Maduro closes links to ABC islands for 72 hours: ABC islands shrug, scratch head and say, "WTF?"

[GatoGordo]

Venezuelan President Shuts Down Travel to Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered the shutdown of all air and sea links to three island nations for three days, citing illegal trafficking of goods and resources.

Maduro made the declaration late Friday in a televised appearance. He said the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao had been running black markets by taking gold, diamonds, copper and food products from Venezuela and selling them illegally.

He said organized crime rings were "waging war on our electricity. They steal our copper and they sell it illegally."

The Caribbean islands, known as the "ABC islands" because of their first initials, are a short distance from Venezuela's northern coast. They are a popular landing site for Venezuelans fleeing the country's food shortages.

This is not the first time Maduro has closed borders during times when the nation is under duress. He shut the border with Colombia in 2015 and again in 2016, alleging "Colombian mobsters" were hoarding Venezuelan currency.

-snip-

https://www.voanews.com/a/venezuelan-president-shuts-down-travel-aruba-bonaire-curacao/4196388.html

The United States is Maduro's favorite target, followed closely by Spain and Columbia. Guyana is perpetually on his shit list because he thinks Guyana is part of a "greater Venezuela" (Sudetenland anyone?) More recently, its been the EU and last week, it was Portugal (for stealing Maduro's Christmas hams!) And now, its Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao... the newest villains in the war against Chavismo.

A whole world of people to blame for all that ails Venezuela... any guesses on who is next? The South Sandwich Islands, perhaps?

[dewsgirl]

1. Looks like they have a nut job on their hands too.

[Fred Sanders]

2. International smuggling of vital goods being shut down by legal means? How awful!

[GatoGordo]

4. Bananas and papayas and mangos and onions?

Deferring to logic and reason... if this is a problem, why 72 hours?

Do you realize that a kilo of onions costs more than the monthly minimum wage in Venezuela? How is this the fault of Curacao?

[Fred Sanders]

5. Gold, silver, copper also. It is a long list for the smugglers! These islands "shock" is funny.

[GatoGordo]

6. Laughable

There is no smuggling of gems, gold, or metals to the ABC's. More histrionics courtesy of Chavismo to hide their epic failures.

The same way that Portugal wasn't responsible for the lack of pernil over Christmas. The truth is far less insidious... Maduro refused to pay for the hams (he didn't pay for last years hams either!), so the suppliers refused to deliver.

Always someone else to blame when your a Chavist apologist...

[Loki Liesmith]

7. Cone to the Workers Paradise

It’s heaven on earth!

[GatoGordo]

3. Curaao And Aruba: No Way To Treat A Neighboring Country

WILLEMSTAD, ORANJESTAD - Curaçao and Aruba are reacting to the Venezuelan decision to close the border with the ABC islands for three days. Anger and concern compete for priority with the Prime Ministers of both islands Rhuggenaath and Wever-Croes.

The unilateral decision of President Nicolas Maduro for the islands means that the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables is in danger. These are normally delivered with small boats from the Venezuelan coast. Maduro wants this to stop because there is hardly enough food available in the country itself.

Premier Evelyn Wever-Croes of Aruba says when asked that she is "worried". “There are close economic, cultural and family ties between the Caribbean islands and Venezuela. The one-sided closing of the border has a very negative impact.”

As an additional reason for his remarkable step, Maduro states that Venezuelan gold, silver and copper are being channeled out of the country through the ABC islands. The Curaçao Prime Minister Eugene Rhuggenaat calls these statements incomprehensible.

-snip-

http://curacaochronicle.com/main/curacao-and-aruba-no-way-to-treat-a-neighboring-country/

Venezuela, prior to Chavismo, used to be a net exporter of food. Since Chavez nationalized vast swaths of the agricultural sector, it is no longer profitable to produce food. Venezuelan farmers cannot sell their product in Venezuela and stay in business, so farmers who can export sell their foods anywhere EXCEPT Venezuela.

Regardless, Maduro (like Chavez before him) has made a habit of accusing everyone of trying to undermine Chavismo.

[GatoGordo]

8. Maduro extends suspension... says, "Mafias" to blame

Venezuela Extends Suspension of Air and Sea Travel, Trade with ABC Islands in Continued Fight Against Smuggling
Premier of Aruba, Evelyn Wever-Croes, expressed fear saying she is "worried" by the decision.

Venezuelan Vice President (VP) Tareck El Aissami has announced that President Nicolas Maduro has extended the suspension of air and sea traffic as well as trade with the Caribbean countries of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.

The VP made the remarks in a series of social media posts to his Twitter account late Monday, explaining that the South American country will uphold the decision until high-level talks are held with the nations involved.

El Aissami added that the necessary strategies should be put in place to combat “the mafias that steal our assets and smuggle with impunity strategic materials, which severely affect the services and quality of life” of the Venezuelan people.

-snip-

https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Extends-Suspension-of-Air-and-Sea-Travel-Trade-with-ABC-Islands-in-Continued-Fight-Against-Smuggling-20180109-0001.html

If anything, Maduro is consistent. Always blaming someone else for (fill in the blank) failure of Chavismo. The fact that farmers in Venezuela cannot make a living selling their produce to Venezuelans is meaningless... what matters is bluster and bombast.

Fear not. Maduro will soon enough claim that the ABC islands are part of "Greater Venezuela" also... joining Guyana.