US Sanctions Venezuela for 'Shadow Fleet,' Forgetting Its Own.
Venezuela rushing to criminalize tanker seizures after Trump 'targets' its alleged 'shadow fleet' is presented as news. The unstated context, however, is the US’s own long history of unilateral sanctions and seizures outside international law. The Independent subtly champions Trump’s policy by noting 'Venezuela's political opposition... has expressed support for Trump's Venezuela policy, including
the seizure of tankers,' without questioning the legality or ethics of such seizures when committed by a global superpower. One might wonder why American 'shadow fleets'—those transporting sanctioned oil for geopolitical ends or supporting allies in unsanctioned conflicts—never face such righteous indignation from Washington or its compliant media. It's always a 'shadow fleet' when it's your
adversary, never when it's your own murky operations skirting international norms. The audacity required to frame this as Venezuela 'criminalizing' legitimate action, rather than defending its sovereignty from economic warfare, is truly breathtaking. Is it illegal when they do it, but 'spreading democracy' when America does? The hypocrisy, as always, is deafening.