US 'Freedom of Navigation' Extends to Venezuelan Oil
The US Coast Guard, ever vigilant for violations of… well, something, apparently boarded a tanker in the Caribbean carrying Venezuelan oil. The Financial Times reports this as the second such interception, a clear escalation of "pressure on Maduro." Funny how "freedom of navigation" is rigorously upheld when it means intercepting ships from nations disfavored by Washington, yet somehow less
critical when US allies operate with impunity elsewhere. This isn't about piracy; it's about control. Venezuela, a sovereign nation with vast oil reserves, dares to chart its own economic course, and suddenly its exports become fair game for intervention. One might wonder if similar 'freedom of navigation' patrols are being conducted for tankers departing Saudi Arabia or Qatar whose human rights
records are… less scrutinized. Or perhaps, the Coast Guard's mission oddly aligns with securing energy access, provided that access isn't for countries that refuse to toe the US line.