John Bolton Hails Bolsonaro Victory; Threatens New Sanctions Against “Troika Of Tyranny” in Latin America
U.S National Security Adviser John Bolton lauded the election of controversial Far-Right candidate Jair Bolsonaro as the new President of Brazil. Bolton has referred to Bolsonaro as the new ally against the “Troika of Tyranny” – Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua:
“The recent elections of like-minded leaders in key countries, including Ivan Duque in Colombia and last weekend Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, are positive signs for the future of the region, and demonstrate a growing regional commitment to free-market principles, and open, transparent, and accountable governance.
“Many of you in the audience today have personally suffered unspeakable horrors at the hands of the regimes in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, only to survive, fight back, conquer, and overcome.
“Under this administration, we will no longer appease dictators and despots near our shores in this hemisphere. We will not reward firing squads, torturers, and murderers… The troika of tyranny in this hemisphere – Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua – has finally met its match.”
Christopher Sabatini, a Columbia University professor and expert on the region believes the speech of Bolton was politically-motivated:
“This was more a ‘transparent triumvirate of electorates’ from Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba. It is no coincidence that this speech is being made where there are tight races for governor and for Congress. It is just another example of how our policy in the hemisphere is driven by local politics, and it’s sad.”
Bolton accused the three countries which he also referred to as a “triangle of terror stretching from Havana to Caracas to Managua”, of being “the cause of immense human suffering, the impetus of enormous regional instability, and the genesis of a sordid cradle of communism in the western hemisphere.”
Bolton also announced the imposition of new sanctions on Cuba and Venezuela. He also said that President Donald Trump just signed an executive order to ban U.S citizens from dealing with entities and individuals engaged in “corrupt or deceptive” gold trade in Venezuela.