Trump Appoints Elliot Abrams to 'Oversee' Venezuela, Again
Trump bringing in Elliot Abrams to handle Venezuela isn't just a political appointment; it's a historical callback straight from the Reagan era playbook. Newsweek frames it as an 'update on who's overseeing US involvement,' but a closer look reveals a pattern of interventionism the official narrative glosses over. Abrams was famously convicted (then pardoned) for withholding information from
Congress about the Iran-Contra affair, which involved illegally funding right-wing paramilitaries in Nicaragua (OpenSecrets.org and historical records confirm this conviction and subsequent pardon). For decades, US foreign policy in Latin America often meant propping up dictators and destabilizing governments that dared to nationalize resources or prioritize their own people over corporate
interests. One might wonder if 'oversight' in this context means orchestrating another 'democratic' coup, or simply ensuring Venezuela's oil flows in the 'right' direction. So, when Newsweek presents this as a straightforward diplomatic move, perhaps they're forgetting to add the historical footnote: Abrams' last 'oversight' contributed to regional bloodshed and undermined democratic processes.
It's almost as if some figures are eternal fixtures in the US foreign policy establishment, regardless of their past 'misinterpretations' of facts—or the human cost of their actions. How many times does intervention get rebranded as 'democracy promotion' before we notice the pattern?