Venezuela, a Terrorized Nation

The recent arrest of  Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma is an indication of how nervous the Maduro government is getting. The regime's paranoia has caused the people of Venezuela to live under terrorized conditions, not knowing what lies ahead for them.

This past week, Mayor Ledezma was forced out of his office and taken into custody by SEBIN, Maduro's Political Police. Mr. Ledezma is accused of plotting a coup with the United States to topple the current socialist government. This arrest is another example of the oppressive actions that are an attempt to create a distraction for Maduro's lack of leadership in solving the Venezuelan's immediate problems.

Maduro’s problems started last year.  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, now joined by Mr. Ledezma.

The fate of other Venezuelans with less notoriety is even worse. A few days ago

two students in police custody were found tortured to death. There is no explanation  for this heinous crime.

Maduro is using the same script that Chavez used, accusing the United States of attempting to overthrow him. Wouldn’t it be nice if Maduro’s fantasy - that the United States is trying to topple his government - comes to reality?    

The Tragedy of DIctators and Revolutions in Latin America

Reynaldo Bignone is  convicted in Argentina again, but this time for 26 years in prison for “stealing children” and murdering their young parents that opposed the regime. Reynaldo Bignone was part of the military junta under the dictator Jorge Videla, sentenced to prison for 50 years in an early trial. Videla is accused as the master minded of the “dirty war” that killed 30,000 people from 1970 to 1982 and, devastated families, separated children, and terrorized an entire generation.

Around the same time, Chile suffered a similar tragedy under the dictatorship of General August Pinochet which lasted 18 years. Some 3,000 people killed, and about 30,000 in prison or tortured under the dictator.

Populists and revolutions have also claimed the life of thousands in countries like Cuba and Venezuela.  During the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro fought the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and took control of Cuba. Fidel then killed and tortured thousands who opposed him, and forced 1.5 million people to flee the country, establishing his dictatorship for over  half a century.

Venezuela is another tragic example. In 2014, 26,000 people were killed in violent crimes under the indifferent eyes of the Maduro regime.  According to an NBC report; a person is murdered in Venezuela every 21 minutes.  

Like Hugo Chavez did, Nicolas Maduro blames others for the devastated economy and the insecurity problem that the country faces today. Yet, Maduro offers no solution to these problems. My only guess is that Maduro feels it is easy to control people who are distracted by fearing for their lives.