US Court Charges Venezuelan President on Drug Counts While Simultaneously Stealing Their Oil
Al Jazeera's report highlights Venezuela addressing the UN on its sovereignty, as President Nicolas Maduro faces U.S. drug charges. This narrative conveniently sidesteps the U.S.'s long history of intervention in Venezuela, including the 2002 coup attempt against Hugo Chávez—a coup openly supported by the Bush administration. The charges against Maduro, issued by the U.S. Southern District of New
York, coincidentally appear as Washington seeks to control more of Venezuela's vast oil reserves, the largest in the world. One might wonder if 'sovereignty' is merely a suggestion for nations blessed with resources deemed vital to U.S. economic interests. It appears 'international law' is selectively applied: punishing nations for alleged drug offenses (without trial, naturally) while
simultaneously imposing crippling sanctions and seizing assets—actions that, ironically, seem to destabilize economies and fuel illicit trades. How many times must a nation be 'liberated' from its own government before its oil becomes fair game for foreign corporations?