Online Defense met with Senator Ornella Bertorotta of the 5 Star Movement, a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Commission. Last month, the senator reached Caracas together with a delegation of parliamentarians. We have posed some questions in light of the serious political, social and economic crisis gripping Venezuela.
The Venezuelan Supreme Court has deprived Parliament of legislative powers, although it now appears to be reviewing the sentence. Do you consider it a coup orchestrated by Maduro? Is there a risk of civil war or humanitarian disaster?
That of the TSJ has evidently proved to be an excessive sentence even to the Maduro government itself, which then asked to revoke it, on this note must be acknowledged by the government in managing this affair.
However, the climate of conflict between the Parliament and the Government remains, which in fact has paralyzed political activity and, after this last event, appears incurable. With the parliament blocked, the legislative activity stops, the economy suffers even more.
I believe that the civil war, which some undeniably hope for, would remove any possibility of recovery in the country in the short and medium term.
If this were to happen, the country would fall into a situation far worse than the current one which, although in the seriousness of the political conflict and the economic crisis, allows margins of peaceful change which, vice versa, would be compromised.
It would also have many repercussions for our Italian community.
This is why we have a duty to work towards a peaceful solution and avoid any form of conflict.
If we look at the recent past, the war in Libya has scuppered institutions and the economy, while our community has been largely forced to leave the country.
Unfortunately, today many people irresponsibly blow on the fire of the conflict, in the name of "democracy", a script already seen in other contexts, which has led only to endless spirals of violence.
Even pieces of Italian politics, after the obvious failures of the export of democracy of which they were responsible, continue to repeat the same pattern: on the one hand a government that oppresses the people, on the other the "democratic" oppositions that demand attention to the great powers, which sooner or later, between sanctions and military interventions always produce the same results: a destroyed country, destroyed institutions, chaos and arbitrariness.
I think it's time to change the line and face problems in another way, however difficult.
Venezuela's social, economic and financial crisis has lasted a few years now. Can everything be attributed to Chavez's economic policy choices continued by Maduro or is there a hand of someone who is maneuvering from outside?
The Venezuelans have democratically chosen the political line that introduces a strong role of the state in the sector of social assistance, in the direct control of oil production, in the regulation of the internal market.
It was a conscious choice, confirmed in several elections and referendums. Then every economic model presents risks and distortions, which as in this case appear evident.
The last few years have probably been the most difficult: inflation makes life hard, with prices constantly rising the benefits of public assistance to citizens are nullified, while in the economic sector the perennial conflict with business organizations, the market black and the various currency exchange systems have created situations that are very difficult to manage, if this is compounded by the problem of violence and institutional instability, the picture is rather bleak.
The foreign interference is also a fact in this case: it was before Chavez, it is now.
Now if we want it has even increased: on the one hand, the US and the EU have abandoned Venezuela, promoting their isolation, with the consequent fall of the main economic parameters, on the other, the Chinese and the Russians have come forward, signing dozens of economic agreements with the country, including that with the Chinese CNPC, with an investment plan from 2,2 billion dollars, which will increase production to 277 thousand barrels per day.
Who speaks of Venezuela always does so for an economic interest: on the one hand the US must reaffirm its sphere of influence in Latin America, on the other the Chinese mainly enter the continent permanently, influencing their economic balance.
Chavista Bolivarism was different from other forms of Latin American antagonism. Has it been an isolated phenomenon or is it destined to repeat itself?
In other words, for the future of South America is there a third possibility that is not the North American mainstream or the collectivism of Morales and Correa experimented in Bolivia and Ecuador?
Bolivarism is already a third way for the combination of problems to be found.
Perhaps we speak inappropriately of socialism, given that historically there is no such thing as a real socialism that allows elections between parties with different ideological settings.
Nor does it seem like a classic socialist economy since instead of suppressing the typical economic freedoms of the private market, regulation of the same is preferred, where large companies also play a central role in the distribution of essential goods and services and in the media. While from the social point of view and in the exclusive management of state companies we recognize the features of a welfare state emerging on the South European model.
For all these factors, I believe that today the current economic system is perhaps more similar to Italy with the mixed economy of the years '60 and' 70 than the Stalinist Russia of five-year planning and collective farms.
In Latin America a clash of economic and political hegemony is underway by the great powers as a further manifestation of the beginning of the multipolar world: the United States and the EU are trying to control individual governments and international organizations, then gaining control over the country's economy. On the other hand, the rise of the BRICS over the last decade is just one example of the ability of new economic blocs to influence Latin America with a more incisive but almost imperceptible action. This has obviously frightened the United States, which has increased pressure on Latin American governments.
Italy has a huge community in Venezuela. In the crisis in Caracas, can you play an important and independent role or should you always be accountable to others? In any case, what is the most urgent thing to do today in Venezuela?
We think that Italy can play an important role above all at the economic level, but this means acting in the direction of maintaining peace in the country and breaking away from the most extreme tendencies, often ready to trigger violence.
So far it does not seem to me that our governments have been able to exploit the possible benefits of an economic relationship with the Latin American country. This is mainly due to an ideological prejudice which however is not always consistent with the facts.
Let me give you a concrete example: could Alitalia use the Venezuelan airports as a hub for the entire continent, supplying its planes at low prices and working on long-distance routes, which are the most profitable, instead? He suspended flights to and from Caracas and isolated our community in the country that was among those that travel the most. The other companies, the Spanish, Portuguese and other countries, earn the money. Does it seem logical to you?
We have dealt with the Venezuelan Foreign Minister and have also subjected him to thorny issues, such as the payment of pensions to Venezuelan pensioners residing in Italy or the security of our compatriots.
The promises of commitments must be verified in the coming months, but we believe it is more profitable for our community in Venezuela that there is an open channel on concrete issues.
Venezuela could really be an excellent economic partner, this would also produce direct benefit for quality Italian-Venezuelan companies that have lost a lot in these years. It could also be an opportunity for Italian companies, especially agricultural ones. However, if the situation were to fall we would no longer have any influence.
