Latin America Initiative

Latin America already has two major regional development banks, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Corporación Andina de Fomento, and most countries can also borrow from international capital markets, so joining [the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank] does not appear to be as urgent as it may be to other founding members.

It was no accident that [Fidel Castro] met with Venezuelan students given his warm embrace and support for chavismo…It is a symbolic opportunity to reinforce a shared sense of victimhood in the face of alleged U.S. aggression.

The [Venezuelan] military has become heavily involved in the distribution of food and goods outside the big cities; they control the border. This gives them a lot of say about what’s going on in the country, but also creates a lot of opportunities for corruption.

A national security threat from Venezuela is required for Obama to impose the sanctions. This language is derived from the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Without using those specific statements, President Obama cannot use this Act.