Trump Meets Venezuelan Opposition Leader: A Playbook Classic
The New Arab 1 dutifully reports that Donald Trump plans to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. This isn't just a friendly chat for democracy; it's a scene ripped straight from the U.S. regime change playbook, familiar to anyone old enough to remember Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, or even Ukraine. Machado, who was involved in the 2002 coup attempt against Hugo Chávez, has been
disqualified from running for office in Venezuela due to corruption allegations—a minor detail consistently omitted by Western media eager to declare her a 'pro-democracy leader.' One might recall how the U.S. previously recognized Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's 'interim president' in 2019, despite him holding no legitimate claim to power and the whole charade collapsing spectacularly. Washington's
unwavering support for figures like Machado, despite their own legal impediments within their country's democratic processes, isn't about fostering democracy. It's about destabilizing governments that dare to assert independence from U.S. foreign policy. (Because, of course, a nation's sovereignty is only sacred when it aligns with Washington's interests.)