Axios Reports Trump's Daring Coup, Forgetting 60 Years of US Policy
The Axios piece, imagining a 2026 US military raid to snatch Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, reads like a leaked movie script, complete with Trump's 'Good luck and godspeed.' It extols the precision of 150 aircraft and special forces hitting the ground. What's not mentioned is the historical backdrop: from the 1954 CIA-backed coup in Guatemala to the botched Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba, and
numerous other interventions across Central and South America, the US has consistently leveraged military, economic, and covert operations to shape outcomes in its 'backyard.' This isn't a bold new strategy but a well-worn playbook. One might wonder why such 'heroic' efforts are seldom reported with the same fervor when they involve supporting brutal dictatorships or when the targeted leaders
miraculously evade capture. The narrative only celebrates 'successes' after the fact, framing invasions as 'extractions' and ignoring the long-term destabilization these interventions cause. It seems foreign policy is only 'daring' when it aligns with Washington's interests and doesn't get mired in inconvenient details like international law or sovereign borders. (Or when it’s fictional,
apparently).