Sir, – Almost four million Venezuelans have fled hunger, unemployment, hyper-inflation and a level of almost unimaginable desperation.
The corrupt Maduro regime is responsible but the Trump administration cutting off its only source of revenue – oil sales to the US – risks finally imploding the Venezuelan economy and causing even worse human suffering.
The Maduro regime, with the largest oil reserves on Earth, has effectively destroyed one of the potentially richest countries in Latin American. It has shattered the lives of an entire generation, especially the poor as health and all public services are in meltdown, with a sharp rise in child mortality.
Mr Maduro must go, but peaceful pressure will achieve that and talk of military intervention by the US and using oil as a weapon at this stage risk turning a humanitarian crisis into a catastrophe, not just for Venezuela but all of Latin America. – Yours, etc,
RONAN L TYNAN,
East Wall, Dublin 3.
Sir, – We should not be surprised at what practically amounted to an ode to the Maduro administration in Venezuela by Betty Purcell ("Venezuela will not be easy win for Donald Trump", Opinion & Analysis, January 28th).
I’ve been to Venezuela four times since 2012, the latest trip being last July, travelling overland from my current abode of Colombia, as I always do. When in Caracas I always stay with a local family in a working-class neighbourhood, a former Chávez stronghold, a place where you’ll still find people who speak fondly of the late president. What is much harder to find, however, indeed almost impossible, are people in support of Nicolás Maduro.
From the millions of Venezuelans who have fled the country, and the vast majority of these are from anything but well-off backgrounds (you can clearly see that here in Colombia, for one), to those who remain there, the common thread is that change is needed.
For sure, we must be wary of US intervention in the region. History lets us know that.
However, we must also be wary of allowing a dictator remain in power to the detriment of the majority of his citizens.
The country is crying out for change.
I would suggest Betty Purcell go back and spend a little more time there. If it turns out she likes what she sees, there are plenty of Venezuelans willing to do a swap with her to live in a liberal democracy. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN CORRIGAN,
Bogotá,
Colombia.