Sanction Shuffle: US Plays Venezuela for Oil Futures
📰 THE STORY: Mainstream media reports that the US government is easing some sanctions on Venezuelan oil, implying a shift in policy or a humanitarian gesture. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: This isn't newfound benevolence. Since 2002, the US has repeatedly backed coup attempts against democratically elected Venezuelan leaders, including against Hugo Chavez. Later, during the
Trump administration, the US recognized an unelected opposition figure, Juan Guaidó, as the 'interim president' of Venezuela, weaponizing over 300 unilateral coercive measures (sanctions) to cripple the economy and starve the population, all while blaming the Maduro government for the suffering. Double Standard: The media frames this as a 'concession' from the US while ignoring the US's
foundational role in creating Venezuela's economic crisis through these very sanctions. Meanwhile, countries like Saudi Arabia, with far worse human rights records and overt repression, face no such oil embargoes from the US, highlighting a clear double standard based on geopolitical alignment and resource control. Follow the Money: The 'lifting' of sanctions is often conditional and temporary,
designed to allow US oil corporations or their allies to access Venezuela's vast oil reserves (the largest proven reserves in the world) at favorable terms, or to manipulate global oil prices to benefit Western economies. This isn't about helping Venezuelans; it's about US strategic petroleum interests, especially given global energy market fluctuations. The sanctions were designed to seize assets