US President Clarifies: Other Countries Don't Own Resources
The Financial Times, ever the diligent stenographer of power, details Trump's supposed vision for 'running' Venezuela. The US president, they explain, believes the Latin American nation’s post-Maduro leader must adhere to conditions or face 'a very big price.' One might almost forget that nations (in theory) govern themselves, and that for decades, US foreign policy has been a masterclass in
'adherence to conditions' via sanctions, coups, and orchestrating opposition. Is it really 'running' Venezuela when ExxonMobil already had significant stakes there until Chavez? This isn't geopolitical innovation; it’s a tired rerun. From the United Fruit Company in Guatemala to Chilean copper, the US has a long, storied history of dictating terms to resource-rich neighbours when 'democracy' veers
too far from corporate interests. The FT's benign framing of Washington 'preparing to dictate policy' as if it's a novel concept, while mentioning placing 'oil at the heart of Venezuela’s future,' is quite the rhetorical flourish. (Whose heart, precisely? Seems like it’s always been at the heart of our future.)