In face of US sanctions and President Barack Obama declaring Venezuela a national security threat, a political scientist in St. Lucia is calling for a united Caribbean voice supporting the South American country.
News website, teleSUR, has quoted Denys Springer as describing US actions against Venezuela as atrocious.
“To target Venezuela in that way, I believe the whole of the Caribbean should stand in unity with Venezuela and say to the Americans that if you target them you target all of us because this is the South American coast, so to speak,” he was quoted as saying.
He went on to say that Venezuela has provided assistance to the Caribbean through initiatives such as Petrocaribe and ALBA.
“They are helping us……they have their own country to look after and they are making it their duty to help others, through Petrocaribe and look at the computers that our school children have now got. I think the rest of the Caribbean should say to the Americans, enough is enough and Venezuela has not interfered with you,” teleSUR quoted Springer as saying.
Earlier this week Obama signed an executive order declaring Venezuela a national security threat. The US also placed sanctions on a number of high ranking Venezuelan officials, accusing them of human rights violation.
Venezuela responded by saying the US intends to topple the government.
We should bear in mind the political system Obama is bound by. Although he was against the coup in Honduras he couldn’t do a thing about it . His hands were tired by Southern confederates and Cubans who controll foreign policy and these are the people who want to see Venezuela on its knees, the same people who try to stifle and suppress votes in America, especially Black votes. Ckect it out .Obama was condemned by these people for simply shaking Chavez hands.No chance of meanful democracy as long as racist confederates, racist cubans,racist venezuelans can call shots in America or anywhere else.
so because Venezuela give handouts to countries we are suppose to support them blindly. Well these are for laborites to do because they are the one that are always grabbing, grabbing, grabbing. If there is war then labourites will go fight. A group of foolish people . Mr. sir I Totally disagree with you.
birds of a feather flock together
Venezuela and Cuba have done more for Caribbean and African nations than any other western country. Caribbean countries should stand united in support of Venezuela because the US cannot arbitrarily pic and choose which country and people they want to oppress. They should spend their time focusing on real threats and try to live in peace withe their neighbors instead of inciting dissent. People are much smarter now and know what is really going on. According to Bob Marley… ‘tell the children the truth, tell the children the truth’
There some people who are really monkeying around on this forum. Their aim is to inject politics into everything with no aim of making sensible comments on the topic being discussed.
Isn’t that a political issue?
One that you do not understand.
There are many on this forum who are blinded by their domestic political biasness and are highly illiterate when comes to regional and international politics. We will forgive them for they don’t know any better.
And you definitely know better right? Please elaborate on the current situation in Venezuela and why anybody in their right mind would support the current regime. You think people are just making comments based on politics. You think people don’t know what’s going on in that country right now? You can try to ignore the situation all you want and try to wave it off as some political game but right now people’s lives are depending on the outcome of this situation and many dominicans are cognizant of that fact, this is why they’re speaking out.
Sir. Stop feeding into US propaganda and the current regime in Venezuela doesn’t need your support. It has the support of the Venezuelan people and progressive governments and people of the Caribbean. Also, the government was democratically elected by the people. I wonder if you said anything when President Aristide was deposed by the US Government? Venezuela is not racist like the US where white policemen keep slaughtering innocent black men. Wake up and be positive.
The case is not that of President Aristide or any other we are talking about Venezuela here. And feeding into US propaganda? Don’t make me laugh, how about you come down here and we make the lines together for hours to buy stuff so you can call it “US propaganda”. And bringing in racism which is not even the issue being discussed here is lame – but I can tell you this – I know for a fact that as a black man you are constantly harassed by police here despite the fact that they are more similar in ethnicity to us (black people) than the majority of the US.
And they have the support of the Venezuelan people? An election won by a less than 1% margin with so many cases of irregularities. If you ask the average Venezuelan off the street I doubt you’d get more than 2/10 to claim support for the government. But you couldn’t do that – why? Because you’re wherever you are – comfy – enjoying life while people who actually live here are suffering.
Springer you must first call on all Caribbean Govt’s and people to rally and to end the Oppression against the Venezuelan people by it’s Govt; and we may consider your support for the sanctions imposed by the USA. DICTATORSHIP “doetish” has no place in our regional politics.
