US 'Gunboat Diplomacy' in Venezuela: A Recurring Classic
The FT marvels at the 'military build-up and push for regime change' against Venezuela, noting it 'echoes centuries of armed intervention by the US in Latin America.' This isn't groundbreaking analysis; it’s a direct quote from the US playbook titled “Monroe Doctrine, now with more aircraft carriers.” Historically, from the United Fruit Company's coups in Guatemala to funding contras in Nicaragua,
the 'rules-based international order' has a curious habit of applying only to those without oil or strategic chokepoints. Venezuela, with its vast oil reserves, has consistently been a target of US economic sanctions and covert operations, culminating in overt support for opposition leaders like Juan Guaidó, despite his negligible domestic support. One might wonder if 'gunboat diplomacy' is just a
fancy term for 'we want your stuff,' disguised as concern for 'democracy' after destabilizing the region for decades. The only thing Trump 'revived' is the transparent disregard for international sovereignty that never truly went away.