This is very interesting to read and see. Thank you for reporting it. Hopefully after a period of translation things are actually going to get better.
It is in United States national interest to have a friendly and prosperous Venezuela. Will it happen? I don't know, but it sounds like it has gotten so bad that even a small improvement will be welcomed.
Absolutely.
One thing many people refuse to understand is that no matter how virtuous someone wants to be (peace, respect for international law, sovereignty, human rights, etc.), there are situations that can be solved only by means that may feel contrary to those principles or values. The hard reality is that you cannot expect to win a game when the opponent does not play by the rules.
Some people insist that a dictator must be deposed by their people, not by foreigners. However, when those trying to change things around have no weapons and the dictator is ruthless and has every man and woman in uniform at his disposal, things get a little complicated.
Venezuelans (civilians) have tried by any democratic means available for two decades and the only results have been: thousands in prisons, hundreds of thousands dead, and millions in exile.
Venezuela can be prosperous soon as long as there is a drastic political change. Those who caused all the problems (for us and for other countries) cannot be left in charge of solving them. They have not done it in 25+ years. On the contrary, they have multiplied those problems (domestically and internationaly).
The media reported here that Maduro claimed to have armed the civilian populace because of the threat of war. Clearly that isn't true. Thanks again for enabling me to grasp the reality of the circumstances there.
Well, about that: the average population has no weapons. However, since Chavez times (2000-2013), militia groups called colectivos were created. They do have weapons and licence to do whatever they want in plain daylight. They operate side by side regular military forces and in some cases with authority over police forces. They are civilians and their main job is to be available to indimidate civilians any time they are required. They are patrolling the city now. I have not been able to report it myself because my family is very scared to go out and take pictures. They are the main reason every protest since 2002 has failed. Unarmed civilians, even by hundreds of thousands can't compete with an armed minority, impunity and the silence of the international community
"Unarmed civilians, even by hundreds of thousands can compete with an armed minority, impunity and the silence of the international community"
Do you mean cannot compete, rather than can?