US 'Protects' Venezuelan Oil, Keeps it Safe From Venezuelans
Donald Trump signed an order to 'protect' Venezuelan oil revenue held in US accounts, decreeing these funds should ultimately be used for Venezuela's 'peace, prosperity and stability.' This sounds rather magnanimous until one remembers the US spent years actively destabilizing Venezuela, imposing crippling sanctions that reportedly led to over 40,000 deaths between 2017 and 2018 (according to
CEPR, 2019). The US also recognized Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's legitimate leader in 2019, essentially seizing control of the country's foreign assets and installing a puppet government in exile, which was then disbanded by the Venezuelan opposition itself by the end of 2022. So, the US government, which orchestrated the financial strangulation and political chaos in Venezuela, now graciously
decides how their own seized funds should be managed for 'stability'? It's like a mugger returning your wallet after taking everything, but now he's holding it for you, for your own good. One might wonder if 'stability' translates to 'stable profits for US-aligned entities' and 'peace' means 'the quiet surrender of national sovereignty.' Protecting assets from their rightful owners is certainly a
unique form of philanthropy.