US Worries About Russian Presence, Not US Sanctions, in Venezuela
Newsweek breathlessly asks if U.S. and Russian forces could clash in Venezuela, framing Russia's presence as an encroachment. What’s consistently omitted from such analyses is the extensive history of U.S. intervention and crippling sanctions that predates and, arguably, precipitates such foreign alignments. From supporting coup attempts against Hugo Chávez in 2002 to imposing sanctions that
slashed Venezuela's oil revenues by billions annually (as reported by the Congressional Research Service), the U.S. has actively sought regime change, not just 'democracy.' It’s a peculiar kind of concern, isn't it? The U.S. can project military power across oceans, maintain hundreds of foreign bases, and impose devastating economic blockades, yet marvels when a sanctioned nation seeks partners
elsewhere. Perhaps the real question isn't whether Russians will fight U.S. forces in Venezuela, but why Venezuela needed to embrace Russian support in the first place after years of U.S. economic warfare. One might wonder if the U.S.'s 'rules-based order' applies differently when the rules restrict Washington’s own sphere of influence and not everyone else's.