Will Venezuelans be exploited again?

While I remain hopeful that Venezuela — a place my father called home after leaving Colombia, where my two sisters were born and where many of my cousins still call home — can finally realize true self-governance and self-determination, I am skeptical and disappointed by the path the U.S. is taking.

With the administration declaring the Maduro era over, history gives us reason for caution. Once again, the U.S. is engaging in regime change, a strategy that has repeatedly failed, often driven by the not-so-subtle motive of controlling oil. Even more troubling, this is unfolding without clear congressional approval or oversight.

The rhetoric of "American oil" suggests that the world’s resources exist for our use and control. What guardrails will be put in place to ensure Venezuela and its people are not exploited yet again — and that we don’t re-create the very conditions that led to Hugo Chávez and ultimately Nicolás Maduro?

Nor should we ignore the fact that President Trump is, with one hand, seeking a Nobel Peace Prize while, with the other, ordering military actions across seven countries: Iraq, Iran, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.

Let’s be clear: Socialism alone did not create Venezuela’s crisis. It was the exploitation of its people, followed by the pursuit of absolute power and isolationism. If those lessons are ignored, Venezuela’s future risks looking far too much like its past.

JuanPablo Prieto, Kilbourn Park

Caracas attack reeks of arrogance

That President Trump is so arrogant as to tell the people of Venezuela who should run their country and how they should do it, and for good measure, determine how its resources should be managed and to whom sold, rather than let the Venezuelans make their own choices, is all too typical.
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For years Trump has been arrogantly telling U.S. consumers what they should buy and which producers will be favored. It’s called tariffs.

Similarly, he has been arrogantly telling us that he knows better than all of us how to invest our money by purchasing stakes in, and control of, companies he likes and attempting to set up a strategic wealth fund. By the way, these "investments" are the first on a slippery slope to socialism, which is defined in important part by government control or ownership of productive resources. He is also sufficiently arrogant to tell leading universities how to educate. And the list goes on.

Perhaps most importantly, his arrogance is such that on virtually all matters he has proceeded without congressional approval. Thumbing his nose at Congress is a repudiation of the fundamental democratic principles on which this country was founded, and until now, observed.

One helluva way to begin the celebration of this nation’s founding.

William P. Gottschalk, Lake Forest

Remember Iraq

After capturing Venezuelan President Maduro and removing him to New York, President Trump promises that we will "run" Venezuela "until we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition." Where have I heard that before? Oh, yeah, when we invaded Iraq.

I wonder what (diplomat) Paul Bremer is doing these days? He had extensive experience running Iraq. Maybe he can lend his expertise to show the current Republican administration how the previous Republican administration handled things. It was a disaster then, and it will be a disaster this time.

Frank L. Schneider, Lake View

Best move for Bears, city and state? A renovated Soldier Field

Soldier Field needs to be renovated, not moved to Arlington Heights or northwest Indiana.

Despite what some media reports have said, Soldier Field is not one of the oldest stadiums in the NFL. The original Soldier Field was gutted just over 20 years ago and a brand new stadium, with great sight lines, was built. I’ve been to multiple NFL stadiums, and Soldier Field is one of the best to watch a game. It’s worth keeping.

 A renovation could widen the concourses on all sides except the west side (because of the historic columns). Bringing in a monorail from Union Station/Ogilvie would benefit the entire Museum Campus as well as Soldier Field. These upgrades would benefit the city.

And keep Soldier Field an outdoor stadium. Many Bears fans want the Bears to continue to play outdoors. "Bear weather" can be a huge advantage against opponents. Renovations could include a covering for the fans, like the Buffalo Bills are doing. Only a third of NFL teams play indoors or will have indoor stadiums. Only three of those — St. Louis Rams, New Orleans Saints, and Indianapolis Colts — have won a Super Bowl. 

Arguments that a domed stadium can attract a Super Bowl or Final Four are a red herring. The NFL does not like hosting a Super Bowl in cold-weather cities in February. It instead travels to California, Florida, Arizona, New Orleans or Las Vegas. And there are now so many domed stadiums that Chicago would get a Final Four maybe every 10 or 15 years.

Taxpayers have had enough of billionaire NFL owners squeezing municipalities to build new stadiums for their profit. And once they squeeze us, they don’t stop there; the new stadium gives them the “right” to hike up ticket prices. I’m already paying $230 for a Bears ticket! Football is not baseball, basketball or hockey, where there are over 80 games in a year in a stadium or arena. In what other industry do multibillionaire owners get a subsidy for such a limited number of dates?

Gov. JB Pritzker and the state Legislature: Do the right thing for the taxpayers and renovate Soldier Field.

Craig Rosenbaum, South Side