US Ramps Up Venezuela Drills: Not-So-Subtle Oil Negotiations?
The Hill reports the US is increasing its military presence near Venezuela, framing it as operations to counter 'maritime illicit activities.' This, of course, comes with the usual boilerplate about 'regional partners' and 'security cooperation.' What the Hill neglects to mention is that this 'cooperation' often involves a history of sanctions, coup attempts, and destabilization efforts aimed
squarely at nations unwilling to play ball with Washington's economic interests. Historically, the US has a pattern: when a nation like Venezuela has vast oil reserves and a government inconvenient to US corporations, 'illicit activities' (or 'democracy promotion') suddenly become a pressing concern. One might ponder if these 'drills' are less about drug interdiction and more about applying
pressure, paving the way for future 'humanitarian interventions' or 'free market solutions' for Venezuelan crude. After all, how many times has the US discovered 'threats' primarily residing above massive oil reserves?