Fausta's Blog

American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

January 10, 2013 By Fausta

Oh, peachy, now the Obama admin’s cozying up to Maduro

Now that Hugo Chávez doesn’t need to be sworn in to start his new six-year term, there’s this:
In Chavez’s absence, U.S. works to open communication with Venezuela

With cancer-stricken President Hugo Chavez battling for his life, the Obama administration has embarked on a discreet but concerted weeks-long diplomatic initiative to open channels of communication with his sharply anti-American government.

The effort to break through a years-old deep freeze with one of the world’s top oil suppliers comes as Venezuela plunged deeper into an institutional crisis Wednesday over Chavez’s long absence since undergoing surgery Dec. 11 in Cuba.

But American officials have been preparing for a post-Chavez scenario, one in which they can engage Caracas on a variety of concerns the State Department has had about the Venezuelan government’s policies. They include the close alliance Venezuela has built with Iran, extensive narco-­trafficking through Venezuelan territory and prickly economic issues important to U.S. companies, such as their inability to repatriate earnings from here because of currency controls.

The premise is that Vice President Nicolas Maduro is “seen as a negotiator.”

How so?

Maduro is considered an ideologue close to Cuba’s Communist leadership and in lock step with Chavez’s long-standing policy of distancing Venezuela from the United States, which had been a close ally until his presidency began in 1999. As foreign minister, a position he still holds, Maduro has led Chavez’s campaign to forge closer ties with U.S. adversaries such as Iran.
…
On a practical level, the Venezuelan government stopped cooperating with Washington’s counter-drug operations and for years was accused of assisting guerrillas in neighboring Colombia, the closest U.S. ally in the region. Under Maduro’s watch as foreign minister, Venezuela became friendlier with pariah states such as Syria, Libya and Belarus.

That’s some negotiating, for a “pragmatist“,

What does “pragmatist” mean in this context? The functional definition is: those with whom the Obama administration wishes to “engage.” The substantive definition is: an anti-American who is willing to play the likes of Barack Obama, John Kerry, and Nancy Pelosi for suckers as long as no action is required to do so.

Then there’s the question of how long would Maduro stay in power, considering Diosdado Cabello’s position as head of the National Assembly.

What can possibly go wrong?

Cross-posted at Liberty Unyielding.

UPDATE
Jesus & Hugo:


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Filed Under: Barack Obama, Communism, Cubazuela, Fausta's blog, Hugo Chavez, Latin America, Venezuela Tagged With: Fausta's blog, Nicolas Maduro

Comments

  1. fuster says

    January 14, 2013 at 1:28 am

    and why, pray tell, Fausto, should we not talk with people who will have power in Venezuela when Chavez croaks his last?

    do you think we shouldn’t talk to those still around when the Castro’s finally snuff it?

    you want a world where feuds are eternal..or what?

  2. fuster says

    January 14, 2013 at 1:30 am

    should decent people still want to burn Popes at the stake because of the Inquisition?

  3. Fausta says

    January 14, 2013 at 9:58 am

    you want a world where feuds are eternal..or what?
    I want a world where the US supports democracies that stand for human rights and the rule of law.

    BTW, it’s Fausta.

  4. fuster says

    January 14, 2013 at 11:54 am

    egads, a thousand apologies for the misspelling of your name. …. truly.

    but talking to folks with whom we’re not friendly is a necessity in the world and most of the world’s nations aren’t democracies….while Venezuela still has the form of one.

    I loathe Chavez and his regime, but with him getting ready to kick the bucket, we have more than sufficient reason to wish to nudge Venezuela toward substantive democracy if we can.

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