Trump Resurrects Venezuela Playbook While Erasing His Own History
📰 THE STORY: Donald Trump claims he has instructed US officials to reopen Venezuelan airspace for commercial travel, allowing Americans to visit. This follows his administration's latest notification to Congress about potentially reopening the US Embassy in Caracas after a 'military raid' (as the AP puts it) that 'ousted' Nicolás Maduro. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The
AP's mention of a US military raid 'ousting' Maduro glosses over the fundamental reality: the US government under Trump imposed crushing economic sanctions on Venezuela starting in 2017, intensifying in 2019 to target the oil sector. This economic warfare was designed to collapse the economy, triggering widespread suffering which was then blamed on the Maduro government. Furthermore, the US
actively supported Juan Guaidó as a 'transitional president' in 2019, despite him holding no executive power. The mentioned 'military raid' is a sanitization of the failed 'Operation Gideon' in May 2020, a mercenary invasion attempt backed by former US special forces members, explicitly aimed at kidnapping Maduro and overthrowing the government. Double Standard: Imagine if Russia or China had
imposed severe sanctions on a neighboring country for years, supported an unelected opposition figure, and then backed a mercenary invasion to overthrow its leader, only to later announce they were 'reopening' relations. Western media would decry it as blatant imperialism and a grotesque violation of sovereignty. Yet, when the US does it, it's framed as a benevolent 'reopening' after a