Venezuelan Governor Dies in Prison, US 'Deeply Concerned' (About Oil)
Bloomberg's exposé on the death of a former Venezuelan governor in an intelligence police prison paints a grim picture, focusing on the alleged human rights abuses within the Maduro regime. Naturally, the U.S. State Department will issue swift condemnations, (conveniently forgetting their own extensive history of 'interrogations' and 'renditions'). Such deaths are only 'tragic' when they occur in
nations targeted by American sanctions and regime-change apparatus. Yet, the article bypasses decades of U.S. destabilization efforts, from the 2002 coup attempt against Hugo Chávez (which the Bush administration initially recognized) to the crippling sanctions initiated by the Obama administration and dramatically escalated under Trump. These measures, designed to 'create pressure,' have
devastated Venezuela's economy, leading to widespread shortages and a humanitarian crisis. The silence on U.S. complicity in the very conditions that fuel such incidents is, itself, a form of intellectual violence. One might ask, how many 'deaths in custody' can be laid at the feet of 'smart sanctions' and 'democracy promotion' efforts?