US 'Democracy Promotion' Extends To Covert Drone War in Venezuela
The Hill casually reports the CIA conducted a drone strike on a Venezuelan port facility. (The Hill, 'CIA conducted drone strike on Venezuela port facility') What they don't mention is that this isn't some rogue operation, but another chapter in a century-long saga of U.S. meddling in Latin American democracies. From the coup against Salvador Allende in Chile to the Contra affair in Nicaragua,
'democracy promotion' often seems to involve destabilizing governments the U.S. doesn't fancy, often with extreme violence. This covert action merely continues a pattern of projecting power under the guise of national security, reminiscent of why so many in the region view the U.S. with profound suspicion. We saw this charade recently with endless 'concerns' about Venezuela's elections while
simultaneously imposing crippling sanctions that directly harm its populace. One might wonder: how many 'freedom' drones does it take before a nation is free to choose its own path without external explosions? Or is the 'rules-based international order' merely a suggestion for inconvenient nations?