Italy decides not to decide.
Despite Venezuela hosts the fourth Italian community abroad with just under two million of the Bel Paese's native inhabitants living in the "Bolivarian Republic" and Italy is the home of 150.000 Venezuelan citizens, the fifth largest community in the diaspora of the Latin American country.
Despite the modest economic relations and the meager interests of the Italian Big Companies on site: ENI produces 61.000 barrels of oil a day, more or less than in the Trecate field ... On the other hand, it is not beyond Maduro's thanks bids have been received, or requests for the six-legged dog have been received, which politically justify such ignorance.
Although for us a pacified Venezuela and once again open to trade would mean a oil spill (and in part also of natural gas) that flows into world markets and causes prices to fall. Of course, this is not convenient for many oil producers that if the price of oil drops too much ... they must literally sell it below cost, like yogurt about to expire at the supermarket: but who governs us and the opposition, you know, are men of honor that they first think of the national interest and do not barter Venezuela with no friendship or purely ideological positions ...
Despite many premises, justifying a position opposed to an Asiatic satrapo as Maduro, even traitorous chavismo, today, as in 1914, we decided, despite the just protests of the Minister of Interior and second shareholder of the Cabinet Conte, not to deploy . We did it according to a shameful tradition, so in the moment in which History knocks at the door and decisions are taken by all States, we are on one side, waiting for the events. We did it without even bothering us with the interests of medium political power and of an Italian community, however, reduced to poverty. Still, the Latin American country is "Particularly relevant", as we said, "For the many Italians living in Venezuela and for the many Venezuelans of Italian origin. A condition that requires us a sense of responsibility and clarity on a line shared with all our allies and our partners the EU ". These are words of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, according to whom "There can be no uncertainty or hesitation on the choice between popular will and the request for authentic democracy on the one hand and on the other the violence of force and the suffering of the civilian population"1.
Nothing new under the sun…
1How many times, who writes, has wondered how it would change the history of Italy if in the 1914 (World War I), in the 1922 (march on Rome) and in the 1938 (racial laws) at the Quirinale we had a man like the current Head of State and never regret "Curtatone" ...
Photo: Quirinale archive
