Venezuela beyond the brink

Venezuela is a nightmare turning into a humanitarian disaster and the world watches. Jim Mattis, the US Defence Secretary, has just returned from a trip around South America and spoke glowingly about the importance of relations with countries like Brazil, Argentina and Colombia. He spoke of democracies flourishing in the region and raised the troubles in Venezuela and how President Maduro was responsible for the plight faced by its citizens. But that was it. Of course Mattis didn't want to stir up more trouble for the Venezuelan people and he is the defence secretary, not the secretary of state. But surely a bit more condemnation of Maduro and his regime might have been appropriate. Venezeuala's neighbours are now closing their borders to stop the millions of Venezuelans trying to pour into their countries without passports or visas. While understandable, this will create suffering on an unbelievable scale for those desperate to find food and medecine and a decent life anywhere but their own country. It also means tragic separating of families. In thousands of cases, Venezuelan fathers have left the country to find work in other South American countries and then sent for their families. But when theirwives and children get to the border they are turned back because they don't have visas. In fact they can't get visas because the Maduro regime isn't providing visas, or food, or medecine, or toilet paper or anything. I truly think Venezuela is currenty the worst country in the world to live where there isn't an actual war going on. So not worse than Syria obviously, but worse than North Korea. Venezuela is full of lovely democracry-loving people ruled by a monster democracy-hating despot. Jim Mattis, you should have spoken out against Maduro with the full force of the US behind you.