US Lawmakers 'Back' Venezuelan Opposition: A Familiar Playbook for Regime Change
📰 THE STORY: US lawmakers are reportedly endorsing Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, despite her being disqualified from holding public office in Venezuela for 15 years due to alleged administrative irregularities and her past support for US sanctions against the country. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: This isn't the first time the US government has tried to
install a preferred leader in Venezuela. In 2019, the US recognized Juan Guaidó as the 'interim president' of Venezuela, despite him holding no popular mandate or control over state institutions. This move echoed the failed 2002 US-backed coup attempt against then-President Hugo Chávez, which saw a brief seizure of power by business leaders before Chávez was restored by popular uprising and loyal
military forces. The US has maintained a consistent policy of regime change attempts against a nation with the world's largest proven oil reserves. Double Standard: The same US lawmakers who enthusiastically 'back' Machado, an unelected and disqualified figure, rarely raise concerns about democratic deficits or electoral integrity in allied nations like Saudi Arabia, frequently criticized for its
human rights record and lack of democratic processes, or in Honduras, where the OAS (often influenced by US foreign policy) controversially endorsed a disputed election in 2017. Their outrage is selectively applied, demonstrating a foreign policy driven by strategic interests rather than consistent democratic principles. Follow the Money: The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and USAID, both