Biden and Trump’s promises to Venezuelans
The current US administration said weeks ago that it began a campaign of “maximum pressure” against the South American country
With less than 100 days to go until the presidential elections in the United States take place, the two candidates for the White House, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, promise to intensify Washington’s policy against Venezuela.
Both the Republican and the Democrat promise to increase the pressure and the total blockade, as well as the unilateral coercive measures that they impose against Venezuelans and that show their effectiveness in the deterioration of the quality of life of the people of Venezuela..
Both candidates try to promote their campaigns with the Venezuela issue, always used as a “political card” in electoral processes in different countries around the world, especially in America and Europe, with the purpose of influencing the results.
The promises of both Trump and Biden are clear: continue to intensify anti-Venezuelan policies and increase the blockade against the government of President Nicolás Maduro, whom they intend to illegitimate in order to steal state resources abroad.
In a recent report by the Voice of America (VOA) — media at the service of the United States government — they interviewed representatives of both candidates to find out their positions with respect to Venezuela.
Biden and Trump will intensify the blockade
One of the “strategists” of the Republican party and member of Latinos for Trump, Jesús Márquez, told VOA that Trump “has as a main topic on his agenda, to continue with the support” against “the Maduro regime,” which — he assures — that “Thanks” to the current US president “has been weakening” the venezuelan “regime”.
“Continue with sanctions against the Venezuelan regime and allow (…) Guaidó to continue to strengthen himself thanks to the support of Donald Trump. It should be remembered that the president was the first to recognize him on the world scene”, said the Republican spokesman.
Meanwhile, Juan Sebastián González, a strategist for the Democratic party and a former adviser to Biden, stressed that the candidate “supports the sanctions”, but says that “they have to be well-thought-out and coordinated sanctions”.
“He (Biden) will work together with the international community to mobilize more pressure on the Maduro regime. He would support a response to the much broader humanitarian situation that would include support to countries like Colombia and the Caribbean”, said the representative of Biden who did not mention Juan Guaidó.
He added that “also” the Democratic candidate “would go after every coin stolen from the Venezuelan State by the corrupt regime, which is the one in Venezuela at the moment”.
‘Support or complicit governments?
The onslaught of the candidates, according to what their spokesmen say, to continue blocking Venezuela and pressuring Maduro fundamentally needs “collaboration in the region”.
“Right now the United States is helping Colombia a lot (…) support is going to be strengthened on all fronts, both economically and socially and in all the ways possible”, says Márquez.
Trump’s spokesman adds that “at this time there is no specific policy on Venezuela, but what we do know is that we are going to continue supporting (…) not so much the governments, that suddenly, become totalitarian”.
For his part, González says: “We must put pressure on the regime to let humanitarian organizations enter”.
In addition, Biden’s representative indicated that he would “expand the economic response of humanitarian assistance to Venezuela, demand that political prisoners be released, and grant Venezuelans exiled in the United States a temporary protected status”, known as TPS, for their acronym in English.
“Maduro has grown stronger”
In the midst of it all, the Trump administration said weeks ago that it launched a “maximum pressure” campaign against Venezuela.
However, in recent days, the speeches of his spokesmen seem to become a bit ambiguous when they say that Venezuelans must resolve their issues and that the idea of a military invasion of the South American country is somewhat “surreal.”
For his part, Biden alleges that Trump “failed” with his policies towards Venezuela and Cuba, something he says could reverse if he wins the November elections.
“It is an abject failure since he took office”, Biden said during a recent interview, in which he stressed that President Nicolás Maduro “has been strengthened”, because of these policies.
Likewise, he added that Trump “has eliminated international partners, alienated partners and undermined the cause of democracy”.
In reference to Cuba, Biden said that he intends to continue with the line of former President Barack Obama (2009–2017), that is to reestablish relations.
“My plan is to follow a policy that promotes interests and empowers the Cuban people to freely determine their own outcome and future” he said. Biden added that Trump “has done nothing to promote democracy and human rights”.
Meanwhile, the magnate Donald Trump insists on saying that “Biden is a trojan horse of socialism”.
