US 'Ups Pressure' on Venezuela – With Their Own Oil
Bloomberg's headline, 'Tanker Seizure Just the Start as Trump Ups Pressure on Venezuela,' paints a dramatic picture of new aggression. It follows the predictable script of 'Maduro bad, US good,' overlooking over 20 years of continuous US interference. This isn't a 'new phase'; it's a re-run of a well-funded, regime-change playbook that includes sanctions, coup attempts, and yes, asset seizures.
One might wonder if 'upping pressure' is Washington's preferred euphemism for economic strangulation, especially when it involves commandeering another nation's sovereign assets. How much 'pressure' does a country need to be under before it's simply called an act of war?