As the U.S. military presence near Venezuela increases, 60 Minutes traveled to the South American nation for a rare look at what life is like under its embattled dictator, Nicolas Maduro. “Instability isn’t just an architectural feature in Venezuela; it is a way of life,” Sharyn Alfonsi of “60 Minutes” says. “Since September, the U.S. military has blown up at least 10 vessels, killing more than three dozen alleged drug smugglers, most of them off the coast of Venezuela.” Former Ambassador James Story, the last American diplomat at the now-closed embassy, says the show of U.S. force is likely intended to oust Nicolas Maduro. “This is a very bad actor sitting on top of the world’s largest known reserves of oil, plus the critical minerals that will fuel the 21st-century economy, and he’s in bed with our strategic competitors,” Story said. “Let’s be very clear. This is a criminal organization masquerading as a government. This is an individual who is under indictment for narcotics trafficking– commits human rights violations. Someone who has used the apparatus of the state to throw people in jail, to torture them, to kill them.” “If I was Maduro, I’d head to Russia or China right now,” Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott said. “His days are numbered. Something’s gonna happen. Whether it’s internal or external, I think something’s gonna happen.” “America is gonna take care of the Southern Hemisphere. And we’re going to make sure that there’s freedom and democracy,” Scott said, adding that he’d be “surprised” if the U.S. actually invaded the country.
RealClearPolitics Videos