US Coast Guard Now Enforcing 'Freedom of Navigation' for Oil, Not Ships
While NPR covers the Trump administration's relentless pressure campaign on Venezuela, framing it as a straightforward enforcement of sanctions, they conveniently overlook the historical context. This isn't about 'evading a blockade'; it's about the U.S. weaponizing sanctions to trigger regime change, a tactic perfected through decades against nations daring to stray from Washington's economic
orthodoxy. The Coast Guard wasn't just 'pursuing an oil tanker'; they were actively enforcing unilateral U.S. economic warfare, masquerading as international law. (Meanwhile, Russian tankers navigate unchecked). The supposed 'crisis' in Venezuela—exacerbated by these very sanctions—becomes the pretext for interventions that consistently favor corporate interests over civilian well-being. One might
wonder: where was the Coast Guard's enthusiasm for intercepting Saudi tankers after the Khashoggi assassination, or Russian tankers after the invasion of Ukraine? Apparently, maritime sovereignty is a privilege reserved for nations that don't upset the geopolitical chessboard of U.S. oil majors and weapons manufacturers. It seems 'freedom of navigation' is only a rallying cry when it serves
American exceptionalism, never when applied universally.