Nicolas Maduro has been President of Venezuela for four years. His Presidency a steady decline to the gates of Hell. First no toilet paper. Then no food. Finally, pets and zoo animals eaten. Along the way, people disappearing or killed.
Today, Venezuela stands at those gates. It is election day. A special election day. Maduro wants to replace Venezuela’s National Assembly and adopt a new Constitution. The new National Assembly will be composed of persons nominated by Maduro. The new Constitution will give him the powers of a dictator.
I have written about Venezuela the four years Maduro has been President. I was intrigued when the nation ran out of toilet paper.
It has bothered me the people never revolted. They protest in huge numbers. In recent weeks, a handful have clashed with Maduro supporters.
Turns out Cuba is behind it all. Yes, our tiny neighbor 90 miles to the south. Cuba is responsible for everything that has been happening in Venezuela.
Cuba is the power. It controls the levers of power. The government and those who support it.
Mary Anastasia O’Grady wrote an excellent opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal’s July 17, 2017 edition. Titled: How Cuba Runs Venezuela.
Cuba has been trying for 50 years to sow its ideological revolution in South America. Concerning Venezuela, it has succeeded.
Cuba needs Venezuela to transport Colombian cocaine to the United States and to Africa to supply Europe. It also relies heavily on cut-rate Venezuelan oil.
Cuba has established a Soviet type hold on Venezuela. Working in Venezuela are 50 high ranking Cuban military officers, 4,500 Cuban soldiers, and 34,000 doctors and health professionals who are there to defend Cuba’s tyranny with arms if necessary.
Thousands of other Cubans hold high level Venezuelan government positions.
The Cubans have toilet paper and eat well.
Similar to Soviet oversight, each Venezuelan military commander has a civilian minder. A person who watches every turn and reports to higher ups any deviation from expected conduct.
I find it amazing how relatively silent the American media has been over the years re Cuba’s influence.
Today’s election is most important. I fear Maduro and his followers will win. Nothing good can come from the victory for the Venezuelan people and the rest of the world.
Last week when Trump lifted our new relationship with Cuba, I thought he was succumbing to that small group of Cubans who had to flee Cuba fifty and more years ago and now reside in Miami. A poor reason I thought.
Now, I wonder if Trump was motivated to show the world he stood against the evils imposed by Cuba upon Venezuela.
Regardless, the Monroe Doctrine has been forgotten.
Yesterday was Saturday. It became my Sunday. My lazy day.
I never left the house. Read, wrote, napped and watched TV.
Hackley’s journal has suggested, at least to me, that Hackley used slaves. Not as an owner. He rented them.
Further indication of Hackley as a lessee is found in his entry of this date in 1856. Hackley speaks of his cook Black Matilda. It was yellow fever time. He wrote she had “some fever and pains in the head.”
Hackley got Black Matilda out of the house immediately. Delivered her to someone else to worry about.
Some generally unaware history concerning Harry Truman. Harry Truman loved Key West and Key West to this day loves Harry Truman.
On this date in 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law. He did so at the Truman Library in Independence. Truman was still alive and attended.
Why the Truman Library and in Truman’s presence?
Truman was the first President to propose national health insurance. Congress opposed. He could never get it passed.
Johnson further paid tribute to Truman by enrolling Truman as Medicare’s first beneficiary.
Enjoy your Sunday!