Rick Scott Doubles Down Calls for Intervention in Venezuela
Jose Nino
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Republican Senator Rick Scott called for the United States to consider a military intervention in Venezuela on Wednesday, April 24, 2019.
Such suggestions in the past have evoked a strong response from the Russian government, which has said a potential intervention would have “catastrophic” consequences.
In English and Spanish, Scott tweeted out “People are suffering. People are dying. In our hemisphere. On our watch. The aid in this warehouse can feed 30,000 people for 10 days, but Maduro’s blocking it. It’s clear that we’ll have to consider American military assets to deliver aid. [Nicolás Maduro] has left us no choice.”
People are suffering. People are dying. In our hemisphere. On our watch. The aid in this warehouse can feed 30,000 people for 10 days, but Maduro's blocking it.
It’s clear that we'll have to consider American military assets to deliver aid. @Nicolasmaduro has left us no choice. pic.twitter.com/GeB2qsL9rc
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) April 24, 2019
Over the last few years, Venezuela’s disastrous socialist experiment has left it vulnerable to outside forces such as China, Cuba, Iran, and Russia. Naturally, this has worried interventionists in the U.S. State Department.
With the U.S.’s decision to back Juan Guaidó’s declaration as Venezuela’s Interim President in January, this geopolitical conflict has escalated over the past few months.
Countries like China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, Syria, and Turkey have recognized Maduro’s government, whereas the U.S. and numerous Western governments have recognized Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader.
The Maduro government blocked American humanitarian aid in February, which resulted in the U.S. and its allies placing more sanctions on Venezuela.
Russia responded by sending military personnel in March, an action which Secretary of State Mike Pompeo labeled as “unconstructive”.
Scott gave a speech at the American Enterprise Institute saying that “We must not appear weak in the face of Chinese, Russian, and Cuban determination to prop up Maduro.”
The Senator added, “Our adversaries question our will and our determination. Put simply, they don’t think we’re serious.”
Despite Scott’s hawkish takes on Venezuela, the Trump administration has maintained a level-headed approach so far.
BLP highlighted how Secretary of State Pompeo discarded the idea of intervention in Iran earlier this week.
It appears that this same non-interventionist approach will likely carry over to Venezuela.
For America First advocates who want a restrained foreign policy, these latest moves are positive signs.
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