Gabriel St Jean. How did Maduro come to power? The last time I checked he was elected by the majority.
A friend in deed is a friend in need. A military coup was orchestrated against a democratically elected government in Egypt and the USA supported the coup by providing hundreds of million dollars in aid to the illegitimate government. An elected President Aristide of Haiti was deposed by the US and exiled to Africa. Venezuela has provided an abundance of aid to Caribbean countries – More than the US has provided or is providing. We only see the interest of the US in the fight against drugs. Our needs for a stadium, fishing complexes, road rehabilitation, airport improvements etc were of no importance to the US. Venezuela is a friend in deed. Therefore we as Caribbean nationals need to stand in solidarity with President Maduro. Let President Obama deal with ISIS. All those who are denouncing Venezuela on this forum are crabs.
Mauro by himself is now the ISIS of the caribbean. Truth is, those being killed on his orders are not being hear of at least for now. Be reminded that his days and those of regional leaders who support him are numbered because the people can only take so much. Mauro MUST go for change is Venezuela is a MUST!
Assertive, NOT Aggressive!
I am Dominican you should bring yourself down here and then I’d be curious to hear who you call “crabs” then. Just another naive Dominican miles away who thinks they know what’s really going on.
Smh Dominicans. Open your eyes. Isn’t that what America does to get what it wants? It’s been years since they’ve been employing that tactic. It is only because it’s so close to home we are forming an opinion. Any Middle Easterner will tell you that this is not new, not even to Venezuela. Don’t believe everything you see in the media especially the “protests” in Venezuela. They will only show you want they want you to see. They will never show you how many Venezuelans loved their Chavez & love their Maduro. We are too coward, afraid to speak out against injustice & the Almighty America in case they stop issuing green cards? That’s silly. We are not the only Caribbean island partnering with Venezuela. We certainly like the development it’s brought but are too ungrateful to say thanks.The US ought to focus on their own issues & stop meddling in the affairs of sovereign countries. See how they still want to have Cuba on a string. Free up Cuba to garner support &…
one county u doh have to play with is de usa
Is Springer telling us that because the Venezuela Government is helping the people of the Caribbean, we should shut our eyes to the atrocities that are being suffered by the people of Venezuela. I hope Springer realizes that Petro Caribe is not free. His children and grand children will have to pay the Petro Caribe bill, in time to come.
So if you are giving me gifts and you are doing wrong I must support your wrong doing because you are giving me gifts.
On the international scene, the only wrong some people know of are those that are pointed out by the USA. I pity them. Papa Doc ruled Haiti with an iron hand and was good in the eyes of the USA. Aparthied South Africa had Mandella jailed for 24 years and it was good in the eyes of the US. Saudi Arabia beheads, cut off limbs and deprive women their fundamental rights and freedom and that is good for the USA. Venezuela is a true friend of the Caribbean people both in words and in deeds but is a bother to the USA. Yet, on the other hand they are trying to woo communist Cuba and the same folks who are condemning Venezuela are shouting hooray! Hooray!
This is not about the US’s track record of shoddy international policy. This is about a failed, corrupt regime that’s bringing a country further and further down and instead of admitting their failures and trying to work to fix things they blame the US. This is not about the US, they’re trying to make it about them as much as they can to blind people from the truth. This was Chavez’s tactic for so many years to the point that you would get average everyday people in Venezuela saying “screw the US”.
That was the case many years ago, not the case now. No – now that things have gotten so bad even die-hard chavistas are changing their minds. Only people like you who live so far removed from this reality and yet think you know what’s going on will continue to support this nonsense.
With respect that is a warped logic. Suppose you are right about the wrongs of the U.S.A. Does that make any wrongs by Venezuela right? Wrong is wrong, whoever is the perpetrator. Wrong and right have no political colour or bias.
Which country has been appointed the world policeman or judge to declare when a government is wrong or right. Please tell me Pedro.
I stand with you, St. Lucian political scientist. I could never support Obama against a nation as Venezuela which is also experiencing hardships. It takes heartless people to support Obama and what he has done to Venezuela and its diplomats.
