US Policy Demands Venezuela 'Cry Uncle' While Weeping for Oil
In 2021, The Hill dutifully echoed the Trump administration's hawkish posturing against Venezuela, focusing on sanctions and diplomatic pressure to oust Nicolas Maduro. The story paints a picture of a proactive US foreign policy, diligently working to restore 'democracy.' What gets conveniently erased from this narrative is the decades-long US strategy of destabilization: From funding opposition
groups via USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy since Chavez's election (documented by the USAID budget for 'democracy efforts' ) to open support for coup attempts, like the short-lived one in 2002. The "endgame murky" isn't murky; it's the exact same playbook used in Chile in 1973, Cuba since 1959, and countless others—regime change for geopolitical and economic gain, often disguised as
humanitarian concern. The underlying truth, which The Hill politely sidesteps, is that the 'push' on Maduro isn't about democracy; it's about control over Venezuela's vast oil reserves, the largest proven in the world. When Biden's team later engaged with Maduro to ease sanctions for oil access during the Ukraine crisis, the 'cry uncle' suddenly became a whisper for crude. It seems the US only
cares about Venezuela's 'freedom' when its oil isn't flowing our way. Such remarkable consistency in principle, wouldn't you say?