The Naïve Policies of the United States

It’s hard not to get angry with U.S. policies, which have often been sinful due to their abruptness and, at other times, naivete, or at the least, to put it simply, because they are badly timed and becoming misguided.

Without a doubt, a new case of this is Venezuela being declared a threat to U.S. security. Even though the U.S. can justify sanctions against seven Venezuelan officials for violating human rights and, technically, has had to use a law dealing with national security to give reasons why, the resulting atmosphere is one that points to the U.S. failure to maximize the tailwind left by new diplomatic relations with Cuba.

The thing is that the U.S. was in the unbeatable position of heading to the seventh Summit of the Americas, which will convene this coming April 11 in Panama, after the announcement and subsequent negotiations with Cuba about re-establishing diplomatic relations between both countries. The sudden announcement, made in unison by President Barack Obama and Raul Castro on Dec. 17, suddenly and in one swift blow caught Venezuela and its ruler, Nicolas Maduro, completely off guard.

Thus, it seemed to be a master U.S. policy move, forcing a change in the geopolitical paradigm of the American continent, as observers of international politics concurred.

However, just as the decision struck with a noble effect and appeared to be a milestone that would overhaul the less anti-imperialistic agenda of all of the previous Summits of the Americas, the bad timing of the measures against Venezuela announced by the White House are now putting the earlier situation back into place.

Although the sanctions against the seven Venezuelan officials may be justified, those in charge of U.S. foreign policy will have to push themselves to the maximum to neutralize President Nicolas Maduro’s political propaganda. Neither dumb nor lazy, it was easy to predict that the continued supporter of the Bolivarian revolution would return to the international spotlight with Chavismo’s propagandist trappings, which have been so successful in the past with diverting attention from his internal problems spiraling out of control: inflation, unemployment, scarcity, violence and lack of security, to name a few.

The United States gave an IV and life to a Maduro that was in intensive care.

Maduro will go to the continental summit reinvigorated and praised by many regional leaders who, despite staying quiet about the anti-democratic situation in Venezuela, are now forced to declare their support for the regime. And, though it all might seem extremely hypocritical, the U.S. made this situation possible.