CLOSE THE BORDERS AND PRAY FOR THE BEST? Latin America’s Burning Question: What to Do About Venezuela.

The waves of migration caused by Venezuela’s impending implosion have affected Colombia and Brazil most severely, although the two neighbors have pursued widely divergent policies on how to deal with its root cause – the country’s foundering economy. Colombia backs heavier U.S. sanctions as part of an attempt to drive the Venezuelan government from power so that a successor can begin addressing the profound economic deterioration. Brazil, by contrast, has long espoused a policy of non-intervention in Venezuelan affairs, restricting itself to encouraging political dialogue between the opposition and the government to steer them toward free elections. At present, however, the gap between Colombia and Brazil may be narrowing after the Brazilian Finance Ministry agreed during the G-20 summit that it would coordinate financial actions against Caracas. As a result, Brazil will likely allocate some of its sizable intelligence resources to the Lima Group.

That’s all fine and good, but “the country’s foundering economy” is not the root cause of the Venezuela’s troubles. The economy is but a symptom of the real root cause: Socialism.