By: Staff Writer
June 14, 2022
Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela, addressed the Summit of the Americas via video to the “People’s Summit of Democracy” held simultaneously with the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles last week.
Venezuela had been excluded from the event along with Cuba and Nicaragua had no other way of addressing the summit.
Mr Maduro, who was travelling in Asia to Algeria and Iran at the time, said that the world is bigger than Washington DC and that he sees a “world beyond Imperial arrogance.” He also called on social organisations in the United States to stand with him to help construct a “different world,” built on “respect” and “equal treatment.”
Mr Maduro also said: “A new humanity is necessary, and it is being made. A new humanity is possible,” as he addressed the People’s Summit of Democracy.
This new humanity will have the “voice of the people” recognised and will lead the voice of the rebellious against this Imperial arrogance that cannot be stopped by chants, flags or slogans, something Mr Maduro believes will galvanise by his absence at this year’s Summit of the Americas.
He also said: “They have not been able to stop that voice over there and it is a voice that has been accompanied by a smile. A smile of hope that moves us to hope for a new humanity.”
This hope for a new humanity apparently does not have Venezuela in its imagination as thousands of Venezuelan migrants are still leaving the country under Mr Maduro’s rule in the largest migrant crisis that the Americas has ever seen.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that there have been over 6m Venezuelans displaced since 2015 when Maduro came to power.
Venezuelans are still leaving their country and there is little sign the outflows will stop soon. Those leaving are increasingly vulnerable and with very few resources. Many refugees and migrants from Venezuela are facing poverty and struggling to survive. The COVID-19 pandemic compounded an already difficult situation forcing Venezuelans deeper into poverty. Many families, forced to reduce their food intake, have taken on debts to be able to survive. They are at risk of evictions, exploitation and protection risks.
In addition, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans remain without any documentation or permission to stay regularly in nearby countries, and therefore lack guaranteed access to basic rights. The UNHCR estimates that there are over 950,000 asylum seekers from Venezuela worldwide and an additional 2.7m that are living in other countries in the Americas under some other form of legal stay.
Couple this with an economy that Mr Maduro all but destroyed as oil exports have been moribund since his presidency, for a country with the world’s largest oil deposits and that depended on oil revenue to keep itself afloat, it is more than a depressing situation for Venezuela.
Despite all of the glaring instances of Mr Maduro’s failure in Venezuela, he still rails against the US in fashion and added: “Venezuela is moving forward and is recovering, standing tall, fighting and victorious and the people united, victorious, overcoming threats, attacks. And the arrogance of unilateral sanctions, coercive measures, the monetary, financial, economic and commercial and political persecution and building with the hands and the minds of humble people.”
Hopefully Mr Maduro’s goodwill and kindness could extend to Venezuelans themselves one day.