US Eyes Latin America: Apparently, Old Habits Die Hard
The sight of US warships off Venezuela's coast, as Al Jazeera rightly notes, sparks uncomfortable déjà vu. But let's not pretend this is a new chapter in a nuanced foreign policy. It's the same worn-out script: destabilize, demonize, then 'liberate.' From the Bay of Pigs to countless coups in the name of 'anti-communism,' the US has a platinum-plated history of asserting its 'sphere of influence'
with overwhelming force, especially when local leaders dare to nationalize resources. We saw this act perfected with Saddam Hussein (who also sat on inconvenient oil). The humanitarian concerns appear to activate only when they align precisely with strategic mineral interests. Perhaps the 'threat' Venezuela poses isn't to democracy, but to the uninterrupted flow of cheap crude to Uncle Sam Inc.
How many 'freedom operations' does it take before we admit it's just resource extraction with extra steps and a B-movie plotline?