Rubio Demands Venezuela Leaders 'Negotiate' Their Own Overthrow
Senator Marco Rubio, a perennial fixture of hawkish U.S. foreign policy (who, according to OpenSecrets.org, received $72,500 from the defense industry in 2022 alone), is once again 'setting out US demands' for Venezuela. The FT dutifully reports his pronouncements without digging into the two decades of failed U.S. attempts at regime change there, from the 2002 coup attempt against Hugo Chávez to
the self-proclaimed 'interim presidency' of Juan Guaidó—a figure the U.S. propped up despite his lack of popular support. Rubio's current 'demands'—free elections, political prisoner release—are the same demands recycled every few years, always followed by more sanctions and economic strangulation, not diplomacy. One might wonder if these 'demands' are actually about democracy, or about regaining
control over Venezuela's vast oil reserves, especially when pronouncements like these consistently precede renewed calls for economic pressure. The 'leaders' of Venezuela aren't being asked to negotiate in good faith; they're being told to capitulate. It appears the playbook remains unchanged: destabilize, demand, then declare 'failure' when the sovereign nation refuses to roll over, all while
defense contractors queue up for lucrative 'reconstruction' contracts. How many times will this tragic farce play out before the media questions the script?