2AC Solvency: A/t - #2 “Conditioning fails” [1/2] 81
1) Conditioning aid provides a promise of future U.S. assistance if specific goals are met, which convinces the Venezuelan government to cooperate and improve their election system. They need U.S. assistance so they have a strong incentive to go along with the plan - our solvency is therefore short-term. Extend our 1AC CHRISTY evidence.
2) Obama holds all the cards, and Venezuela’s economic condition will force Maduro to give in. Current policies will only bolster anti-democratic forces, but strongly supporting democracy solves.
CHRISTY, 13
[Patrick, senior policy analyst at the Foreign Policy Initiative; “How Obama Is Sinking Venezuela's Opposition,” 06/15, http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2013/06/15/how_obama_is_sinking_venezuelas_opposition_105239.html]
For Venezuela's opposition, the Obama administration's eagerness to revive relations with Maduro is a punch to the gut. Pro-Maduro legislators in the National Assembly have banned opposition lawmakers from committee hearings and speaking on the assembly floor. Other outspoken critics of the regime face criminal charges, and government officials repeatedly vilify and slander Capriles. What's worse, if the United States grants or is perceived to grant legitimacy to the Maduro government, that could give further cover to the regime as it systematically undermines Venezuela's remaining institutions. The Obama administration's overtures to Maduro's government come as the region is increasingly skeptical of the Chavez successor's reign. Last month, Capriles met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in Bogota. Chile's Senate unanimously passed a resolution urging a total audit of all polling stations. And in recent weeks, opposition lawmakers led by María Corina Machado, a representative from the National Assembly of Venezuela, have held meetings in capitals around the region to educate foreign leaders about Maduro's illegitimate hold on power. Rather than accept Maduro's strongman tactics, the Obama administration should take a firm stand and make clear to Caracas that any steps to undermine the country's constitution or threaten the opposition will be detrimental to bilateral ties with the United States. The fact is that Washington holds all the cards. Venezuela's economy is in a free-fall, Maduro's popularity is plummeting, and various public scandals - especially those related to institutional corruption - could further erode public confidence in the current government. By resetting relations with the Maduro government now, the United States risks legitimizing the Chavez protégé's ill-gotten hold on power and undercutting the Venezuelan democratic opposition efforts to sustain and expand its popular support. It's time the Obama administration rethink this hasty reset with Maduro.
2AC Solvency: A/t - #2 “Conditioning fails” [2/2] 82
3) The only way to increase transparency and security in Venezuela is to tie assistance to democratic guarantees from the new government.
ROBERTS AND WALSER, 13
[James, Research Fellow for Economic Freedom and Growth in the Center for International Trade and Economics at The Heritage Foundation; and Ray, PhD., Senior Policy Analyst for Latin America at Heritage Foundation; “The Hagel, Kerry, and Brennan Senate Confirmation Hearings: U.S. Policy for the Western Hemisphere,” 1/18, http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/01/kerry-hagel-and-brennan-senate-confirmation-hearings-us-policy-for-the-western-hemisphere]
In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez’s incapacity or death will force a new presidential election. It must be free and fair. The U.S. also needs to be resourceful in supporting civil society, non-governmental organizations, and others in Venezuela who attempt to safeguard individual rights, preserve media freedom, and demand accountability and transparency. The dispatch of a new U.S. ambassador should be undertaken only with firm assurances from Venezuela’s leadership that it is ready to cooperate in combating drug trafficking and terrorism and in supporting an end to insurgent-criminal conflict in Colombia. Finally, as Iran’s most active ally in the Americas, Venezuela’s behavior must be closely scrutinized in accordance with the recently enacted Countering Iran in Western Hemisphere Act.
2AC Solvency: A/t - #3 “Democracy Promotion Fails” [1/3] 83
1) U.S.A.I.D. is effective at administering democracy promotion assistance. Venezuela is at a turning point due to Chavez’s death which creates a unique opportunity to encourage democratic movements to take hold. Extend our 1AC SCOTT AND STEELE evidence.
2) Dedicating new funding to democratic protections and election security solves anti-Americanism in Venezuela, and prevents totalitarianism.
WALSER, 12
[Ray, PhD., Senior Policy Analyst for Latin America; “The Chávez Plan to Steal Venezuela's Presidential Election: What Obama Should Do,” 09/19, http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/09/the-chavez-plan-to-steal-venezuelas-presidential-election-what-obama-should-do/]
October 7 and the Venezuelan presidential elections represent a strategic crossroads in Latin America. U.S. interests and values stand in clear opposition to chavismo and the growing blend of authoritarianism, criminality, and anti-Americanism that seeks a permanent foothold in Venezuela. The only sound policy option for the U.S. is one that fully supports democracy and stands in opposition to the march toward a populist dictatorship in Venezuela. Right now, the Obama Administration can still focus U.S. and international attention on the Venezuelan electoral process, especially its lack of fairness and transparency. The Administration should protect and defend the ability of Venezuelans to cast their ballots without hindrance, in secrecy and without fear of reprisals. It should exercise all possible vigilance to monitor and, if necessary, validate claims of fraud. To defend democracy in Venezuela while advancing U.S. interests and values, the Obama Administration should: Support Venezuelan civil society. Despite restrictive Venezuelan laws, the U.S. should increase its democracy assistance to civil society and NGOs by working to train domestic electoral observers, urge voter participation, coordinate collection and tabulation of voting results, and encouraging all polling stations to report electoral infractions to the CNE and the MUD. Conduct systematic public diplomacy. The Administration should prepare a public diplomacy brief examining the erosion of democracy and the unfair advantages accumulated by Chávez. It should report the fact that electoral conditions are far from fair. Reaffirm principles of democracy. President Obama and Secretary Clinton should speak out on democratic principles and the commitment to full democracy, not merely holding elections, in the Americas, highlighting what is at stake in Venezuela, urging citizen participation and transparency, and holding Chávez accountable for the preservation of peace. Dispatch U.S. observers. The U.S. embassy in Caracas should send its staff in a systematic fashion to monitor the elections on October 7, and Washington should assign additional State Department officers to temporary duty in Caracas. Call for bipartisan monitoring. The Administration should call on the State Department to assemble a high-level working group of analysts, congressional staff, academics, and electoral experts to monitor and evaluate the election and its outcome. Heed early warning signs of violence and instability. The Administration should closely
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