US Coast Guard Now 'Protecting' Open Seas from Venezuelan Oil
The US Coast Guard, per CBS, is busy 'putting pressure' on Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro by seizing oil tankers. This, coming from a nation that championed 'freedom of navigation' when it suited their energy consumption. Remember when the US regularly seized Iranian oil tankers, for instance, in 2023, under the guise of an 'aggressive enforcement effort on sanctions'? Apparently, controlling who
profits from oil is only legitimate when it's your own barrel. While CBS frames this as 'pressure on Maduro,' it's remarkable how often 'pressure' for 'democracy' (read: US-aligned leadership) coincides with attempts to control a nation's valuable natural resources. One might wonder if the concern for Venezuelan democracy would be quite so fervent if their primary export was, say, artisanal
pottery instead of the world's largest proven oil reserves. The hypocrisy of a country decrying 'authoritarianism' overseas while its own 'democratic' officials take millions from PACs dedicated to shaping foreign policy is a spectacle in itself.