On June 28, the Republican Senator, Marco Rubio, published an article titled “Reversing the failed policies of Obama-Biden in Venezuela” causing controversy and contradictions; the most important being the arguments presented in a Twitter thread by the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs and responsible for the diplomatic participation of the United States in the implementation of policies in Central America and the Caribbean, Juan Sebastian Gonzalez.
In the article, the Senator basically focuses on the distinction of the Venezuelan situation and in some way, while discrediting the work of President Barack Obama’s administration, exalts what that of Donald Trump has been done so far.
First, Rubio argues that, for some reason, the Obama administration never tried to isolate Maduro and fully support the Venezuelan opposition. He strongly criticizes the idea of dialogue propagated by the former US administration as a solution to the conflict and situation that Venezuela is going through. However, as Juan Gonzalez points out, it seems that Donald Trump is going through a vicious cycle in which he takes up the previously criticized; the dialogue. Recall Rubio’s statement in which he establishes that credible negotiations are the way to resolve the Venezuelan crisis.
The Deputy Secretary was very clear in stating that, if Donald Trump really cares about the situation in Venezuela, he would have approved the Temporary Protected Status. Gonzalez added that, “we owe it to the people of Venezuela to not turn their suffering into a campaign issue,” and for that reason, Americans should objectively discuss the best policy options.
Gonzalez goes on to recall all the work carried out by the former administration of Barack Obama, who, in June of 2014, along with Vice President Joe Biden, met in the White House with several members of Congress in order to discuss and give advice prior to a travel to Latin American countries such as, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Guatemala. With the participation of great figures such as Tim Kaine, Jeff Flake, Senator Menendez, among others, it was possible to discuss and cover the situation of several countries, including Venezuela. Additionally, support was given to the law for the defense of human rights and civil society in Venezuela. In the same way, the new executive order opened the doors to be able to apply more than 70 sanctions that fight against corruption and bet for the strengthening of human rights.
The United States government has the power to truly fight to put an end to the suffering of millions of Venezuelans, or, conversely, to turn that torture into a political campaign issue. For the moment, President Trump has resumed what he initially criticized so much; the dialogue as a solution to the situation that Venezuela is going through today.
Now, after two years of rejecting the idea of dialogue and blasting the @BarackObama Admin for supporting it – the @realDonaldTrump Admin now finds itself going full circle, as if they had come up w the idea of dialogue. 10/
— Juan S. Gonzalez (@Cartajuanero) June 28, 2019