Lying and deceiving the Venezuelan people about foreign plots against Venezuela was Chavez’s tactic to create fear and hold on to power. 15 years later Nicolas Maduro is using the same technique. Although this time, not even the Chavistas are buying it.
Maduro has taken the repression even further. He doesn't allow journalist to photograph the long lines and the empty store shelves. His inability to solve the Venezuelan economic crisis has left this rich oil producing country rapidly falling into an economic and social abyss.
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.
Our Venezuelan students are fighting an unfair battle for wanting a better life. They want what other kids have abroad: freedom to express themselves, freedom to have a decent and productive life. We stand with our Venezuelan Students for their bravery, and we shame those neighboring countries that have aligned with Nicolas Maduro, for economic gain. History will remember this travesty and their disregard for human rights and dignity.
