US and UK are freezing and blocking billions of dollars legitimately owned by the legitimately elected government of Venezuela, while propping up a puppet, who vaguely resembles the charismatic Obama, as the savior, hoping that the subliminal effect would captivate the masses.

No, it goes much deeper than that. On the other hand, they are giving a paltry $73 million in food aid, just a fraction of the billions of dollars they are deliberately withholding, which is legitimately owned by the people of Venezuela, the same money that could be used and would have been used to diffuse the economic situation.

So the US creates the crisis (because they want the oil for next to nothing) and is giving peanuts to an entire country that is suffering … both opposition and government. If the US/Canada were so caring, why didn’t they start giving that food aid to the millions who have fled to neighbouring countries? Those refugees are still no better off in those countries, save the ‘warfare’. That is where humanitarian aid is required too!

With war you have multiple casualties, which puts the medical services which are under stress, under increasing stress. The added emotional and psychological stress and distress and lack of food is what is causing some of the military personnel to defect, and this is understandable, because stress and hunger cause even the best of us to crack and crumble. Bob Marley once sang “ah hungry man is ah angry man … de pot ah cook and de food nah nuff”, that is exactly what is playing out in Venezuela today, all orchestrated by the US. So do we need to further expose the hypocrisy of the US and its allies?

After visiting Taiwan some years ago as a journalist, I learned that the Taiwanese were able to sustain themselves after breaking away from China by feeding themselves first. They said, “In order to think well, you need to eat well”. It worked. They sold surplus rice to Japan and other fraternal countries and invested the profits in technology. They are now among the top ten economic giants in the Asian community.

The opportunistic US, (while pretending to befriend China, are actually its biggest enemy), are using Taiwan as a base to attack China due to its proximity. The exact opposite happened in the 60s when the US blocked the soviets from sending missiles to Cuba, which is similarly poised like Taiwan to China.

My main disappointment with the Venezuelans, even before Chavez died and when the blockade began, was the inability to get Venezuelans back to the land. If they were able to adequately feed themselves then it would have been more difficult for the blockade to have an effect. But it is not too late. Whatever the outcome of this crisis, it must be “Back to the Land”.

Now get this straight, NOT all Americans are worthless, self-seeking, war mongering and greedy individuals. It is the POLICY makers who want to control the world by force. History has proven that they are nothing but puerile bullies, traits which have followed them into their adult life. Simple as that. Those are the ones that Americans need to get rid of, if world peace is to be achieved and maintained.
Nuff said and I pray The Almighty’s intervention in this continuing fiasco.

Donald A. De Riggs