An off-the-cuff remark by Trump may have helped Venezuela’s slide ‘into dictatorship’

pulse

August 16, 2017 10:19 PM

Fallout from Trump's remarks about a "military option" in Venezuela have chilled criticism of the Maduro government at home and abroad.

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One for travel to New Jersey from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, August 4, 2017.

Within hours of President Donald Trump's assertion the US had a "military option" in response to turmoil in Venezuela, governments in the region, which had been nearing consensus on confronting the Venezuelan government, repudiated the statement.

The president's comments came two days before Vice President Mike Pence landed in Colombia to start a six-day tour of the region.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Argentine President Mauricio Macri — two of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's biggest critics — were quick to dismiss the idea of military intervention in their meetings with Pence (The US vice president cut short his trip and will return on Thursday).

Just as Trump's remarks sent a chill through a region that was growing stronger in its condemnation of Maduro, the president's words have left the Venezuelan opposition in an unfavorable position.

The opposition coalition has led near daily protests against the Maduro government since April, intensifying in July around the vote for a constituent assembly that has sweeping powers, including rewriting the constitution and permitting Maduro to rule by decree.

The opposition has gained international support, and the often harsh reaction by security forces — more than 120 people have been killed, many of them anti-government demonstrators — have brought condemnation on Maduro, but he has been able to ignore the protests.

Some demonstrators blamed opposition leadership, who have struggled to articulate a coherent vision, for calling street protests too frequently. Others have simply been worn down by continuous gatherings and clashes with security forces.

"It's the fault of the opposition leaders," Ame, a 24-year-old single mother and frequent protester, told AFP. "We started out with them and they have practically abandoned us."

Now the opposition coalition appears to be fracturing over a decision to participate in regional elections in October.

In addition to managing these internal divisions, the opposition will now have to work harder to avoid the appearance of favoring US military action, Ramsey said, and it would also likely have to reduce contact with the US State Department and high-level meetings with US officials.

was "sliding into dictatorship and the United States would not stand by" while that happened.

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