RantCrush Top 5: July 28, 2017

In the midst of political chaos and protracted protests in Venezuela, the U.S. has decided to pull family members of American diplomats out of the country. The State Department also authorized the voluntary departure of any U.S. government employees.

The crisis in Venezuela continues to deepen and another seven protesters were killed during a recent wave of opposition protests. At least one Colombian airline has said it’s no longer going to fly into the Venezuelan capital of Caracas; Delta has also announced it will be pulling out of the country. President Donald Trump has said that the American government will consider levying sanctions against Venezuela if its President, Nicolas Maduro, continues his efforts to consolidate power. The United Nations announced sanctions on 13 current and former officials earlier this week, while the country continues to crack down on protests and opposition voices.

Venezuela: Ban on protests lays groundwork for mass human rights violationshttps://t.co/bRwdXJh89C pic.twitter.com/YcGW5q0QmV

— AmnestyInternational (@amnesty) July 28, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.