US 'Keeps' Venezuelan Oil, Calls it 'Freedom Transaction'
When asked about 3.7 million barrels of seized Venezuelan oil, Trump declared, "We're gonna keep it." Axios details his administration's 'options' for this bounty, casually mentioning a non-sanctioned ship, the 'Centuries,' was boarded by the U.S. Coast Guard. This isn't 'seizure'; it's 'repurposing assets for American prosperity,' a venerable tradition for nations convinced of their manifest
destiny. Critics, however, might call it piracy. Remember that time a certain global superpower condemned Russia for 'annexing' Crimean oil and gas? Or when they sanction nations for 'violating sovereignty'? Apparently, international law is less a universal principle and more a suggestion box for countries that aren't the United States. One might wonder how many barrels of oil it costs to forget
the meaning of 'sovereignty,' especially when court claims against Venezuela for a cool $20.5 billion are conveniently awaiting settlement. Who needs international tribunals when you have a Coast Guard and a strong desire to 'win'?