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. 

Latin America POV: The Venezuelan Economic Situation Today is not Sustainable

It is appalling to see the direction in which Venezuela is heading. In the 2015 Bloomberg Business Report, Venezuela didn’t get a ranking in productivity or economic growth. According to the report, Venezuela ranks among the most miserable places in the world, followed by Argentina. South Africa, Ukraine, and Greece. The misery index was based on this simple equation: unemployment rate + change in the consumer price index = misery. 

A number of factors account for this low ranking: Venezuela’s inflation is now around 70 percent. JP Morgan presented another bleak report about Venezuela’s economy, calling the high inflation rate and the lack of products extremely worrisome.

All the expert analyses point to an economic disaster for Venezuela. Fifteen years of a failing Socialist Bolivarian Revolution that has ruined the country’s economy and social infrastructure are enough indication of an inept government. While people are having much difficulty coping with day-to-day living, a bank in Andorra allowed withdrawals of hundreds of millions of stolen money by corrupt government officials, money that belongs to the Venezuelan people.

Since 2014, thousand have protested government inefficiency, oppression, and corruption and hundreds have been killed and many are still in prison. The latest sanctions imposed by President Barack Obama on seven corrupt officials and the declaration that Venezuela is a threat to the United States has put the spotlight on Nicolas Maduro’s oppressive regime.

 Recently, the Obama administration offered support to those Caribbean countries that depend on Venezuelan oil. This new relationship between the United Stated and the Caribbean nations will help these countries break their ties with the Venezuelan regime that has used oil to get support from its neighbors.  This new approach brings hope for the people of Venezuela who have their hands tied by a kidnapped constitution.  

Could Nicolas Maduro be Removed from Office like Manuel Noriega from Panama?

The Obama Administration has recently sanctioned a number of Venezuelan officials who are involved in human right violations against protesters.  President Obama added that Venezuela also poses a threat to the United States. 

These accusations coming from the most powerful nation in the world, are troubling.  There are a few theories floating around as to why this Caribbean nation is considered to be a threat. Could it have been just as a protocol to expedite Congress to act? Or does the Maduro regime, in fact, possess terrorist threats to the United States? 

Venezuelan maintains strong connections with Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas. All of these groups are operating freely in Venezuela. With Cuba's help, Venezuela is making false passports, and providing these passports to Islamic Extremists.  According to the 2014 report of Canada on Guard,- "from 2008 to 2012, Venezuelan authorities provided at least 173 passports, visas and other documentation to Islamic extremists seeking to slip unnoticed into North America." There is no doubt that the list has increased with Maduro in power. This poses a great danger to the national security of the United States.

If the Maduro regime poses a threat to the United States, could he be removed from office just as Manuel Noriega was removed from Panama?

In December 1989 President George H. Bush invaded Panama and arrested Noriega, the Panamanian dictator.  The reasons for the US actions here are very similar to the reasons why Venezuela is considered a threat. Panama had become a center for money laundering and drug trafficking into the United States.

Venezuela’s threat goes even farther than Panama's by enabling terrorists with false passports to enter not onlydccssd Venezuela, but also to the United States through Canada with the intention to do harm. 

This Venezuelan tragedy has now become a dilemma for the United States. How to stop Nicolas Maduro from continuing his efforts to inflict Americans inside their country?

One option to stop Maduro might be to reduce oil purchases from Venezuela. While this action might strangle the Maduro regime, it will also hurt the Venezuelan people already affected by the highest inflation in the world.

The other option might be the United States to forcefully remove Nicolas Maduro from power, similar to Noriega.  

I believe that the Venezuelan people will favor the later.