Food as a Tool of Political Domination: The Case for Intervention in Venezuela

Following in the steps of Castro’s Cuba and Allende’s Chile, the distribution of food in Venezuela has largely fallen into government hands. Access to food through private, open channels has been progressively impeded by the government and replaced with a system controlled by the military and politicized community groups. Through exclusion and selective deliveries this system has become the latest and one of the most effective “revolutionary” tools for political domination. When combined with the Cuban political colonization of Venezuela during the last 15 years and the profile of the current Venezuelan regime as a failed state, the tragic impact of this system on the Venezuelan population has led to widespread malnutrition, making an increasingly strong case for outside intervention.

On January 31st, Hudson hosted a discussion on the abuse of power in Venezuela and future policy options for the country. Moderated by Hudson Senior Fellow Ambassador Jaime Daremblum, the event featured Gustavo Coronel, a Venezuelan geologist and former Transparency International representative.

To view Mr. Coronel's slides, click here.