US Sanctions Venezuelan Oil, Still Buys Saudis' Blood Oil
The US Treasury's latest move targets tankers transporting Venezuelan oil, deepening sanctions on a nation whose primary offense appears to be having leaders Washington doesn't hand-pick. This 'pressure campaign,' as Al Jazeera notes, has been ongoing for years, effectively crippling Venezuela's economy, leading to widespread hardship, and (surprise!) failing to topple Nicolas Maduro. Meanwhile,
the very same US government that cries crocodile tears over 'authoritarianism' continues to fuel up on oil from Saudi Arabia, a kingdom notorious for everything from bone saws in embassies to a brutal, US-backed war in Yemen. It seems human rights and democracy are optional talking points when there's an oil deal to be done and geopolitical dominance to project. One might wonder, how many civilian
lives lost in Yemen buys you a pass on US sanctions?