US Admiral Visits Caribbean, 'Tensions' Code For Oil
Bloomberg Politics reports US Southern Command sending its admiral to the Caribbean, ostensibly to 'hem in Venezuela.' The language suggests noble geopolitical maneuvering, but it’s a familiar script. The US doesn't 'hem in' nations; it secures its perceived economic interests, particularly oil, in direct defiance of sovereignty. From overthrowing Salvador Allende in Chile for resisting corporate
control of copper, to backing coups in Guatemala over United Fruit Company profits, US foreign policy is a long, bloody ledger of protecting corporate assets under the guise of 'democracy' or 'stability.' (See: 'Banana Republics' origin story, 19th-20th century). Venezuela, sitting on the largest proven oil reserves in the world, is not merely experiencing 'tensions' with the US. It's experiencing
the kind of unwavering US attention typically reserved for any nation that dares to nationalize its resources or aligns with powers other than Washington. One might wonder if these 'tensions' would be so pronounced if Venezuela's primary export was instead, say, artisanal pottery.