The Trump administration held secret meetings with Venezuelan military officers who opposed the government of President Maduro. If there is one way to increase support for Maduro in Venezuela, it is for the U.S. to engage in an effort to overthrow his government. The U.S. has a long history of meddling in Latin America, including military occupations and the overthrow of democratic governments like the Allende government in Chile.
Some of the military officers who were contacted by the Trump administration were involved in serious crimes, including drug trafficking and torturing prisoners. Trump, of course, has endorsed torture in the past, so that may not be a surprise. I suppose the sheer stupidity of the Trump Venezuelan policy should not come as a surprise either.
The second stupid policy of the Trump administration is cutting aid to the Palestinians and stopping all contributions to the UN agency that supports five million Palestinian refugees. This agency provides schooling, health care, food, and other services for Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza.
Not only will this policy provoke a humanitarian crisis, but it will also increase the likelihood of violence. Israel will be next to millions of desperate people who have nothing to lose but their lives. This may be one reason that the Israeli government has not supported or endorsed this U.S. move.
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