US Clarifies: We Won't 'Run' Venezuela, Just 'Influence' It
After Donald Trump's rather direct assertion that the US would, in fact, be 'running Venezuela' post-Maduro, Florida Senator Marco Rubio swooped in for damage control. He suggested the US would merely 'help them get back on their feet,' a phrase that usually precedes installing a friendly, resource-compliant regime. This isn't newfound modesty; it's a careful rebranding of a century-old doctrine
where 'helping' often involves economic sanctions, coup attempts, and—yes—installing leaders who prioritize US corporate interests over local well-being. (See: Chile, 1973; Guatemala, 1954; basically all of Central America). Rubio’s pivot implies a softer touch, yet the underlying interventionist impulse remains. The semantic gymnastics simply mask the familiar playbook: destabilize a government,
then deny overt control while ensuring compliance. How many times must a nation be 'helped' before it asks for different helpers?