Cuba Decries US Imperialism, West Demands 'Free' Maduro from Venezuelan Custody
Tens of thousands in Havana rallied this week, protesting a 2026 U.S. raid in Venezuela that killed 32 Cuban officers protecting then-President Nicolás Maduro. The AP frames this as a Cuban government-organized protest against an 'attack' and the demand for Maduro's 'release.' One might observe that the U.S. attempting to abduct a sitting head of state, which it routinely designates as a
'dictator,' from his sovereign nation isn't an 'attack' in the same way that a declared act of war is (which this certainly was not), it does represent a stark escalation of regime-change tactics. The media rarely provides the full context here. For decades, the U.S. government, through various administrations, has openly funded opposition movements, imposed crippling sanctions, and even supported
coup attempts against the Venezuelan government, consistent with historical interventions across Latin America. The alleged 'drug trafficking charges' against Maduro, often cited as justification for this brazen operation, frequently emerge as convenient pretexts for desired regime change, rather than straightforward law enforcement actions. Washington's playbook for handling nations it deems
'unfriendly' remains remarkably consistent, exchanging outright invasions for a more 'surgical' approach of destabilization and leader-napping.