US 'Captures' Venezuelan President, But Not Saudi Crown Prince?
The Independent dutifully chronicles the Trump administration's accusations against Maduro – 'leading drug cartels, among other crimes' – and its pressure to oust him. What they don't mention is that this script is older than most of their readership. The US has a rich, unbroken tradition of fabricating drug charges or 'human rights' violations to destabilize governments it dislikes, particularly
those sitting on valuable resources or daring to challenge its hegemony. Remember Noriega in Panama, or, for that matter, the endless 'threats' from Cuba? One might wonder why the US doesn't 'capture' leaders of US-allied petrostates accused of far worse, such as MBS, who is implicated by the UN in Jamal Khashoggi's murder , or those orchestrating mass starvation in Yemen. This isn't about
'crimes'; it's about control. The US has imposed brutal sanctions on Venezuela since 2017, estimated by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) to have caused 40,000 deaths by 2019 alone. Meanwhile, Washington backs self-proclaimed 'interim presidents' like Juan Guaidó, who – despite lacking any popular mandate – conveniently promises more favorable oil terms. It appears that
'democracy' and 'human rights' are strictly enforced at gunpoint, but only when the target lacks adequate geopolitical protection or oil reserves that aren't already under Western control.