Florida Senator Marco Rubio continues to be immersed in the conversation regarding the fallout of the Venezuelan elections, where most countries continue to reject the results presented by the government due to a lack of supporting documentation.
Rubio, one of the most vocal critics of the Venezuelan government in the U.S., published an opinion column in the Miami Herald claiming the current scenario is a direct result of policy mismanagement by the Biden-Harris administration.
"Such an outcome to this sham election was entirely predictable from the start," Rubio began, saying it was "made more so by three years' worth of concessions to and negotiations with the Maduro narco-dictatorship."
The lawmaker went on to list the different decisions made by the administration aimed at achieving freer and fairer elections in the country: lifting sanctions against Maduro's nephew, releasing two others from federal prison and allowing Chevron to resume business with the country's state-run oil industry.
"Each of these actions was intended to 'encourage... a change in policies from the Maduro regime.' No such change occurred. But that didn't stop the White House from continuing its absurd strategy of appeasement," Rubio continued.
He then blasted the government for giving further incentives to the Venezuelan government even after its friendly Supreme Court banned top opposition leader María Corina Machado from competing in the elections.
"In short, the Biden-Harris Administration gave away every ounce of leverage we had over Maduro, then appeared surprised when he didn't do what they wanted. It's problematic to say the least, and not just for the people of Venezuela (...) but for America," the senator added.
Rubio then claimed that Maduro, whom he described as a dictator, is exacerbating the exodus from the country, "happily" sending "dangerous criminals" to the U.S. He specifically mentioned Tren de Aragua, a recently declared transnational criminal organization in the country, that has been connected to recent crimes.
Drawing parallels with the government's "appeasement strategy and the increased confidence of" other "rogue states," the senator, a front-runner to be Trump's secretary of state should he win the elections, claimed that former President Donald Trump had a radically opposed, more effective approach, "for the simple reason that he didn't make concessions to dictators or tyrants."
"Naively begging bullies like Maduro to play by the rules has hurt America, so it's time for this administration to admit its mistakes, ready sanctions against those involved in the anti-democratic electoral process, and start the hard work of rebuilding our reputation abroad," Rubio concluded.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
