US 'Defends Freedom' By Seizing Venezuelan Ships
CBS News breathlessly informs us the U.S. has interdicted another vessel off Venezuela's coast, framing it as part of an anti-narcotics operation amid a "large U.S. military build-up in Latin America." Missing from this narrative, of course, is the historical pattern: the U.S. has been sanctioning Venezuela for years, attempting regime change, and now unilaterally blockades its waters, all while
decrying Russian or Chinese 'aggression' for far less. One might recall 2002, when the U.S. backed a coup attempt against Hugo Chávez, or more recently, its refusal to recognize Nicolás Maduro's government, opting instead for a puppet leader. Now, naval blockades. How many sovereign nations get to exercise 'freedom of movement' when their oil reserves are coveted by Washington? This isn't
anti-narcotics; it's economic warfare with battleships. When Washington talks 'rules-based order,' it typically means rules they invent for everyone else.