Trump believes change in Venezuela must come from within: K.T. McFarland
Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis is intensifying as embattled Nicolas Maduro refuses to leave office amid a starving population and crumbling medical services.
Vice President Mike Pence announced Tuesday that the USNS Comfort, the mercy-class hospital ship, was making its way toward Venezuela to offer aid.
Former Deputy National Security Adviser K.T. McFarland, one of the key architects of the Trump administration’s Venezuela policy, said the country’s building crisis has been a priority for the president since his first days in office.
“We looked at it right away. What could we do? It was clearly a humanitarian disaster. It was a political disaster, only getting worse,” she said during an interview on FOX Business’ Trish Regan Primetime Tuesday.
McFarland explained that Venezuelans themselves, along with other regional players, leading the charge for change, is central to Trump’s policy.
“One of the things we realized was for the people in the region to solve it. We can help, we can help with sanctions, we can help with intelligence, and we can help behind the scenes,” she said. “But they have to own this solution. Not only the Organization of American States, the countries that are affected by it. But the Venezuelans have to own it.”
Even as Russians and Cubans prop up the Maduro regime, McFarland notes, the Venezuelan people are taking charge through protest and support for opposition leaders.
“When we first looked at it two years ago, there wasn’t a popular uprising. There was really Maduro, and nobody. Now there is a popular uprising—it’s lead by a very respectable Venezuelan [Juan Guaidó] who’s taking charge. The key is going to be what happens to the military.”
McFarland has little doubt the Venezuelans are capable of ending the humanitarian and political crises.
“They’re able to do it. It’ll take some time, and it’ll take some effort, and it’ll probably take some suffering, but at the end of the day, it will be their nation and they will rebuild their nation.”