Venezuelans Need a Visa to Visit Cuba

 On July 24, 2015 Conviasa, one of the airlines that provides service from Venezuela to Cuba, announced that Venezuelans will be required to obtain a visa to travel to Island. What has changed?  Did the love affair created by Hugo Chavez with the dictatorial Castro regime ended with the United States decision to lift the Cuban embargo?

Ever since Hugo Chavez started his relations with Cuba, Venezuelans enjoyed visiting the poor, oppressed and dilapidated country of Cuba without the inconvenience of getting a visa.  The new relation between the United States or the “Imperio” as the late Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro calls it, has awaken Cuba to a new reality. Venezuela is a broken country, with no money, damage infrastructure and an out of control delinquency.

 The biggest danger to the rest of the free world is terrorism. Venezuela has opened its door to Hamas, Hezbollah and it is currently the biggest bridge for drug trafficking coming from Colombia to Europe and the United States.

Cuba was removed from the list of countries that sponsored terrorism by the Obama administration, even though many in Congress disagreed with this move. Cuba was placed on this list in 1982, a year after Ronald Reagan was elected president and the discussion over the El Salvador’s civil was on the table. President Reagan’s decision was to stop the Soviet Union from influencing Latin America with the help of  Fidel Castro.

On August 2014 The Congressional Research Service release a study done by Mark P Sullivan Specialist in Latin American Affairs and June S. Beittel, Analyst in Latin American Affairs about "the United States concerns on Venezuela’s lack of cooperation on antiterrorism efforts, its relations with Iran, and the involvement of senior Venezuelan officials in supporting the drug and weapons trafficking activities of the FARC.”


Cuba is now under the watch of the United States and the Castro dictators know well that there is a big discontent among Cuban Americans with the Obama’s decision. The “Imperio” is watching them, and any terroristic activity is bound to jeopardize their future economic success. 

The Maduro Regime's fear

The fear of the Maduro regime is even more apparent today, with the suspension of Assemblywoman Maria Corina Machado from applying for public office for a year.  This move occurred, this past week from the Venezuelan controller.  It is undemocratic and rather pathetic. The most corrupted regime in the history of Venezuela is accusing Machado of failing to account for food vouchers received during her early years in congress.

This decision is aimed to paralyzed Maria Corina Machado, from qualifying for the Venezuelan Parliamentary elections which will be held in Venezuela on December 6, 2015.  The Maduro regime

is afraid of the outcome, due to the terrible economic and social situations that exist in Venezuela today.  Maduro and his cronies are desperately trying to hold on to their power and to silence the opposition leaders who are otherwise likely to be elected.

Maria Corina Machado, an industrial Engineer and the mother of three, was elected to represent Miranda state in 2010 by an overwhelming majority. In 2013 she was physically attacked on the floor of the National Assembly by pro-Chavez individuals, for backing several weeks of nationwide protests against the illegal election of Nicolas Maduro to replace Hugo Chavez. 

National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello, who witnessed the attack and did nothing to stop it, accused Maria Corina of inciting violence in which many  protesters and police officers died. 

Diosdado Cabello, currently being nvestigated in the United States as a narco-trafficker, has also accused Maria Corina of treason,  and criminal conspiracy.  

After 16 years of fraudulent elections, corruption, money laundering, drug trafficking, human right violations, and other crimes, the only thing left to get rid of Maduro and his cronies in power is an implosion in Venezuela.

Diosdado Cabello: Venezuela 's Commander Chief

Diosdado Cabello, President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, has also been a Governor, Minister, Director of Telecommunications. A new title he recently received is Head of the Soles drug cartel. 

The case of Diosdado Cabello’s as leader of the drug cartel is growing in Washington, with the recent allegations from Leamsy Salazar, Cabello’s former  Security Officer.  Salazar was previously Hugo Chavez's Security Officer for 10 years and he is now in the United States where he is working with DEA in building a case against Diosdado.

As expected Diosdado has denied those allegations and has accused Salazar of being coerced by the United States as another excuse to destabilize Venezuela and overthrow Maduro. The same conspiracy theory was used repeatedly by the Chavez and is now used by the Maduro regime.

Nicolas Maduro has vowed to support Diosdado Cabellos against Salaza’s accusations and has promised to create an International campaign against those allegations. 

Disodado Cabello also has a strong support from Marleny,  his wife “appointed” as the Minister of Tourism;  José David,  his brother “appointed”  Minister of Industry; and other members of his family who have also been “appointed” Government positions. Similar to Saddam Hussein,  and Muammar Gaddafi's families who were “appointed” positions in their Governments.  And we don’t need to go that far,  Fidel Castro’s family and his family in Cuba enjoys the luxury of having their father Fidel and  brother Raul as perpetuated dictators on the Island. 

The Venezuelan people have to be clear that getting rid of the second Commander in Chief –Maduro- won’t bring Democracy to Venezuela without getting rid of Diosdado Cabello also.

