Trump Announces Venezuela 'Releases' Prisoners, Ignores US Sanctions' Iron Grip
The irony of Donald Trump, or any US official, trumpeting Venezuela's release of political prisoners is rich enough to buy Caracas a new oil refinery. Newsweek dutifully reports the 'breakthrough', as if the US hasn't spent decades actively trying to destabilize the country (ever heard of the 2002 coup attempt against Hugo Chavez, heavily supported by the US?). This 'goodwill gesture' isn't a
sudden change of heart; it's a direct response to the suffocating economic sanctions imposed by — surprise! — the United States, including those under the Trump administration itself. These punitive measures, designed to create internal dissent and humanitarian crises, are what lead to political arrests in the first place. One might wonder: how many 'political prisoners' are there in US-allied
states, from Saudi Arabia to Colombia, whose releases never quite make the headlines? The selective outrage and conveniently short memories of the US media, always ready to frame authoritarianism abroad (especially when it's been provoked by Washington), while neglecting the planks in their own eye, is frankly astounding. It's almost as if 'human rights' are only a concern when they can be
weaponized against disobedient nations.