Bolivarian Isolationism: Venezuela in freefall while continent stands idly by

Venezuela is collapsing rapidly before the eyes of Latin America, with most of the region standing idly by. This exposes isolationism by countries throughout the Western Hemisphere, and exemplifies how the lack of engagement within the region is now confronted with a regional bloc that will not let it engage even if it wants to. This trend has become more apparent since March of 2015, when the United States sanctioned seven individuals within the Venezuelan government for human rights violations. These individuals had allegedly directed or engaged in violent acts toward Venezuelan citizens during the country’s 2014-2015 protests. More…