qrussman

qrussman t1_j2f6wh0 wrote

One more:

"What is worse, sanctions have merely exacerbated the plight of citizens in Venezuela, decreasing the likelihood of mass protests and other civic movements, which can help the country restore democracy."

"A report by Weisbrot and Sachs indicates that the sanctions have contributed to not only destabilizing the economy, but also have made it harder for citizens to reach basic goods such as food and medical supplies due to the reduction in imports (Weisbrot & Sachs, 2019)."

https://www.unaa.org.au/2021/10/01/us-sanctions-in-venezuela/

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qrussman t1_j2f68jj wrote

Another perspective:

"The report details how U.S. sanctions are affecting the most vulnerable in Venezuela. While U.S. sanctions don’t explicitly restrict food and medicine imports, Venezuela’s economy is heavily dependent on oil revenue as a source of hard currency so that private and public businesses can import needed goods. U.S. sanctions have contributed to a steep drop in Venezuelan imports. The report finds that the value of average monthly public imports dropped by 46 percent (to $500 million) in 2019 and another 50 percent (to $250 million) in 2020."

"A tendency towards risk aversion has led banks and financial institutions operating in Venezuela or with Venezuelan institutions to over-comply with U.S. sanctions. This has had an impact across Venezuelan society. As a result, human rights groups, humanitarian organizations, and private companies have had their bank accounts closed, and seen legitimate transactions denied or frozen for long periods of time."

"WOLA, a research and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing a negotiated political accord that leads to free and fair elections in Venezuela, has repeatedly joined Venezuelan civil society in expressing concern about the impact of U.S. sanctions in the country. On September 1, WOLA joined with 115 Venezuelan organizations and individuals in urging the U.S. government to refrain from widening sanctions to restrict the flow of diesel in the country."

https://www.wola.org/2020/10/new-report-us-sanctions-aggravated-venezuelas-economic-crisis/#:~:text=U.S.%20sanctions%20have%20caused%20the%20Venezuelan%20state%20to,sanctions%20are%20affecting%20the%20most%20vulnerable%20in%20Venezuela.

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qrussman t1_j2ezssa wrote

Another perspective to consider:

"foreign sanctions 'constitute violations of international law' and have exacerbated Venezuela’s economic crisis with 'ineffective and insufficient' carve-outs for humanitarian issues."

"Venezuela’s state-controlled economy began to decline in 2014 with falling oil prices and has been corroded by mismanagement and corruption. By the time the US first imposed broad economic sanctions in 2017, Venezuela already had the highest inflation in the world and was experiencing chronic shortages of basic goods.

However, Douhan’s report emphasizes that existing 'calamities' were exacerbated by 'unilateral sanctions increasingly imposed by the United States, the European Union and other countries.'"

"broad sanctions remain, complicating the country’s access to basic medical and food supplies, despite exemptions for humanitarian needs.

'Impediments to food imports, constituting more than 50 per cent of food consumption, have resulted in the steadily growth of malnourishment in the past 6 years,' Douhan’s report reads, noting that hungry Venezuelans’ “coping mechanisms” include reducing their number of meals per day, selling household assets, and child labor, among other things.

The impact of trade sanctions is particularly felt today in the Venezuelan countryside, where agricultural activities have all but stopped since imports of diesel fuel dried up. Venezuela is still capable of refining limited amounts of normal gasoline but cannot refine diesel, used in heavy trucks and agricultural machinery. Many farmers have been forced to leave their fields unattended as their machinery stood still."

"She also called on the US, the UK and Portugal to release frozen Venezuelan foreign assets – estimated at $6 billion – so that Maduro’s government can purchase supplies needed to confront the Covid-19 pandemic."

"Nevertheless, Douhan described the ultimate economic toll of sanctions on ordinary Venezuelans as unjustifiable, and noted that the US-led 'maximum pressure campaign' also 'violates the principle of sovereign equality of states and constitutes an intervention in the domestic affairs of Venezuela.'"

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/12/world/us-venezuela-sanctions-alina-douhan-intl/index.html

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qrussman t1_j2bobw6 wrote

Gotta lift the US sanctions against Venezuela & Cuba. No brainer call. Either they aren’t doing anything to damage those economies so lifting them would have no effect (not the case) or they are indeed damaging those economies & lifting them would ease the suffering of the people just trying to live their lives (the case). If someone is so confident that those economies would fail even without the sanctions then lift them & prove it.

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