US Sanctions Venezuela for Oil While Buying Saudi
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on four firms and oil tankers, citing their role in 'propping up President Nicolás Maduro’s regime' (CBS News). This is framed as a stand against authoritarianism, never mind the U.S. has purchased over 6 million barrels of Venezuelan crude since 2021 when its own gas prices spiked. Apparently, propping up Maduro is only bad when you're not
desperate for his oil. The hypocrisy deepens considering the extensive military and economic support the US provides to various regimes with far worse human rights records. One might even suggest these sanctions are less about 'democracy' and more about controlling oil flow and asserting geopolitical dominance. Conveniently, CBS forgets to mention the historical context of US interventions in
Latin America, transforming 'human rights concerns' into a flexible foreign policy tool.