OPINION:
Venezuela is in crisis. Under the socialist regimes of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro, a nation that in the 1950s was the wealthiest in South America, with vast oil reserves, is now in total poverty. People are without food and medicine after 15 years of socialist policies. Many have been reduced to scavenging garbage to feed their families. Power outages that last for days at a time have plunged Venezuela into darkness without access to clean water, food or communications networks. Many people have lost their lives to starvation, disease and violence.
Recently, America, Canada, Israel, Brazil and several other nations recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate leader of Venezuela in the wake of Venezuela’s disputed elections. Further, Mr. Maduro has closed the border to block access of American humanitarian aid into Venezuela, and blamed most of the chaos on American operatives. Last month, Russian forces landed in Venezuela to assist the Maduro socialist regime. What we have now in Venezuela is chaos, poverty and complete government failure — all brought on by socialist policies.
Americans listening to Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other congressional Democrats need to reject their political rhetoric. Their policies may sound good to some on paper, but in the end they’ll lead America into an abyss and abject poverty. Capitalism is far superior to socialism. There are no utopian systems, but socialism is unequivocally a dismal failure. It creates a higher elite who manage the peons who work for them.
Reject the Democrats and their socialist policies if you love America.
MICHAEL IMHOF
Aurora, Illinois
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