How Trump can squeeze Venezuela's tyranny

Venezuela's people have exploded in rage against the socialist tyranny that has turned their country, which is rich in oil reserves, into an economic and social basket case.

It's been less than three weeks since the country's Supreme Court announced it was dissolving and taking over the constitutional powers of its elected legislature, amplifying the power of its would-be dictator.

At least three people have already died in a new wave of political violence, as protesters have been confronted by not only the state security services but also tens of thousands of red-shirt militiamen whom President Nicolas Maduro has armed and plans to deploy in much larger numbers.

he breakdown of the rule of law and the Maduro regime's use of street violence are far more serious problems than this week's decision to seize a General Motors' assembly plant in Carabobo and steal assets inside it. But this latest action should bring home to citizens in this country the gravity of the situation, and the need for Washington to play a decisive diplomatic role in preventing a humanitarian disaster in America's backyard.

Venezuelans have suffered horribly for years already under the rule of Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez. The staples of survival have all but disappeared from their nation's stores. Annual inflation is running at more than 400 percent. Industries and agriculture, many under government control, have nearly ground to a halt. Even sugar production, once abundant and a major source of national wealth, has collapsed to the point that Coca-Cola can no longer produce its signature drink in Venezuela.