2015:Despite Saying that Venezuela was NOT a Security Threat to the U.S., President Obama Refused to Cancel the Venezuelan Emergency Declaration

On March 9, 2015 President Obama signed Executive Order 13692 declaring a National Emergency due to the “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the situation in Venezuela.” He activated The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and sanctioned seven Venezuelan officials.

On April 2, 2015,119 U.S. academics, activists and NGOs sent a letter to Obama to rescind the Executive Order on Venezuela saying “we see nothing that could conceivably be described as an ‘extraordinary threat ‘to the U.S”.[2] Signers included Noam Chomsky, Ramsey Clark and Cindy Sheehan. Sixteen Democratic members of the House of Representatives signed a letter on May 15, 2015 criticizing President Obama’s declaration arguing that the US unilateral declaration against Venezuela threatened to undermine US diplomatic progress in the region.[1] Signatories included, Charles Rangel, Barbara Lee, Jose Serrano and John Conyers. Some Republicans, including Senator Marco Rubio, criticized the Obama administration's approach as being too soft. Some critics claimed that the “Threat” declaration was a pretext for future US military action against Venezuela. [6]

On April 8, 2015 in a press interview, President Obama said “We do not believe that Venezuela poses a threat to the United States.” [4] A White House Spokesman stated that “The Executive Order is completely pro forma. The language is necessary just to have a framework for how we formalize these executive orders.” [5] State Department officials clarified that the “Threat” language was a necessary legal formality for imposing sanctions and was not meant to suggest an actual imminent military threat to the U.S.

The National Lawyers Guild issued a statement calling on President Obama to cancel the Declaration:[3]

•        “If our President believes in the rule of law, he shouldn’t be making false declarations based on cynicism-especially ones with such serious consequences. Now that he has publicly admitted that Venezuela does not pose a threat, the National Lawyers Guild calls on him to immediately withdraw the Executive Order. “

Obama did not withdraw the Order and subsequently renewed it two times (in March 2016 and in January 2017 as one of his last Acts before leaving Office).

1.People’s World, Congress Members call on Obama to Rescind Venezuela Sanctions, May 18, 2015

2. National Lawyers Guild, NLG joins open letter of US NGOs and citizens calling for retraction of Obama’s executive order on Venezuela. April 2, 2015.

3. National Lawyers Guild, NLG calls on President Obama to withdraw Executive Order Declaring Venezuela a National Security Threat, April 29, 2015

4. Telesur, Obama Finally Admits Venezuela is No Threat, April 9, 2015

5. New York Times, White House Seeks to Soothe Relations with Venezuela, April 7, 2015.

6. Boron, Atilio, US Preparing for Military Aggression on Venezuela, Venezuelanalysis, March 10, 2015

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