Venezuela: People power in slow motion?

Bwhich people of all ideological persuasions ultimately determine the legitimacy of their rulers, Nicolas Maduro has no business holding power in Venezuela. Under his watch, the richest country in South America, with the greatest known oil reserves in the world, fell to incredible eco-

unbelievable 1 million plus percent, and still counting. Venezuelans have experienced shortages in food, medicine, and of all things, electricity. Facing certain death by starvation and health issues that hospitals, sans doctors and medicines, could not

the country and become refugees in neighboring countries.

Somewhere in Asia, the holder of such an abysmal record would have been driven to But Maduro is apparently possessed of a thicker hide beyond shame or remorse. Denying that many of his people are in a humanitarian crisis, Maduro, alternatively, seems to be living in a world of fantasy of his own.

In May of last year Maduro was reelected in elections widely regarded as fraudulent. Before that, Maduro had the Constitution amended which put executive, legislative, and judicial powers in his hands. There were protests by the opposition, but it has taken some long months before the country seems to have come to the brink of a revolution. An interim president, Juan Guaido, has emerged and been recognized as the legitimate ruler by the United States and several South American countries. He has led mass protests but, to date, has not managed to draw the millions that forced even a Marcos or Suharto to question his appetite for carnage.

What appears to be protracting developments is the military’s steadfast support of Maduro. It may be recalled that Maduro’s late boss and predecessor, Hugo Chavez, was a military man who rode on the public’s disenchantment with the political parties. The military shared in the largesse enjoyed by the Maduro regime. The CEO of the National Oil Company, the regime’s milking cow, is a military general. Guaido has announced an amnesty for the military for whatever offenses they committed in power in a move to attract the latter to defect to the former’s side. In addition, he has been talking with military leaders, he says.

Like several other countries in the region, Venezuela has been ruled by

or military dictators before. Could one rule out in the present situation the military thinking of pursuing a separate agenda and counting their chances of staging a comeback at the helm of their country?

The US government has been openly concerned about developments in Venezuela. President Trump had thought of military intervention but was prevailed against it by South American leaders. But Trump’s National Security Adviser has of late been quoted as saying all options are on the table. In the past, the US was able to have a dictator it had ceased to like arrested, brought to the US, and tried and jailed for corruption,

- ing. Such swift and simple operations as kidnapping or assassination have had mixed results. US bungling at

such attempts allowed Castro to rule recognize Maduro as the legitimate