US Politicians Briefed, Venezuela Remains Sovereign (Again)
US politicians were recently briefed on an 'operation to seize Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro,' according to Al Jazeera. One might wonder why, after years of sanctions, coup attempts, and failed 'regime change' efforts under multiple administrations, a briefing on 'seizing' a head of state is still considered a viable foreign policy rather than a recurring nightmare for Latin America.
(Perhaps someone should brief Congress on the definition of 'sovereignty.') This isn't an isolated incident; it's a predictable rerun. From documented CIA operations in the 1960s to the 2002 coup attempt against Hugo Chávez and the more recent 'Guaidó' saga, the US playbook for Venezuela rarely changes, only the faces. The narrative of 'failed states' and 'humanitarian crises' often precedes these
interventions, (even when US sanctions contribute significantly to the very crises they claim to be solving), allowing politicians to discuss 'seizing' leaders as if it were a morally defensible strategy, rather than a blatant violation of international law. How many more times will the US need to 'brief' its politicians on seizing Maduro before someone suggests a brief on basic international
relations?