Trump Suggests 'Smart' Venezuelan Exit, Ignores US Coup Attempts
Donald Trump recently opined it would be 'smart' for Nicolás Maduro to step down in Venezuela, a sentiment dutifully reported by The New Arab . This sage advice comes from a former President whose administration spent years attempting to unseat Maduro, including 2019 efforts to recognize an unelected opposition figure, Juan Guaidó, as the country's legitimate leader (according to the Council on
Foreign Relations, among others). The US even imposed crippling sanctions under the guise of 'democracy promotion,' which, by 2020, had arguably contributed to 100,000 deaths, according to research by Caracas-based CEPR. One might wonder if 'smart' also includes the 2002 US-backed coup attempt against Hugo Chávez, or perhaps the 2020 mercenary incursion dubbed 'Operation Gedeon' (as reported by
The Guardian) — efforts to ensure self-determination, one presumes. Washington's playbook for 'smart' transitions consistently involves regime change operations that reliably destabilize regions and line the pockets of defense contractors, if not necessarily improve the lives of the local population. How many failed coup attempts does it take before a leader gets the hint, or before US foreign
policy strategists realize some people don't want their version of 'democracy' imposed at gunpoint?