‘People who hate Maduro often need humanitarian aid the least’ – Max Blumenthal

The narrative about dictator Maduro starving his own people aims to split a polarized Venezuela where the poor still support the government, while those backing the opposition are cashing in on the crisis, Max Blumenthal told RT.

Despite mainstream media painting a dire picture in which the entire Venezuelan society –of course, besides Maduro himself and his corrupt inner circle– are in desperate need of food and basic necessities, the independent journalist discovered a different situation while touring parts of the country.

“The problem here is with speculation,” Blumenthal told RT from Caracas, explaining that, while many food products indeed suffered from the massive hyperinflation triggered by the falling oil price and US sanctions, local supply to the population sometimes costs them nothing at all.

“The owners of the largest food companies are making a killing off of this economy. And US sanctions are actually allowing them to hoard goods and to make maximum profit,” the independent journalist said. “That is the irony here – is that many of the supporters of the opposition and the big business forces behind the opposition are actually cashing in on the economic crisis.”

Observing shelves bursting with supplies and full lines at the checkout at a supermarket in Caracas, the American author, journalist, and blogger came to the conclusion that Washington is intentionally trying to stage an “intervention propaganda show” with the help of the mass media, who are fully “embedded” with the Venezuelan opposition.

“I’m certainly not denying that there is an economic crisis here because there is. And outside Caracas, the situation is worse,” Blumenthal noted, adding that authorities are actively working to help the population. While touring around open-air markets, the reporter encountered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and the mayor of the Libertador municipality of Caracas Erika Farías helping the people.

“At open-air food markets around the city food is being distributed basically for free to the poor and working-class communities. And all kinds of food is available throughout the city,” the American noted. “This is actual humanitarian aid with Venezuelan-produced goods delivered by local communities and the reason why they are doing this is to demonstrate that they do not need this USAID.”

Many poor Venezuelans, Blumenthal said, believe that their crisis stems from the US sanctions noose and the absence of the billions of dollars that Washington seized or prevented from entering the economy. Meanwhile those who hate Maduro and the whole idea of Chavismo are usually much wealthier people “who need humanitarian aid the least.”

“This society is completely polarized,” Blumenthal concluded. “And I think what the US and outside underestimate is the resiliency of Venezuelans and the will to resist among the very large base of this population that supports not just Nicolas Maduro but the idea of Venezuela as a sovereign state that can decide its own economic future.”

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