Venezuela Celebrates Independence Day under an Oppressive Regime

July 5th commemorated Venezuelan’s Independence Day.  Simon Bolivar Liberated Venezuela and four other nations, and in 1811 Venezuela became separated from Spain’s control.  

Simon Bolivar broke the chains in order to establish a new nation based on the premises of equality of individuals, ending of suppression and the right to freedom of expression. The Chavez regime and now the Maduro regime have purposely violated these democratic principals from which Venezuela was founded.

I find it ironic that Secretary of State John Kerry this past Thursday urged Venezuela's government and opposition to find a "peaceful resolution" to their disputes before the Dec. 6 parliamentary election. After 16 years of a failing government first under the Chavez, and Maduro regimes, it is unthinkable to believe that peace can be achieved with a government that allows high levels of corruption, economic devastation and death.

The Maduro regime under the controlling leadership of Diosdado Cabello, President of the Venezuelan National Assembly isn't interested in creating and atmosphere of peace and understanding for the December 6 Parliamentary elections. 

For the past 16 years the elections in Venezuela have been run under an atmosphere of dishonesty, threats, and confusion. The Venezuelans are not dealing with democratic individuals that believe in the vote as a mean for a democratic and peaceful government. Elections in Venezuela have been used to perpetrate the Chavista regime, and the tradition continues. The end to this madness may not be by a democratic voting means. The people of Venezuela must rise against this stifling government to regain control of their country and destiny.

Jerry Brewer’s article entitled Cuba, FARC and their Sinister Presence in Venezuela presents the sad truth about the role of Cuba in Latin America, that the Obama administration is ignoring.

55 years of killings, tortures and oppression caused by the Castro regime in Cuba has been disregarded. 

Removing Cuba from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism is a big mistake. The Castro regime has spread death and destruction throughout Latin America, and its tentacles are now in Venezuela. I am hoping that the plan to restore relations with Cuba goes beyond the economics. Human rights in Cuba and in Venezuela must continue to be the priority for this administration. 

Venezuelan Students in a hunger strike in New York City

The Venezuelan nightmare continues with the repressive Maduro's regime.  For more than five days four Venezuelan students are on a hunger strike outside of the United Nations in New York 
City in solidarity with the 80 Venezuelan University students that started a hunger strike that lasted three weeks.

Eduardo Bavaresco

Josmir Gutierrez 

They are all protesting the  unjustified arrests and abuses of more than 50 students that had been in Nicolas Maduro's prisons for more than a year.

   The students in New York City are demanding action from the UN for the release of the University students and other political prisoners in Venezuela.

 Eduardo Bavaresco and Josmir Gutierrez  began their New York City hunger strike last Wednesday, later to be joined by two other students Waleska Madener and  David  Bavaresco. General Antonio Rivero also joined the students. 

The students  managed to get the attention of the UN Representative for the Commissioner for Human Rights to hear their concerns about human right  violations in Venezuela. They are hoping to hear from the UN as early as next Tuesday.

Leopoldo Lopez forced to go to trial in Venezuela

Las week Political prisoner Leopoldo Lopez was forced to go to a trial in Venezuela, a country where there is not justice or transparency. His wife Lilian Tintoti has expressed  strong concern about Leopoldo’s health condition.

Last February  Venezuelan political leader Leopoldo Lopez was a victim of an  illegal court procedure behind closed doors. This action not only violated the rights of Leopoldo to have a fair trial, but also violated the Venezuelan Constitution. 

Maduro's cowardliness started with the unjustified arrest of  Leopoldo Lopez,  The regime has kept Lopez  in prison for more than a year, falsely accused of steering violent protests against the Maduro regime.  Angry protests erupted after the senseless murder of the actress and model Monica Spear and her husband. Spear's murder, followed  by a rape attempt to a female University student, further infuriated students who took to the streets to protest the enormous insecurity problems that face the country.

The protests grew across the country, leaving over 50 students dead and  hundreds incarcerated.  In support of the students,  Leopoldo Lopez called for peaceful protests. This prompted the Maduro regime to exercise its dictatorship role, arresting Leopoldo Lopez in February. A year later,  Leopoldo Lopez remains Maduro's prisoner.

Meanwhile, other political leaders like City of Tachira's Major Daniel  Ceballos  who is currently in critical conditions, in a Los Teques prison, and Caracas' Major, Antonio Ledezma were imprisoned by Maduro under false accusations. Student protestors remain victims of this government, many in prison and suffering abuses and tortures.

The bravery of our young student protesters and their desire for a better nation have forced them to forfeit their dreams and confront the dictator with their only weapon: Protesting. The Maduro regime has decided to not only steal their futures with economic uncertainty, but also to take their lives for speaking out. In a perfect world, Nicolas Maduro should have been forced to resign by the international community, and be prosecuted for crimes against humanity.