Lest they forget that Venezuela has assisted those Caribbean countries, they should show their gratitude by supporting the government of Venezuela.
We pray for people and bless them. This is the teaching of Our Lord Jesus Christ and St. Paul. I will add, more so because nationals have benefited from Venezuela’s help. If we expect blessings and graces from God, it is imperative that we exercise our Christian obligations. Need I state more?
May God assist and bless Venezuela, the government and nationals to get out of this dilemma they are experiencing.
God bless and enlighten those who lack it as also Obama, to mellow their hearts toward Venezuela. In Jesus Name I pray!
“News website, teleSUR, has quoted Denys Springer as describing US actions against Venezuela as atrocious.”
No wonder Springer is a political scientist, Roosevelt Douglas was also a political scientist, and when he had a chance to put his skills learned in political science, he spent more time out of the country than what governing he did in the country.
For this to say Obama discovering Venezuela to be threat to the United Sates is atrocious is pure hogwash! I do not see any atrocity in Obama’s spoken words. What is so extremely, brutal, barbaric, or horrifying: in the context of this argument. Now if for some unknown reason the US unleashed some weapon of modern war one Venezuela, that would have constituted an atrocious act. Some people will kill to defend the juntas simply for a free lunch, that’s what it is!
“and when he had a chance to put his skills learned in political science, ”
That should read: “and when he had a chance to put his skills learned in political science to work for Dominica, he spent more time out of the country, than what governing he did in the country!”
Once upon a time all the mice (and some rats too) decided the cat was a problem that needed to be curbed. So they held a summit to brainstorm a solution. One wise mouse, possibly a scientist , decided the solution was to put a bell around the cat’s neck. That way they would know when it was coming and they would be united to show the cat who was the boss. Wonderful idea! they all cried until an old mouse stood up and said ” this is the best solution, but who will will put the bell? ”
The late Comrade Chavez, at the beginning of his love affair with CARICOM in 2007, called for their “anti-imperialist unity” against the U.S. In order to be free. For some of his friends, uniting now with Venezuela against the U.S. may be a wonderful way to honour the Comrade’s memory. The only question is who will take the lead on this issue and say to the U.S. “if you target them you target all of us? “Who will bell the cat?
Cool story bro. Now tell me what that has to do with the situation the country is currently facing. Or do you really think this “anti-imperialist, socialist revolution” is anything but a dream of a failed leader? In reality what happened was they focused so much on blasting the US and anybody in opposition to their ideology that they completely turned a blind eye to those eating away at them from the inside. All those corrupt politicians and public officers who pilfer away monies that are meant to go to improving various sectors of the country, all those people they gave thousands in lands and property (which were seized from their rightful owners) to garner support – only to find that those properties fall away into decadence because those people didn’t have the slightest idea of how to manage them.
I think you’d be better served on making a nice sounding analogy on why anybody in an oil rich country has to be making a line for hours just to get something as basic as toilet…
BLACK MAN OBAMA. Shame on you.
What does Obama being a black man have to do with anything??…….Obama is simply calling it as he sees it.
Maduoa is also calling it as he sees it. Right!
“To target Venezuela in that way, I believe the whole of the Caribbean should stand in unity with Venezuela and say to the Americans that if you target them you target all of us…”
Mr. Springer you are 50% right about that because all corrupt leaders in the Caribbean who want to go the way of the corrupt government of Venezuela should know that they are being targeted and they better clean up their acts. All now some of them here have fever. However, on the other hand the USA NEVER targeted Venezuela. They only targeted the enemies of Venezuela – those that are corrupt, those who try to suppress freedom of expression, those who jail students for standing for their right etc. So stop twisting the FACTS. You need to draw a line between Venezuela and those corrupt leaders
The Caribbean cannot even stand for itself he wants it to stand for Venezuela! Let us learn to stand for ourselves first, Springer. Venezuela is quite capable of standing for itself and have been doing so throughout its history, whereas the Caribbean have always been begging and following! Leave the Caribbean out of Venezuela vs USA issues.
