The former US ambassador to Venezuela, William Brownfield. Photo: File photo.
The former United States ambassador to Venezuela, William Brownfield, has called on the Joe Biden Administration to tighten sanctions on the South American nation, with the claims that in his opinion, it is the only way to overthrow the sovereign government of President Nicolás Maduro.
In an interview this Wednesday, February 21, Brownfield said that the imposition of sanctions on Venezuela is a decision that has been postponed for too long. Thusly, he called on the US government and the entire international community to exert pressure and promote, in his opinion, a so-called “democratic solution.”
Although the US Congressional Research Services Office has recognized in a recently released report the fact that the ongoing sanctions against Venezuela “did not cause the President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro, to be removed from power,” this former US government official insists that this is the tool to achieve it.
Wilson Center Think Tank Reloads the US Roadmap Against Venezuela
In addition, Brownfield questioned the validity of the Barbados Agreement, signed between the Venezuelan government and the opposition, after alleging that the Biden Administration was “naïve” by offering to lift some sanctions “in exchange for certain promises.”
The influential former diplomat, belonging to the Wilson Center ‘think tank’, attempted to blame Venezuelan authorities for not respecting the Barbados Agreement, despite the fact that it is the US and its local assets in the far-right opposition that are the ones that violated the agreement. This was done through their rejection of the Venezuelan Supreme Court decision to uphold the disqualification of María Corina Machado, and by allowing their local assets to organize new terrorist plots to oust President Maduro.
For the former US ambassador, the sanctions are the necessary measures to impose the presidential candidacy of the opposition leader María Corina Machado, who has been disqualified from holding public office for 15 years.
“Maduro will never comply with an agreement that results in his departure from power and he has already concluded that allowing the candidacy of the unitary leader, María Corina Machado, would lead to that result,” he stated, in an attempt to present the Venezuelan far-right politician as a real contender for the Venezuelan Chavista leader, when in reality, according to analysts and public opinion, she is not.
La Oficina de Servicios de Investigación del Congreso de EEUU publica nuevo informe sobre sanciones contra Venezuela. Afirma que "fallaron en desalojar a Maduro del poder y contribuyeron a una crisis económica en el país que ha llevado a 7,7 millones de venezolanos a huir." pic.twitter.com/3toIBz6itI
— Francisco Rodríguez (@frrodriguezc) January 24, 2024
Sanctions affect the Venezuelan people
In recent years, a number of different organizations have confirmed that the sanctions imposed against Venezuela have not generated any political change. On the contrary, they have affected the quality of life of the Venezuelan people.
Recently, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, officially recognized that sanctions have limited the capacity of the Venezuelan government to implement social programs in the country.
“Sanctions have been one factor, among others,” said Fakhri, “that has limited the government’s budgetary capacity to implement social protection programs and provide basic public services.” This contradicts the official line put out by the White House on why it is they and their allies continue to impose their illegal and unilateral sanctions.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
