A coup on the cards? Rex Tillerson criticises Nicolas Maduro’s socialist regime in Venezuela

By Mahak Paliwal

The very first tour of Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, witnessed a considerable start with his comment on Nicolas Maduro, the President of Venezuela and its left-wing government. He suggested the possibility of the President being tumbled by his own army. Further, in his speech at the Texas University, he said, “If the kitchen gets a little too hot for him, I am sure that he’s got some friends over in Cuba that could give him a nice hacienda on the beach and he could have a nice life over there.”

He added that a situation may arise when the tolerance level of the citizens will reach its peak, resulting in the military of the state “managing a peaceful transition”. His comment has received a very unwelcoming response from the Nicolas government. Vladimir Padrino, the Defense Minister, during a press release said, “Every day he distances himself more from diplomacy to enter into war-mongering. You have no moral authority.” He continued, “This man will try to persuade Latin America governments to intervene in Venezuela. That’s a publicity stunt.”

Nicolas Maduro and his socialist government

With the increasingly worsening conditions of the people in Venezuela, it has become complex to estimate any single factor responsible for it. The question remains: Is it because of the carefree attitude of the state leader or is it the barbaric attitude of Nicolas Maduro’s which is leading to such a condition? Also, what is more monstrous: Maduro’s ignorance or his unworried attitude regarding the role of militants that were involved in murdering vulnerable young personals. The catalogue of Maduro’s deeds stands indefinitely, which is well advertised, not just among Venezuelans but also, around the globe. The whole world is well acquainted with his autocratic, scandalous and incompetent character.

Maduro’s admission in the political regime is the gift of Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela from 1999 to 2013. It was under his umbrella that Maduro received political orientation and held posts of foreign minister and Vice President. However, what is noteworthy is the fan following his predecessor, Chávez enjoyed during his period. The leader was pro-people and formulated varied policies and norms which favoured the poor. Being the successor of such a charismatic leader, Maduro has faced worldwide criticism. He is being accused of being unable to run the state.

Maduro, along with his socialist party, has led Venezuela to the worst depression that the country has ever come across. The country has observed triple-digit inflation in the recent past under his governance. In an open letter sent to President Nicolas Maduro on August 27, 2017, by Peter Koeing, the writer mentioned, “As a Venezuelan, I have thousands of reasons to demand your resignation. My country has reached rock bottom, and its time to start over. The “revolution” you are commanding has destroyed the Venezuelan identity. I can’t stand one more day of watching people beg for basic medicines. This is not a luxury. People’s lives at risk. Accept it, you must resign.“ The letter plainly depicts the disapproval of his presidency by the common people in Venezuela. His continued existence clearly demonstrates his ideology of remaining in power while ensuring violation of human rights and democratic principles.

Venezuelan military intervention and protest

During the entire relentless protest by demonstrators on the streets of Venezuela staging contention towards the government and Maduro’s dramatic responses, the adequacy of the armed forces has been brought into huge question. Journalists, bureaucrats, researchers and philosophers at an international level are questioning this.  While Madura’s government is enjoying the exceptional support of National Guard, which is a militarised police force employed to suppress the common people, the armed forces are increasingly taking a back seat. Among the armed forces, the ones who actually come forward to safeguard people’s rights are often shut down. Kerling de Sánchez, the wife of the colonel who was sent to jail for having plotted unrest against the current government says, “Our military men are supposed to swear an oath of allegiance and agree to respect the constitution.” She further questioned, “So, if our constitutional rights are being violated, why is the military going along with it?”

In the past, several attempts have been made by the individuals employed in the security forces to usurp the much-needed power from the state, which is the prominent reason behind the prevalent force. An attack was carried out by a captain of the National Guard, which led to his arrest. Similarly, Oscar Perez, a policeman who was also a helicopter pilot was located and killed for throwing a bomb at the government quarters. Thus, the officers who sided with the common man have either been neutralised, exiled, killed or imprisoned by the autocratic authorities.

Venezuela, today, employs more generals than the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the United States (U.S).  However, the contribution of militants and the armed forces in promoting the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro cannot go unnoticed, considering the steps that it could have taken to humanise Maduro’s regime. The anti-government protest in Venezuela has already witnessed 100 deaths with the tear gas and water cannons being lobbed at the protestors. Padrino, the Minister of Defence not surprisingly supports the government’s brutal behaviour.

Intervention of the current global establishment

Nicolas Maduro is being condemned for his evil deeds by the international community. Donald Trump, the president of United States has openly alerted him about military intervention and sanctions. Along with leaders of varied Latin American regions, Trump has attacked Maduro’s political tactics for violating human rights hampering the economic management. “We have many options for Venezuela. And by the way, I am not going to rule out a military option,” Trump said. “Venezuela is not very far away and the people are suffering, and they are dying,” he added. When Maduro asked for  a meeting with Donald Trump, the spokesperson said that the president of U.S. would “gladly speak with the leader of Venezuela as soon as democracy is restored in that country.”

The Venezuelan crisis has also received a prominent response and attracted the attention of leaders from other countries, including Chile, Uruguay, and Peru. The Organization of American States (OAS) and Brazil have demanded the restoration of full democracy in Venezuela. Moreover, President Enrique Peña Nieto has condoned imprisonment of the opposition leader.  However, the officials in Cuba have shown their incredible support for Maduro during his visit. The officials said, “We reject the aggressions and concerted manipulations against our ally.”

With the increased shortage of food and medicines, failure of basic services, rapidly increasing inflation and a retarded oil industry growth have all heightened the probability of “economic war”. With this in view, it will be interesting to see how just far Maduro’s regime might go.

Featured Image Source: Wikimedia Commons