Caracas’s Crime Hub

Long before I became a member of Congress, I frequently traveled to and advised international mining companies in Venezuela. I saw the country’s potential: blessed with the world’s largest oil reserves, talent, and the rule-of-law foundations to turn natural wealth into broad prosperity.

I saw how socialist thugs Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro brutalized its people and impoverished a nation that once led Latin America in living standards. Their predatory policies now export disorder beyond Venezuela’s borders.

About the Author

Michael Baumgartner

Congressman Michael Baumgartner represents the people of Washington’s fifth district and sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

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Long before I became a member of Congress, I frequently traveled to and advised international mining companies in Venezuela. I saw the country’s potential: blessed with the world’s largest oil reserves, talent, and the rule-of-law foundations to turn natural wealth into broad prosperity.

I saw how socialist thugs Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro brutalized its people and impoverished a nation that once led Latin America in living standards. Their predatory policies now export disorder beyond Venezuela’s borders.