Erdogan's Visit to Venezuela; Support for Maduro, Criticism of Sanctions

The President of Turkey, during his visit to Venezuela, expressed support for Nicolas Maduro, the country's president, and criticized the sanctions against the Caracas government. This visit comes at a time when the United States has recently intensified its actions against Maduro's government. Erdogan's visit on Monday, December 3, marks his first official trip to Venezuela. Washington has increased its punitive measures against the Venezuelan government, recently imposing sanctions on several officials in Caracas, accusing them of corruption, human rights violations, and political freedoms. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting American citizens from trading with individuals and entities in South America involved in 'corrupt or deceptive' gold transactions. According to Reuters, Turkey was the largest importer of non-minted gold from Venezuela this year. France's news agency also reported that Nicolas Maduro has asked Turkish companies to invest in the exploration and extraction of gold, diamond, and coltan-rich mines in the southern part of the country. Coltan is a material used in electronics. On Monday, Erdogan stated in the Venezuelan capital, 'Political problems cannot be solved by punishing an entire nation.' The Turkish president, who was present at a meeting with businessmen alongside Maduro, added, 'We do not accept these [sanction] actions that disregard international trade laws.' Erdogan expressed, 'I want my visit [to Venezuela] to be interpreted as a sign of cooperation between the people of Turkey and the people of Venezuela.' He also mentioned that Turkey would be 'building a mosque' in Caracas. The Venezuelan president, whose country is facing a wave of civil and social protests, political tensions, violent demonstrations, a turbulent economic situation, and hyperinflation, has pointed fingers at Washington, accusing the U.S. of 'economic warfare.' However, the U.S. government claims it seeks a change in behavior, not regime change in Venezuela. Rick Waddell, Deputy National Security Advisor, stated last year, 'We want the Venezuelan government to return to democratic ways and respect human rights and private property. These changes do not necessarily require regime change.' Last year, Maduro made changes to the law to consolidate power and increase his authority, which also faced U.S. backlash. Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State, warned last spring that if the Venezuelan government did not restore a 'transparent, free, and fair' electoral process, its isolation on the world stage would increase. Since 2014, Venezuela has faced a series of protests and demonstrations mainly in response to high violence rates in urban areas, shortages of raw materials, inflation, and economic and political issues. Based on a set of statistics available in international media, at least 230 people have lost their lives in protests over the years. However, the highest number of deaths and injuries is attributed to the widespread protests in 2017, which left over 160 dead and 15,000 injured. Thousands have also been arrested during these years.