Maduro is a disgrace to Venezuela. He has failed the people and he has failed the Venezuelan economy, and, like Chavez, he wants to blame the US
But why is he a threat to America? He does not harbor or support ISIS. Saudi Arabia, Israel and others support ISIS yet Obama doesn’t see them as a threat to America.
Israel does not support ISIS.
This Springer guy sounds like people from a particular village in Dominica
it’s democracy and if there is evidence that Venezuelan government is a corrupt organisation then there are actions which ought to be taken against these individuals. Historical Venezuela has been documented as been a very corrupt society who fuels the Caribbean region with drugs and violence. Has the Venezuelan government done or are they doing anything to curtail such activities?
You want to support Dictarship, Corruption and suppression of the people? Ok, your choice, go right ahead. Leave us Dominicans out of it. That is not a regime we want to support nor do we want anything like that here in Dominica.
Peter Potter. You cannot claim to represent Dominica. No one has appointed you to that position.
Venezuela Declares Right to fly Warplanes over sovereign Caribbean Islands
In a speech on national television, Venezuela’s president Maduro reports that the air defense areas of the country have been expanded beyond the Windward Islands all the way up to St Maarten. President Nicolas Maduro, said that his country has the right to defend itself in the skies above the Dutch Antilles.
Venezuela is already a bully of the seas claiming areas that it does not own, now it appears they are trying to bully the airspace.
We have to remember how PM Ralph Gonsalves supported Venezuela’s sea grab of Bird Island. Just what kind of betrayal was that?
https://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/venezuela-declares-right-to-fly-warplanes-over-sovereign-caribbean-islands/
If Caribbean people really want to support actual Venezuelans, then there should certainly be Caribbean unity — against the failed, despotic, thieving regime of Nicolás Maduro, whose incompetence and malfeasance has impoverished his countrymen and brought his country to its knees.
Carcon, I happen to know that Simon Bolivar was a member of a rich, slave owning family from Europe, who believed in Presidency for life. Venezuela did not abolish slavery till 1854, a full 20 years after Gt. Britain. Go and check their ambassador in Dominica if you don’t believe me.
And Simon Bolivar, the liberator of Venezuela died in 1830 at the age of 47, before slavery was abolished in that country. We have a big statue of that man. I’d rather have a statue of Nelson Mandela, a true liberator, who gave our people dignity..
I am a supporter of national liberation, anti-imperialist and struggle for the sovereignty and independence of all nations, including Taiwan. The process in Venezuela had good intentions but Chavez and Maduro have messed up. They wasted the resources of Venezuela and have an entire population of a rich nation on its knees, begging for bread, businesses are forced to close, people cannot get toilet tissue to wipe their A,…. and yet they blame the US for their own rot.
I sympathize with Venezuela but those Caribbean opportunists should face reality and tell Maduro that he is on the wrong path. The Bus Driver does not have a clue as to how to lead the country, this is where Venezuela’s problem lies. A Bus driver messing up an entire nation simple because he was hand picked by Chavez. This St. Lucian so-called political scientist should go and read a dose of Capital and Marxist Leninist philosophy, because he really sounds like a Venezuelan parasite who sucked on Chavez.
DNO my contribution is being moderated still? Ah Wha DNO! Read my stuff and see the depth, if you sensor this one well this is it for me and DNO.
“Venezuela responded by saying the US intends to topple the government.” I may be missing something here, but I recall Meduro accused the US of an attemped coup before all this?
North America deserves condemnation as it is white supremacist and colonial empire. It must free its colonies and support their independence rather than expand its hegemonies. Shame on American for continuing to suppress and oppress people the world over. Give up your colonies ;St.John,St.Thomas, St.Croix, Puerto Rico,Guantanamo, Hawaii, Guam,Pacific Islands occupied, to begin with. England,France, Spain and Holland must do likewise. Hey world,abolish colonial oppression and white supremacy once and for all .
Proceed with caution….Venezuela has provided assistance to many nations throughout the region (Thank you). However, lets not forget a sizable portion of the economic dollars that are coming into many countries around the region are coming for tourist out of the United States (via cruise ship or direct air access).
