Venezuelan President: US Imperialism Lingers

Two family members of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro were arrested in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, last Tuesday night while preparing an illegal drug trafficking deal. Efrain Antonio Campo Flores and Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas planned to finalize a deal with the intention to smuggle 800 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.

After having been arrested by Haitian police, the two were transferred to the custody of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, more commonly known as the DEA, and subsequently taken to New York to face charges “of conspiring to import, manufacture and distribute” cocaine in the U.S. Last Thursday, a federal judge ordered them to be held without bail. If convicted, they may face a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Not too long after reports emerged from media sources that two of his family members where taken to the U.S. to face criminal charges, President Maduro took to social media, specifically Twitter, to criticize and denounce “imperial ambushes” against Venezuela. Maduro, as well as several other Latin American leaders, have denounced the United States for continuing acts of imperialism in the 21^st century throughout the region. This is mainly due to U.S. military and political intervention in Latin America during much of the 20^th century, including countries like Chile and El Salvador.

The perception of the United States in Latin America, especially in countries where leftist political parties dominate government institutions, is scarred by U.S. intervention in the region. According to constructivist theories of international relations, the relationship between the United States and Latin American countries will continue to be marred by each other’s negative view of each other. Only until the United States is no longer seen as an imperialistic threat to the region can their relationships be improved to foster development and cooperation between all parties involved.