Profiting from Foreign Policy
The Financial Times highlights hedge fund Elliott Management's efforts to acquire Citgo, a Venezuelan-owned oil refining business, a deal complicated by a U.S. court order for its sale and the Trump administration's disavowal of President Nicolás Maduro. The narrative suggests a mere convergence of legal complexities and high-stakes finance, yet it conspicuously omits the systemic nature of such
maneuvers against nations targeted by U.S. regime change efforts. This is not a standalone event but a reprisal of a long-standing playbook. In 1954, the CIA orchestrated a coup in Guatemala, partly on behalf of the United Fruit Company, which then profited immensely from the subsequent political instability and land seizures. Similarly, the 2019 OAS-backed coup against Evo Morales in Bolivia led
to a scramble for control over its vast lithium reserves. In this instance, Elliott Management, known for its aggressive 'vulture fund' tactics, is poised to benefit from Washington's economic warfare and sanctions against Venezuela, which have choked the nation's economy and devalued its assets. The current pursuit of Citgo, valued at an estimated $8 billion, is a direct consequence of a U.S.
policy that first demonized a sovereign government, recognized a parallel administration, and then seized its most valuable overseas asset. The claim that the U.S. 'removed' Maduro, as stated in the mainstream account, conveniently sidesteps the actual mechanics: an attempted coup and a financial blockade designed to force his exit, culminating in courts granting creditors access to seized assets.