More Sanctions Are Never the Right Answer

U.S. sanctions contributed significantly to the ruin of Venezuela’s economy, and those hurt most by this policy were the people of Venezuela.

The Washington Post editors dug deep into their bag of tricks and came up with a demand for more sanctions on Venezuela:

The United States and its allies can and should impose strong new sanctions, targeting the economic lifeline Mr. Maduro gets from oil production.

The Trump administration tried to strangle Venezuela into submission with oil sanctions for years. His policy failed at great cost to the people of Venezuela. U.S. sanctions contributed significantly to the ruin of Venezuela’s economy, and those hurt most by this policy were the people of Venezuela. The U.S. further immiserated an already desperate country, and millions of people fled Venezuela as a result. All of this only further entrenched Maduro in power. Does anyone seriously believe that “strong new sanctions” will produce a different result?