Repression in Venezuela

An important point in the debate over U.S. policy toward Venezuela is that although invasion is seriously problematic in both practical and legal terms, opposing it is not the same as supporting the government. In that sense there are echoes of Iraq. For example, the UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela released a new report detailing the horrific human abuses being committed by the Maduro regime.*

It viciously attacks protests and the abuses have worsened since July 2024, when the government blatantly stole the presidential election, and certainly is worse still in the context of possible invasion. It engages in unlawful detention, torture, killing, you name it. The regime goes after the opposition or anyone "perceived as such" (p. 44). Participating in a protest makes you perceived as one even if you are protesting in favor of democracy and against deprivation.

One nice thing about this blog is that a good chunk of my intellectual history is retained here. I see that 11 years ago, just after Maduro took power, I wrote more and more about human rights abuses in Venezuela. What's happening now is simply a deepening of a decade-long process. Lacking Chavez's charisma and therefore any personal attachment to the Venezuelan people, Maduro has been forced to increase brute force over time. It's a terrible situation with no good solution.

* "Regime" is the word that comes immediately to mind as opposed to "government" because Nicolas Maduro so clearly stole the last presidential election and at this point would have no chance at all in a free election. The Venezuelan people do not get to choose who governs them.