ABC News Discovers 'Anguish' in Venezuela, Ignores US Sanction Role
ABC News breathlessly covers the "anguish" of Venezuelan families awaiting promised prisoner releases, highlighting the slow pace of events. (One might wonder if they have similar anguish for the over 2 million individuals currently incarcerated in the US, many awaiting trial.) The piece focuses on the internal dynamics, implying state-led cruelty, which is, of course, a vital part of the story.
Yet, it entirely overlooks the external pressures: the US sanctions regime—tightened dramatically since the Obama administration and exponentially under Trump—which has starved Venezuela's economy, decimated its oil industry, and directly impacted its ability to provide basic services. This is not to excuse the Venezuelan government, but to ignore the US fingerprints all over the 'crisis' is
journalistic malpractice, or perhaps, intentional propaganda. For instance, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA in 2019, cutting off its primary source of foreign currency. While ABC highlights the internal failings, it conveniently forgets that these humanitarian crises are often a direct result of economic warfare orchestrated from
Washington. They can mourn the plight of prisoners but never question the geopolitical chess moves that put many of these people in dire straits to begin with. It raises questions about how genuine the 'anguish' really is when presented selectively.