U.S. declares Venezuela a national security threat, sanctions top officials by Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton.
Venezuela? Really?
(Image tweeted by the U.S. Dept. of Fear)
I scanned the Wikipedia article on Venezuela but nothing jumped out at me as a threat to U.S. national security. I have to concede that most Venezuelans speak Spanish, are Roman Catholic (92%) and non-whites are a majority of the population. None of that strikes me as threats to our national security. But, I’m not trying to distract the press from some other breaking or about to break story.
I wasn’t able to find a copy of the executive order. If you check Executive Orders, the most recent one listed is February 13, 2015. I did find a press release, which indicates surveillance of U.S. bank data.
From the press release:
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Individuals designated or identified for the imposition of sanctions under this E.O., including the seven individuals that have been listed today in the Annex of this E.O., will have their property and interests in property in the United States blocked or frozen, and U.S. persons are prohibited from doing business with them. The E.O. also suspends the entry into the United States of individuals meeting the criteria for economic sanctions.
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1. Antonio José Benavides Torres: Commander of the Strategic Region for the Integral Defense (REDI) of the Central Region of Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) and former Director of Operations for Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Guard (GNB).
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2. Gustavo Enrique González López: Director General of Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) and President of Venezuela’s Strategic Center of Security and Protection of the Homeland (CESPPA).
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3. Justo José Noguera Pietri: President of the Venezuelan Corporation of Guayana (CVG), a state-owned entity, and former General Commander of Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Guard (GNB).
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4. Katherine Nayarith Haringhton Padron: national level prosecutor of the 20th District Office of Venezuela’s Public Ministry.
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5. Manuel Eduardo Pérez Urdaneta: Director of Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Police.
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6. Manuel Gregorio Bernal Martínez : Chief of the 31st Armored Brigade of Caracas of Venezuela’s Bolivarian Army and former Director General of Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN).
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7. Miguel Alcides Vivas Landino: Inspector General of Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) and former Commander of the Strategic Region for the Integral Defense (REDI) of the Andes Region of Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Armed Forces.
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What do you think? Would a hunt for assets of those seven individuals turn up empty in the United States? If your answer is no, how would the president know to name those particular individuals in the executive order?
Does that sound like surveillance of the financial system to you?
Otherwise, someone would have to apply to the FISA court to obtain the records of financial institutions…, you know, there may be FISA court orders on that very point. FOIA anyone?
Ironic that the gansta administration in Washington, that kills without due process, engages in widespread abuses of human rights and the rights of its own citizens, attempts to justify this executive order as follows:
This new authority is aimed at persons involved in or responsible for the erosion of human rights guarantees, persecution of political opponents, curtailment of press freedoms, use of violence and human rights violations and abuses in response to antigovernment protests, and arbitrary arrest and detention of antigovernment protestors, as well as the significant public corruption by senior government officials in Venezuela.
The citizens of the United States would benefit from executive orders or their equivalents from other world powers that read:
This new authority is aimed at persons involved in or responsible for the erosion of human rights guarantees, persecution of political opponents, curtailment of press freedoms, use of violence and human rights violations and abuses in response to antigovernment protests, and arbitrary arrest and detention of antigovernment protestors, as well as the significant public corruption by senior government officials in the United States.
If you or your country needs a list of specific individuals, ping me.