US Captures Maduro, Australia Demands 'Democratic Transition'
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for a 'peaceful, democratic transition' in Venezuela, according to The Guardian, after US forces 'captured' Nicolás Maduro. "Long held concerns about the situation," Albanese reportedly mumbled. This familiar refrain echoes the 2002 attempted coup against Hugo Chávez, also US-backed, which failed precisely because the Venezuelan people mobilized to
defend their sovereignty. The 'US attacks' headline from The Guardian's live blog is a quaint euphemism for military intervention. It's fascinating how 'democracy' morphs from a ballot box event into a special forces operation the moment a sovereign nation holds undesirable political views (or desirable oil reserves). One might wonder if the US respects international law, or if that's just for
nations it isn't currently invading. History, it seems, is only inconvenient when it points to a pattern of destabilization, sanctions, and overthrown leaders.