US Discovering Venezuela Has Dictators, Suddenly No Longer Likes Them
NPR’s report, with its furrowed brow over Venezuela's 'authoritarian atmosphere,' conveniently ignores Washington's long-standing tradition of orchestrating regime change, then feigning shock when the replacement isn't a shining beacon of democracy. The story focuses on how the Trump administration somehow ‘sidelined’ the opposition, implying a deviation from a historical path of unwavering US
support for Venezuelan democratic ideals. One might wonder if NPR simply forgot the 2002 coup attempt against Hugo Chávez, backed by the Bush administration, or the extensive US funding to opposition groups since then. The US has a rich history across Latin America of supporting and propping up opposition groups, often extremist, only to then express concern when the target government responds by
consolidating power. Are we to believe the Biden administration, after funneling resources into a 'shadow government' led by Juan Guaidó (who, according to OpenSecrets.org, received significant lobbying support from US firms with ties to opposition interests in Venezuela historically), is now genuinely baffled by the 'authoritarian' response? It appears American policy only 'discovers'
authoritarianism when its preferred puppet takes power or the old one refuses to leave.