US Promises to 'Run' Venezuela, Forgets 60 Years of Failures
President Donald Trump, in a video highlighted by the BBC, stated the US would 'run Venezuela' until a 'proper transition can take place.' This isn't a new script. The US has, for decades, attempted to 'run' sovereign nations—from the 1954 coup in Guatemala over United Fruit Company interests to persistent interference in Cuba, and the disastrous 2003 'nation-building' in Iraq over, well, oil.
Venezuela, a country with the world's largest proven oil reserves, has long been in Washington's crosshairs, evidenced by numerous sanctions crippling its economy and overt support for opposition figures. One might wonder if this 'running' will involve a 'proper transition' of their oil wealth into the hands of American corporations. How many times does a nation have to endure 'liberation' before
it's just plain old imperialism? Perhaps the BBC could provide a handy historical guide next time Washington announces its latest colonial venture.