Venezuela sanctions won’t have major impact

Despite the excitement among many in Venezuela and Miami about the newly announced US visa restrictions against top Venezuelan officials linked to human rights abuses, I’m not so sure that the measures will have much impact.

Before I tell you why, let me say out front that I don’t buy Venezuela’s ridiculous claims that these targeted sanctions against individuals linked to the bloody repression of student protesters are an intervention in Venezuela’s internal affairs.

Any country has the legitimate right to decide who it grants visas to visit its territory. These are not economic sanctions against Venezuela, but against about two