US Asks: Is Kidnapping Leaders 'Illegal' When We Do It?
The Independent features a headline asking, 'Was Trump’s attack on Venezuela illegal?' citing 'law experts' who call it 'a blatant, illegal and criminal act.' The article frames the potential capture of Maduro as a novel legal quandary. Yet, curiously absent from their deep dive into international law is any mention of a pattern. This isn't Trump inventing the wheel; the U.S. has a storied history
of attempted assassinations, coups, and regime change operations in Latin America, from Chile to Nicaragua, often under the guise of 'democracy promotion.' The Independent's sudden legal curiosity now, rather than during Operation Condor or the Bay of Pigs, raises questions about selective outrage. Apparently, international law only gets dusted off when a Republican is in charge, or perhaps when
the plan spectacularly fails and can be blamed on one.