Maduro's Rise in Venezuela




The increasingly dangerous and tumultuous environment in Venezuela has made it an increasingly popular debate topic. It is important to understand the issues in the region an this post will provide a background on the issue while providing some additional resources to help you be prepared for your next round! Good luck!

  • President Maduro’s reign in Venezuela represents one of the most brutal, oppressive, and devastating humanitarian disasters in the world. 
  • While the deplorable humanitarian situation in Venezuela is a compelling call for external action, the United States is not the actor that should lead engagement in the region. 
  • Recently, many United States politicians, notably Marco Rubio, and Secretary General Luis Almagro for the Organization of American States have openly supported a “military option” to end the crises in the country. 
  • While the U.S. has historically been a leader in military interventions with the desire to enact change for the better, a military response, especially one led by the United States, in Venezuela would be counterproductive and unrealistic. 
  • Shockingly, in five years, the Venezuelan economy has shrunk with an inflation rate approaching one million percent. Nearly nine out of ten Venezuelans are living in poverty with a healthcare system in shatters as hospitals lack supplies and medical professionals. 
  • In response to an increasingly chaotic environment, Maduro’s response has been to crack down and use increasingly oppressive tactics to control his constituents. The government tracks citizens using a “carnet de la patria” identification card, which is required for the purchase of nearly all necessities. 
  • If an individual is determined to have gone against the government, his or her access to government controlled food and medicines will be revoked. 
  • In conjunction with the increasing misery in the country, those fleeing the country have exponentially increased. 
  • Nearly 7% of the population has fled, seeking asylum and refuge in neighboring countries and the United States. 
  • While the humanitarian crisis inspires political change, a military intervention led by the United States will only produce more harm than good. 
  • At nearly twice the size of Iraq with approximately the same population, a military invasion into Venezuela would require at least a 100,000-soldier force. 
  • Further complicating an invasion, in Venezuela there are nearly 100,000 individuals who are members of “colectivos” or armed militia groups that will likely go rouge after the fall of the current government. 
  • Additionally, Venezuela is a large trafficking site for illegal narcotics and the drug trade into the Caribbean and United States. 
  • A majority of Venezuelans oppose a U.S. invasion. An invasion would also play into Maduro’s claims that the despair and economic ruin faced in the country is a direct result of U.S.-led imperialist conspiracies. The U.S. would face a challenging project if it invaded Venezuela. 
  • The infrastructure is crumbling with barely functioning hospitals, schools, and sewage systems. If the U.S. were to invade, it would have to stay for the long term. Additionally, the United States would face blame for any failure in the occupation. 
  • Rather than an occupation, Venezuela’s neighbors should follow the actions of the U.S. and other Western Leaders to sanction Venezuelan leaders’ bank accounts, “making life much harder for the criminals and oppressors leading the country." 
  • The U.S. can use other actors, such as China (the regime’s main financier), to push for increased political change in the region. 
  • Additionally, the U.S. can increase its assistance to those fleeing the regime’s dictatorship. 
  • Underneath the Trump administration, only $70 million dollars in humanitarian aid has reached the country, and the U.S. has denied half of asylum claim applicants. 
  • Another option would be for the United States to offer “Temporary Protected Status,” which would allow Venezuelans to work and live in the U.S. until their country regained stability. 
  • Rather than advocating for the anachronistic and harmful military interventionist measures, the U.S. and Venezuela’s regional actors should advocate for the hard, but necessary, diplomatic measures that could assuage the crises as quickly as possible while allowing for the protection of those fleeing the country.

Additional Resources:

www.cfr.org/blog/us-military-intervention-venezuela- would-be-disaster.
https://www.cnn.com/2013/04/26/world/americas/nicolas-maduro-fast-facts/index.htmlhttps://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/venezuela-crisishttps://www.cfr.org/event/volatile-venezuela-what-do-about-crisishttps://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/reports/2018/10/16/459352/venezuela-crisis-way-forward/

Debate Motions:

This House, as the U.S. military, will intervene in Venezuela.
This House, as Latin American nations, will intervene in Venezuela.

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