Opponents hate Trump more than they care about Venezuela's people

In New York City, protesters lined up outside the Courthouse calling for the release of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, and their return to Venezuela.  The outcry over the US arresting Nicolas Maduro in his Palace in Caracas demonstrates that these protesters don't understand (or perhaps don't care) what has really been occurring in Venezuela under Maduro, have been fed false information, and hate Trump so much that even if they had the facts they still wouldn't care about the people of Venezuela and would be calling for Maduro to be released.

Being upset with how the Trump Administration sent troops and law enforcement personnel to Venezuela to bring Nicolas Maduro and his wife to the US for trial is understandable.  There are points both sides on this issue are debating and Congress will have its say on the subject as well.  However, calling for the release of Nicolas Maduro and his return to Venezuela would be the ultimate crime perpetrated on the people of Venezuela.

The people of Venezuela have enjoyed the warmth of socialist "collectivism" since the election of Hugo Chavez in 1999 and continuing with the rise to power of Nicolas Maduro, after Chavez' death in 2013.  That warmth has resulted in "almost 82% of Venezuelans [living] in poverty, with 53 per cent in extreme poverty, unable to buy even basic foodstuffs" according to a United Nations observer.*  How will returning Maduro to Venezuela improve the economic lives of Venezuelans.

Over the duration of Maduro's time in office, the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International have all condemned Nicolas Maduro and his government for crimes against humanity. The number of reports issued by these organizations are many and span the entirety of Maduro's time in office.  For example, the Maduro regime is reported to have made over 17,882 politically motivated arrests since 2014.  During the sham 2024 election of Maduro, the results of which have been discredited, Human Rights Watch reported on repression of opponents before and after the election.  This "repression" included "23 killings of protesters and bystanders" as well as the arrest of over 1,900 "political prisoners," a number that includes 42 children aged 14 to 17.** 

Is it any wonder that people who immigrated from Venezuela to the US were dancing in the streets when Maduro was arrested?  Ana Navarro, one of the hosts of the View, gave voice to this on the View when she responded to a question from another host of "who voted for this:"

    "The people of South Florida, the Venezuelan community, the Cuban American community, the Nicaraguan American community voted for this.  And for us, this is a very, very happy day when we see a dictator who has been part of oppressing and abusing the Venezuelan people for 25 years.  When we see him in handcuffs and held to some sort of accountability, it brought me to tears.  It brought me great joy."

When cohost Sunny Hostin asked "are you okay with the way it was done?"  Ms. Navarro responded in a manner that the people protesting outside the NY Courthouse should consider - and then go home.  Ms. Navarro's answer was:

    "I think both things could be true.  I think you can criticize and ask questions and have concerns about the way it was done and what this means in the future and I think you can still celebrate that this murderous, corrupt, sadistic son of a bitch is out of Venezuela."***

Let's close by looking at the hypocrisy of some of the protesters.  The Democrat Socialists of America and the Party for Socialism and Liberation are showing they are indeed socialists but have no interest in democracy or liberating oppressed people by supporting Maduro who, independent observers have reported falsified the results of every election he's been in, because repressing the opposition wasn't enough. 

We'll close with the incomparable Chuck Schumer who has no principles other than the principle of keeping himself and the Democrats in power.  On Sunday, Schumer said on ABC's "This Week" that the Venezuelan operation was an act of "lawlessness."  Interesting that Schumer objects to Trump doing something to remove Maduro when five years earlier, Schumer was calling for that very thing.  The Trump Administration indicted Maduro, and Schumer response was "The President brags about his Venezuelan policy?  Give us a break.  He hasn't brought an end to the Maduro regime."  Well now Trump has and Schumer is complaining about that.  The ultimate hypocrite*4

Schumer isn't the only one.  Senator Van Hollen of Maryland is in the same boat.  I have to end by echoing the words of Ana Navarro, with whom I almost never agree - if you don't like how it was done fine, or you're concerned about what happens next, let's discuss and debate those issues like rational people but at the same time, we can "...still celebrate that this murderous, corrupt, sadistic son of a bitch is out of Venezuela."

* Source: CBC News

** Source: Human Rights Watch

*** Source: Yahoo News

*4 Source: Tampa Free Press