Elliott Abrams, U.S. special representative for Venezuela, testifies during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday, August 4, 2020. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Aug 04, 2020
The U.S. Special Representative to Venezuela Elliott Abrams told a Senate panel Tuesday that despite a number of failed previous attempts, the Trump administration is continuing efforts to foment the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro, elected democratically by the Venezulean people two years ago.
"Obviously we hope that [Maduro] will not survive the year and we are working hard to make that happen," Abrams told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The comments by the the White House's top envoy were the latest sign that Washington will continue to apply pressure on Venezuela after over a year of failed attempts to install opposition leader Juan Guaido as president despite Maduro's victory in the May 2018 election.
The Trump administration has recognized Guaido as the nation's rightful leader after the Venezuelan politician, then the leader of the National Assembly, declared himself president in January 2019.
Progressives and left-leaning lawmakers alike have decried the administration's attempts to overthrow Maduro. In May 2019, as Common Dreams reported, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told liberal podcast Pod Save America that "the idea that we would intervene militarily in Venezuela is literally unbelievable."
"I will do everything I can to see that U.S. troops do not get involved in a civil war in Venezuela," said Sanders.
\u201c.@medeabenjamin w/sanity & truth about Venezuela policy, something we likely won't get in today's Senate hearing with Trump's hitman for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams. #HandsOffVenezuela\u201d— CODEPINK (@CODEPINK) 1596548900
CodePink executive director Medea Benjamin on Tuesday, noting that the coronavirus pandemic was keeping her out of the hearing room, condemned Abrams and the Trump administration for their campaign of sanctions and pressure on Venezuela.
"The sanctions the Trump administration is imposing are strangling the people of Venezuela in a form of collective punishment," said Benjamin.
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The U.S. Special Representative to Venezuela Elliott Abrams told a Senate panel Tuesday that despite a number of failed previous attempts, the Trump administration is continuing efforts to foment the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro, elected democratically by the Venezulean people two years ago.
"Obviously we hope that [Maduro] will not survive the year and we are working hard to make that happen," Abrams told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The comments by the the White House's top envoy were the latest sign that Washington will continue to apply pressure on Venezuela after over a year of failed attempts to install opposition leader Juan Guaido as president despite Maduro's victory in the May 2018 election.
The Trump administration has recognized Guaido as the nation's rightful leader after the Venezuelan politician, then the leader of the National Assembly, declared himself president in January 2019.
Progressives and left-leaning lawmakers alike have decried the administration's attempts to overthrow Maduro. In May 2019, as Common Dreams reported, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told liberal podcast Pod Save America that "the idea that we would intervene militarily in Venezuela is literally unbelievable."
"I will do everything I can to see that U.S. troops do not get involved in a civil war in Venezuela," said Sanders.
\u201c.@medeabenjamin w/sanity & truth about Venezuela policy, something we likely won't get in today's Senate hearing with Trump's hitman for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams. #HandsOffVenezuela\u201d— CODEPINK (@CODEPINK) 1596548900
CodePink executive director Medea Benjamin on Tuesday, noting that the coronavirus pandemic was keeping her out of the hearing room, condemned Abrams and the Trump administration for their campaign of sanctions and pressure on Venezuela.
"The sanctions the Trump administration is imposing are strangling the people of Venezuela in a form of collective punishment," said Benjamin.
The U.S. Special Representative to Venezuela Elliott Abrams told a Senate panel Tuesday that despite a number of failed previous attempts, the Trump administration is continuing efforts to foment the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro, elected democratically by the Venezulean people two years ago.
"Obviously we hope that [Maduro] will not survive the year and we are working hard to make that happen," Abrams told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The comments by the the White House's top envoy were the latest sign that Washington will continue to apply pressure on Venezuela after over a year of failed attempts to install opposition leader Juan Guaido as president despite Maduro's victory in the May 2018 election.
The Trump administration has recognized Guaido as the nation's rightful leader after the Venezuelan politician, then the leader of the National Assembly, declared himself president in January 2019.
Progressives and left-leaning lawmakers alike have decried the administration's attempts to overthrow Maduro. In May 2019, as Common Dreams reported, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told liberal podcast Pod Save America that "the idea that we would intervene militarily in Venezuela is literally unbelievable."
"I will do everything I can to see that U.S. troops do not get involved in a civil war in Venezuela," said Sanders.
\u201c.@medeabenjamin w/sanity & truth about Venezuela policy, something we likely won't get in today's Senate hearing with Trump's hitman for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams. #HandsOffVenezuela\u201d— CODEPINK (@CODEPINK) 1596548900
CodePink executive director Medea Benjamin on Tuesday, noting that the coronavirus pandemic was keeping her out of the hearing room, condemned Abrams and the Trump administration for their campaign of sanctions and pressure on Venezuela.
"The sanctions the Trump administration is imposing are strangling the people of Venezuela in a form of collective punishment," said Benjamin.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.