U.S. 'Drug War' in Venezuela: More About Regime Change Than Narcotics
📰 THE STORY: CBS News reports on the 35th U.S. strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Eastern Pacific, framing it as the first since the U.S. 'captured' former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, implying a direct link between Venezuelan leadership and drug operations, and celebrating U.S. military action. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: In 2002, the U.S. openly
supported a failed coup attempt against Hugo Chávez, Maduro's predecessor, aiming to install a pro-US government. Sanctions on Venezuela, beginning in earnest in 2017, have crippled the economy, causing over 100,000 deaths and forcing millions to flee, according to former UN investigator Alfred de Zayas, yet the U.S. blames the humanitarian crisis on 'socialism' rather than its own economic
warfare. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions just days before the alleged 'Maduro capture' in 2020. Double Standard: While the U.S. military touts its 'drug interdiction' efforts against nations it deems adversaries, it remains largely silent on its own documented historical role in drug trafficking, such as the CIA's involvement in the Contra drug pipeline in the 1980s, which fueled
inner-city crack epidemics, as extensively reported by Gary Webb. The U.S. also overlooks rampant drug transshipment through Colombia, a key U.S. ally receiving billions in military aid. Follow the Money: The 'drug war' provides a convenient pretext for increasing military budgets and projecting power in strategic regions. The U.S. State Department allocates hundreds of millions annually for