In light of US invasion of Venezuela, Panamanian students offer insight in a South American context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By Eileen Chen, Nova Linh Tran\u00a0<\/strong>& Irina Zhang<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the U.S. launched an invasion in Venezuela in January, South Americans have been observing the development in Venezuela carefully. People in Panama, one of Venezuela\u2019s neighbouring countries, which restored consular services in Venezuela last June, have been closely monitoring the situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Daniel Harari, a Panamanian student, closely follows the political shifts in neighboring Venezuela. \u201cI believe that in Venezuela\u2019s case, there was no other way,\u201d Harari shares. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He notes that despite mass protests years ago, the people were unable to unseat the government due to “rigged elections”. Consequently, the involvement of external forces\u2014specifically from the United States\u2014is viewed by many in his circle not as an unwelcome intrusion, but as a vital catalyst for liberation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t necessarily watch traditional news channels but listen to the direct lived experiences of my friends.\u201d Harari says he often bypasses mainstream news channels in favor of speaking with people “closer to the action,” as he remains skeptical of the surface-level narratives presented by many media outlets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These personal connections have shaped a perspective on regional stability that leans toward optimism despite historical complexities. “I\u2019m involved and very aware of everything that\u2019s happening,” Harari shares, noting that his primary information comes from sources he has known his whole life and trusts as reliable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI believe what\u2019s happening is a very good thing. I felt happy for my Venezuelan friends, because they were very happy as the old regime is being brought down,\u201d he says, adding that he does not fear further escalation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harari views the removal of the previous dictatorship as a gateway to regional prosperity rather than a violation of sovereignty. Many of his friends who fled the violence and corruption of the old regime are now preparing to return. \u201cThey\u2019re happy they can return to a country with no violence, no corruption, and business opportunities,\u201d he adds, noting that there is “no suppression at all” felt from the current transition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This optimism is rooted in the practical benefits of a stable Venezuela for the rest of Central America. Panama\u2019s proximity\u2014just a short flight from Colombia and the South American markets\u2014makes Venezuela a prime location for future investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHopefully, when Venezuela recovers, it will impact my daily life in a good way. I wish to do business there, as there is a large population, which means a lot of money and opportunities to enter a new market that I couldn\u2019t before because of all the corruption in Venezuela. But now that the corruption is gone, there\u2019s a huge upside of opportunities opening up,\u201d Harari says, eyeing future entrepreneurial ventures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Alberto Cohen, a Panamanian exchange student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, shares a similar sentiment of happiness and relief for the invasion, \u201cIt was about time\u2026 it was a long time coming,\u201d describing the capture of Nicol\u00e1s Maduro after years of dictatorship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVenezuelans have been fighting for years for this. It was something they could not imagine happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He describes the U.S. intervention in Venezuela as widely supported among people he knows, arguing that prolonged political repression left few alternatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While acknowledging concerns over legality and geopolitical interests, he maintains that many in the region prioritise outcomes over process, especially given what he sees as the failure of international organisations to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was not the most legal way\u2026but it was the only way,\u201d he says, adding that there was \u201czero chance\u201d of change without external force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, he frames his views through Panama\u2019s own experience of U.S. intervention in 1989. He notes that the invasion left lasting trauma, but argues that it ultimately contributed to the country\u2019s long-term stability and development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. intervention of Panama aimed to dethrone Panama\u2019s then ruler, who was wanted by U.S. authorities for drug trafficking. Over 500 Panamanians were killed during the invasion, including 202 civilians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn Panama, it was different as there were civilian casualties, and people still talk about that,\u201d he says. \u201cBut over time, the country stabilised and rebuilt itself, and I believe the same will happen with Venezuela.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This comparison shapes his broader perspective on foreign intervention, which he sees as controversial but, in certain contexts, necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cohen suggests that experiences in Latin America inform a more pragmatic view, even as debates over sovereignty and external influence remain unresolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Edited by Pauline Yau <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sub-Edited by Winnie Li<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In light of US invasion of Venezuela, Panamanian students offer insight in a South American context. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":26374,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[2331,2330,2333,2332,2329],"class_list":["post-26233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-periscope","tag-invasion-of-venezuela","tag-panama","tag-south-america","tag-us-attack-on-venezuela","tag-venezuela"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26233"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26371,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26233\/revisions\/26371"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}