What Donald Trump and his advisers are missing: Without the sanctions and hostile acts of the United States Venezuelan President Maduro would have to take responsibility.

               

Solidarity tourists get all paid guided tours. I dare them to go on their own and talk to the people without "hosts" hanging around.

It's a hell of a way to undercut anyone who says that the sanctions are killing Venezuelans by the thousands.

If anything Trump is propping up President Maduro by casting the struggle as the US vs. Venezuela in a struggle for oil when Chevron, Halliburton Co (HAL.N), Schlumberger (SLB.N), GE's Baker Hughes (BHGE.N) and Weatherford International continue working Venezuela's oilfields.

The facts are Venezuela's economy was on a downhill trajectory in 2013, before there were any US sanctions against Venezuela.