Luciana Bohne

Open Letter to Bernie Sanders

Dear Bernie,

You wrote on twitter: "The people of Venezuela are enduring a serious humanitarian crisis. The Maduro government must put the needs of its people first, allow humanitarian aid into the country, and refrain from violence against protesters." (10:47 AM - 23 Feb 2019).

You must know, Bernie, that the US is suffocating Venezuela with economic and financial sanctions, preventing even access to medicines (insulin, for example).

You must know, too Bernie, the history of the acceleration of the 17-year-old US campaign to overthrow the government of Venezuela. In 2002, the Bush administration attempted and failed in a coup to remove Chavez. The coup was directed by Elliott Abrams, who is now Trump's envoy to Venezuela. Do you really believe this man has "humanitarian" motives and intentions? A convicted felon, guilty of funding and arming death squads, covering up massacres, providing funds and cover for genocide in Central America in the 1980s?

Bernie, in 2015, President Obama declared Venezuela a threat to US security and issued the first round of sanctions, freezing assets of Venezuelan officials. Do you know on what evidence Venezuela became a threat to the US? I don't think Venezuela was pointing missiles at the US. Do you know better?

In 2017, President Trump issued economic sanctions and followed up in January 2019 with draconian financial sanctions, depriving Venezuela of petroleum revenues--among other punitive financial measures.

Now, Bernie, the US is using the crisis it has itself precipitated to assist Venezuela (while threatening a military intervention--"all options on the table.") Is not this a theater of cruelty-- the tormentor playing the Good Samaritan on its own victim, Bernie? Does it not appall you?

Then, too, Bernie, you must know that Venezuela is accepting aid via the United Nations (and proudly paying for every morsel) from China, Turkey, India, Cuba: 933 tons of food and medicines received. The Venezuelan government has since then received and accepted over 300 tons of medicines from Russia., which it will receive weekly. Are you prepared to propose that aid from the US, too, be delivered via the United Nations?

I know you can't make this proposal, Bernie, because the UN has refused to recognize the illegitimate "interim president" of Venezuela and will deal exclusively with the legitimate government.

But there's something you could do: you could call for the end of the US-sanction regime on Venezuela. That would be humanitarian, Bernie. That.

Best regards,

Luciana Bohne

A citizen

https://www.facebook.com/luciana.bohne.1/posts/2085002134886851