Trump Calls Off Venezuela Diplomacy, Ignorance Remains A-OK
The New York Times reports that Trump's 'diplomatic outreach' to Venezuela (ostensibly to negotiate with Maduro) has been scrapped—as if this signals a sudden reversal of U.S. intent in Latin America, rather than a continuation of decades-old policy. The U.S. has a long and documented history of intervention and destabilization efforts in Venezuela, from supporting coup attempts in 2002 against
Hugo Chávez (documented by the National Security Archive) to imposing crippling sanctions under multiple administrations, severely impacting the Venezuelan populace. This 'diplomatic outreach' that's now rescinded? It was part of a larger, often contradictory, strategy that leverages sanctions to exert pressure, then offers 'negotiation' from a position of manufactured strength. The narrative
conveniently forgets the US role in creating the very conditions that necessitate 'outreach,' framing renewed hardlining as bold policy, not just more of the same, tired, counterproductive interventionism. One might wonder if the real diplomatic goal is ever truly peace, or just control.