Goodmorning Dominican. Proceed where with caution? Exactly where are we headed. Do you suggest we keep quiet about American crimes in the world because American tourists come to Dominica. Her crimes against humanity are well documented. Supporting apartheid till the end,supporting Rhodesia till the end,Vietnam, Angola,invation of Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico,Cuba and the Virgin Islands to name a few. The government with the worst human rights record in Latin America is Columbia where all the worlds cocaine come from, it gets the most America aid,what irony. On the other hand Venezuela since Chavez have tried most ernestly to lift its people from poverty and help Caribbean people come up.Yet America is hell bent on frustrating their noble efforts. That’s criminality. Are we to keep quiet because we can get visa, get educated, and get paid? Are Black Americans to do the heavy lifting in the fight for equal rights and justice while Caribbean citizens get paid and keep quiet?
Springer can want whatever he wants but I’m not supporting that Maduro guy. A free and democratcv Venezuela yes, but no oppressive party dictatorship.
boy i really greatful not for me but for the country and people and youts who benefited someway or the other from venezuela i have to say i agree with the st lucian PM thats cold man…
@Jharris, Why don’t you stay out of this? Clearly you did not understand a thing they said and that’s why you said you agree with the St. Lucian PM. Did the PM of St. Lucia say anything? Typical laborite that cannot understand what they read
None of dem condemned the actions of venezuela but they wannt to support the rightful actioms of the usa….
Could you explain this? “the actions of Venezuela”, the “rightful actions of the USA”, while you are at it please explain how that Venezuela is a threat to the National security of the USA
that springer guy does sound like he love the hand outs that Venezuela gives and would want to go at war with the usa, lets see. how many Dominicans living in the usa vs Dominicans living in Venezuela. springer I thing you and you party cannot do without the handouts
Liberate yourself from mental slavery bro. You have a house slave mentality and I suspect if it were back in slavery days, you would be one of those selling out the masses to the massa. Shame on you (and all the other idiots giving your ridiculous comment thumbs up)!!!
The U.S. government does plenty of bad things, but if you’re going to support Maduro’s despotic regime just because he’s not on the American payroll then you’re a hypocrite to talk about liberation.
one suggestion would be to read the book ‘animal farm’ might enlighten you a bit. when the liberators become the persecutors its nothing strange its time for change(again) lol. imagine fellas giving usa blows but they want their kids born there and nobody saying ‘hol allyu barrel!’ cambio man smiling boy, doh talk for studying aself yet it have a set dat want to burn down uncle sam like isis ask dem if they want to go and live in those countries and join d ‘liberacion” they chewing words. i agree america has its problems like all countries do but at least they appear to support democratic ideals of which we subscribe to as a nation. at least in america I see politicians being held accountable and face jail time for corruption etc whereas the status quo in these neo-socialist states is no accountability as long as you can control the masses.#bankruptsystemofgovernment.
If any of you think that the Great USA is your dear friend, your dead wrong! New World Order dead ahead…….
And who used the “New World Order” phrase in a few of their election campaign speeches lead up to December 8??? ahah… Dead ahead, you are right on that.
Springer foo if you ask me!
Why he does not take the St.Lucia SSU and send them to Venezuela to go fight the USA. Skerro smart, you see he has not opened his mouth after that declaration by Obama
Assertive, NOT Aggressive!
Do not misconstrue what he stated. Your mentality is reading something that he did not mean.
Standing up for a country and its government, speaking the truth and defending them are totally different from going to war.
Some of you love to say hand-outs and begging. It is not so and those words are lowly and demeaning. They are called gifts/donations, offering a helping hand and financial assistance. Your mentality needs to be revamped.
Obama must know that Venezuela has friends in the Caribbean and the Caribbean consists of many countries.
Garçon them fellows that established United States created an oligarchy in disguise , through their financial schemes they manipulate all nations and always crying about national Security,,,
The national security that they crying about is the destruction on the White Nation, which is already doomed as that nation posses the flawed Genome making up their molecular structure,,,
So no matter how much guns an ammunitions they possesses and no matter how much sanctions they implement The real fight for National Security is fighting Nature, and thusly the White Nation is gonna be eradicated by the most powerful Law in the Universe “The natural order of things”,,,