Biden to ease Venezuelan sanctions if they commit to fair elections.
This author has said it once, and he’ll say it again: America’s enemies have a best friend in President Joe Biden.
The latest evidence proving that statement can be found in his administration’s purported plan to ease Venezuelan sanctions in exchange for the Maduro government’s pinky promise to hold free elections next year.
On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the U.S. government and Venezuela are close to finalizing the deal: Biden and co. will lift sanctions on oil drilling and banking — but only after socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro and his gang announce democratic reforms.
This could allow Venezuela access to upwards of $3 billion frozen in European banks while enriching the government’s pockets due to the country’s natural resources. These sanctions were imposed on the Latin American nation by former President Donald Trump in 2019. Maduro is notoriously corrupt. It stands to reason that he will be made richer once these sanctions are lifted.
If you haven’t noticed, the Biden administration seems intent on undoing Trump’s foreign policy — even if it rewards America’s adversaries. (See: Iran.)
Of course, it’s unclear how seriously Maduro’s commitment to “free and fair” elections should be taken.
In July 2022, Elliott Abrams, the U.S. Department of State’s special representative to Venezuela, warned, “The conditions for free and fair elections are actually much worse today than they were in May 2018, when Maduro held the presidential elections that democracies all over the world have said were fraudulent.”
Maduro has claimed that 2018 was a fair election — despite the evidence to the contrary. He’s not fooling anybody, except the Biden administration.
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One Republican who has spent years warning against alleviating sanctions is Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL).
As recently as September 2023, Rubio wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
“Any sanctions that would benefit the Venezuelan regime, as well as on [Petróleos de Venezuela], oil production, or refinement, or infusing Chinese cash into the Maduro regime is a direct threat against U.S. national security interests and the safety and wellbeing of our region,” Rubio said recently.
Rubio stressed Maduro is not to be trusted.
“The regime’s political and economic mismanagement has caused the largest refugee crisis in the world, which has driven more than 7 million Venezuelans to flee their homeland,” he added. “To make things worse, the narco-regime continues to fund terrorist organizations in neighboring Colombia as well as fomenting instability and serving as sponsors of a major international drug trafficking ring that contributes to the growing opioid epidemic in our country.”
Biden has made it a habit to engage in dialogue with Maduro by easing sanctions.
In 2022, Rubio blasted Biden for his appeasement.
“President Biden claims to support democracy and human rights, but his foreign policy strategy is actually built around appeasement and giving concessions to dictators,” Rubio said in May 2022.
“Simply put, President Biden is strengthening illegitimate, corrupt regimes in our hemisphere that undermine American national security,” he added.
This latest report also comes as the Biden administration openly brags about slowing down U.S. oil production. Venezuela’s oil production? Go right ahead, Maduro, just ensure it’s a so-called fair election — what does that mean exactly?
Well, at home, the GOP frontrunner is facing lawfare via a litany of arguably bogus indictments — which should give you an idea as to how seriously Biden takes making sure elections are free and fair.
America last, indeed.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
What are the reasons behind Marco Rubio’s opposition to investment into the Venezuelan economy?
Investment into the Venezuelan economy, should be vigorously opposed,” Rubio stated in the letter.
He pointed out that Maduro’s regime has consistently violated agreements and promises in the past, and lifting sanctions without verifiable reforms would only serve to empower and enrich the dictator and his cronies.
Rubio’s concerns are well-founded. The Maduro regime has been responsible for widespread human rights abuses, corruption, and economic mismanagement. The people of Venezuela have suffered greatly under his rule, with millions forced to flee the country due to poverty, violence, and lack of basic necessities. Easing sanctions without substantial guarantees of democratic reforms will only perpetuate the suffering of the Venezuelan people.
Furthermore, Biden’s approach to Venezuela raises questions about the administration’s overall stance toward oppressive regimes and human rights abuses worldwide. If the U.S. is willing to negotiate with and potentially lift sanctions on a dictator like Maduro, it sends a troubling message to other authoritarian leaders that they may not face consequences for their actions. It undermines the credibility of the U.S. as a global defender of democracy and human rights.
Additionally, the potential lifting of sanctions could have negative implications for regional stability. Venezuela’s government has been involved in destabilizing activities across Latin America, supporting repressive regimes and insurgencies in countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, and Bolivia. Allowing the Venezuelan regime access to billions of dollars could further enable these destabilizing actions, posing a threat to the security and stability of the region.
The Biden administration should reconsider its approach to Venezuela. The Maduro regime cannot be trusted to fulfill its promises of democratic reforms, and lifting sanctions without substantial guarantees would only strengthen a corrupt dictatorship. The U.S. must demonstrate a firm commitment to defending democracy and human rights, even in the face of difficult choices. Allowing America’s enemies to benefit from lenient policies only undermines our own interests and values.
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