Venezuela: From Bad to Worse

      We know what bad looks like: see Iraq and Afghanistan.  We know what trouble looks like: see Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel.  And we know what pain looks like: see Libya, Sudan, South Sudan, and Mexico.   This is not a complete list: many other names could be added in each category.  When we move our gaze to Latin America, one nation stands alone among the rest: Venezuela.
      Chaos reigns supreme in the post-Chavez era dominated by his hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro.  The problems encountered there by the population are legion and the effects leave a grim landscape of government soldiers opposed by anxious, hungry citizens demanding change in the form of a new government.  Maduro and his henchmen have turned to force and violence to intimidate the opposition and to suppress all dissent.   He is following the program fostered by his Communist supporters: the Cubans of Raul Castro's regime who are on the ground in Venezuela leading the government's position of continued dictatorial control.
      The oil rich nation has descended into a state of violence: crime is rampant; citizens are sslowly starving as food becomes more scare everyday.  Citizens that can are fleeing to neighboring Colombia to find refuge and food, not to mention safety and security.  How long can this continue?  Without leadership, without a plan for resolution, without external support of the people, the current situation will descend into uncontrolled violence and misery.   International organizations such as the UN and the O.A.S. have stood on the sidelines for too long.  The other Latin American countries are struggling to cope as best they can without stepping into the maelstrom.   They face the prospect of being directly affected by the spillover of Maduro's repression against his people.  The USA is obviously concerned, but with the current administration in political difficulty and the Secretary of State being scrutinized for his business with Russya before his appointment, it seems the giant of the North will not be stepping into the Venezuelan problem anytime soon.
     The world watches and waits.