The Perennial 'Liberation' of Latin America
Same playbook, different decade: The article, with its almost clinical detachment, describes a 'US-imposed government change' in Venezuela. Missing, of course, is any genuine introspection into the historical pattern this represents. THE ACTORS: The primary actor here, unstated but omnipresent, is the U.S. government, particularly the State Department and various intelligence agencies. Nicolás
Maduro, the incumbent president, and his government, are cast as the villains. Juan Guaidó, once recognized as the 'interim president' by the U.S. and its allies, is the designated 'hope.' The Venezuelan populace, as always, is the backdrop against which this drama unfolds. THE FUNDING: While the original article is light on specifics, the U.S. has poured significant resources into regime change
efforts in Venezuela. For instance, between 2017 and 2019 alone, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) channeled over $185 million to Venezuelan opposition groups and 'democracy promotion' programs (USAID Annual Reports, 2017-2019). This is merely a fraction of decades of funding. One might recall the explicit admission by former U.S.
national security advisor John Bolton, who stated in 2019 that the U.S. was 'working to implement regime change' in Venezuela. THE INCENTIVES: For the U.S., the incentives are clear: oil. Venezuela possesses the largest proven oil reserves in the world, estimated at 303 billion barrels as of 2021 (OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin, 2022). A 'friendly' government ensures access, influence, and