"The story about Venezuela's recent history describes how the Maduro administration arrested people in opposition parties, relied on loyalists in the Supreme Court to strip the power of the National Assembly and eroded democratic checks and balances to the extent of putting the country in a constitutional crisis. Does this picture of paving the way to authoritarianism and dictatorship look familiar to Americans?"
"President Trump's incursion in Venezuela raises myriad legal issues as well as practical questions. The legal issues boil down to when one country may invade another, depose its leader, take its resources, maintain a military presence or run the country? While deposing President Maduro might be allowed based on his prosecution in U.S. courts, the remaining actions do not appear to be justified under international law. Congress should prevent another foreign military and fiscal fiasco a la Iraq by denying funding for Trump's adventurism. Venezuelan oil is not worth American blood."
"Venezuela is now an opportunity for equality. Institute an Alaska-type Permanent Fund where all of Venezuela's oil revenue is distributed equally to every resident Venezuelan citizen and none to the government. The government is financed by taxation."
Venezuela experienced systematic erosion of democratic institutions as the Maduro administration arrested opposition members, used loyalists in the Supreme Court to strip the National Assembly of power, and weakened checks and balances, producing a constitutional crisis. One proposed remedy is an Alaska-style Permanent Fund to distribute oil revenue equally to all residents while financing government by taxation. Debates over U.S. involvement emphasize legal and practical limits: invasion, deposition, resource seizure, occupation, or governance raise international law concerns. Some argue removing Maduro may have legal basis, but broader military or fiscal intervention appears unjustified and risky.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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