What is Venezuela's Government So Afraid Of?

A leitmotif of the Bolivarian government in the past 16 years has been to invoke the sovereignty of the peoples and the non-interference in internal affairs, so it can evade observation of the international system with regard to any topic, including drug-trafficking, terrorism, the electoral system and human rights. In spite of this, Venezuela today is perceived by nearly all international institutions as: 1) A country that protects drug-trafficking activities, which serves as a route for the transit of drugs to Europe and the U.S. 2) A country that hides and supports terrorists of FARC, ELN, ETA and other extremist organizations. 3) A country without rule of law, where electoral processes are little transparent and credible due to the lack of autonomy of the Electoral Power, a fact that weakens democratic institutions. 4) A country where the human rights of citizens are constantly violated, particularly of those who disagree with government policies, and fight for the rescue of democratic rights and freedoms. More…