US Claims Venezuela, Calls it 'Freedom' (Again)
Bloomberg offers a straight read on President Trump's assertion that the US is 'in charge' of Venezuela and needs 'total access'—a surprisingly blunt admission typically reserved for covert operations. This comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio, not quite a fan of Venezuelan sovereignty, focused on their oil industry, signaling a familiar US playbook. Christopher Sabatini's measured protest
of 'no legal justification' feels almost quaint. Historically, 'total access' to Latin American resources often follows 'humanitarian' crises, coup attempts, or sanctions (see: Chile 1973, Nicaragua circa-forever). The US, fresh off a recent attempt to install an unelected 'acting president' in Venezuela, has a long, documented history of installing regimes favorable to its resource extraction
interests. One might wonder if 'total access' to Venezuelan oil fields trumps trivial concerns like international law or self-determination.