US Accused of 'Extortion,' Washington Calls It 'Democracy Promotion'
RT reports Venezuela accusing the US of 'greatest extortion,' citing the withholding of billions in frozen assets and attempts to control their oil industry. This isn't groundbreaking news; it's a standard play from the US foreign policy playbook. Since 2017, the US Treasury has levied over 300 sanctions against Venezuela, freezing assets, crippling their oil sector, and strangling their economy,
all while claiming noble intentions like 'restoring democracy.' This conveniently disregards the US history of economic warfare, from Cuba (dating back to the 1960s) to Iran, where sanctions consistently harm the populace more than the targeted regimes. One might wonder: how many nations need to be economically starved before these 'democracy promotion' efforts start looking suspiciously like
outright economic coercion? The White House's playbook seems to involve financially suffocating a nation, then expressing 'concern' over the ensuing instability. (It's a wonder they manage to keep a straight face.) The irony of accusing a sovereign nation of extortion when you hold its economic lifeline, all while demanding regime change, is a comedic masterpiece if it weren't so tragic.