On August 19, 2024, The Heritage Foundation's national security and defense experts called for clarity from the Biden-Harris administration regarding its policy on Latin America. President Biden's recent call for a new presidential election in Venezuela appears to conflict with the stance of his National Security Council, raising concerns about the leadership and direction at the White House.
Victoria Coates, Heritage Vice President for National Security and Foreign Policy, stated: "Americans deserve to know who is driving policy at the White House, especially on issues central to their security. It appears that Biden-Harris administration apparatchiks have all but taken over the commander-in-chief role."
Coates criticized the administration's response to what she described as a fraudulent election in Venezuela. She argued that a strong U.S. president would reinstate sanctions lifted by Biden and Harris and pressure American industries to avoid engagement with the Venezuelan regime, particularly targeting senior military officers supporting Maduro’s government.
"The public should be apprehensive about President Biden’s inner circle of advisors who are apparently calling the shots, including Vice President Harris, the ‘last person in the room.’ These individuals have publicly embraced Marxist policies in Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia," Coates added. She expressed concern that these advisors aim to maintain these regimes and transform the United States similarly.
Robert Greenway, Director of Heritage's Allison Center for National Security, also voiced criticism: "The Biden-Harris Administration’s disastrous foreign policy decisions have placed vital U.S. interests and American citizens at risk across the globe."
Greenway emphasized that their approach towards Venezuela and Latin America emboldens adversaries and suggested it indicates either profound incompetence or a willful attempt to undermine national interests for domestic political gains. He questioned who is directing Latin American foreign policy given President Biden's perceived absence and Vice President Kamala Harris's focus on her campaign.
