US 'Discovers' Venezuela's Oil, 'Captures' Its Leader
Overnight, the US 'captured' Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, after airstrikes across the country. The Guardian highlights US accusations of drug-trafficking and Venezuela's oil reserves as a possible motive, while hand-wringing over the 'unprecedented' nature of the act. Yet, 'unprecedented' really means 'another verse of the same old hymn': the US has interfered in
Venezuelan elections since 1958, funded opposition groups, and attempted coups in 2002 and 2019. Funny how the discovery of 'alleged drug-trafficking' or 'terrorism' so often coincides with resource-rich nations resisting US influence. One might wonder at the timing, how Trump — who in 2017 suggested 'military option' for Venezuela and in 2020 put a $15 million bounty on Maduro's head — only now
managed this 'stunning' feat. It’s almost as if the 'rule of law' is as flexible as the price of crude oil when it comes to nations with the world’s largest proven reserves. The Guardian asks 'Why?' after documenting years of US hostility; perhaps it's less a question and more a rhetorical nod to ongoing imperial policy, framed as spontaneous justice.