, Columnist
Chavez Would Cheer U.S. Sanctions on Venezuela
Sanctions approved by the U.S. House against Venezuelan human-rights abusers would only backfire, helping the Venezuelan government distract attention from its economic mismanagement, which has produced chronic food shortages, a worthless
currency and one of the world’s highest inflation rates.
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A bill to sanction Venezuelan officials deemed human-rights abusers was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday. It may seem a sensible response to a government crackdown on opposition-led protests that has resulted in 42 deaths and thousands of arrests.
Such sanctions would backfire, however. They would feed the anti-Americanism encouraged by President Nicolas Maduro and help him distract attention from his economic mismanagement. His bungling has produced chronic food shortages, a worthless currency and one of the world's highest inflation rates.