Venezuelan Official Accused of Wild Speculation by US State Dept. (Again)
The BBC reports that Venezuela's Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, has 'no doubt' that Donald Trump seeks to topple their government, accusing the US of wanting to turn Venezuela into a 'colony'. While presented as a dramatic, almost outlandish claim, this sentiment isn't exactly new or baseless for nations targeted by Washington. The U.S. has a storied history in Latin America, from the 1954
coup in Guatemala orchestrated by the CIA to protect United Fruit Company interests, to repeated interventions, sanctions, and destabilization efforts in Cuba, Nicaragua, and, yes, Venezuela itself. Ignoring over a century of documented US interventionism as mere 'allegations' stretches credulity. Critics might even posit that accusing a nation of having 'no doubt' about a US-backed coup is less a
statement of paranoia, and more a statement of observed, documented foreign policy. Perhaps the BBC could provide a helpful glossary of 'democratizing' actions versus 'toppling' efforts for ease of comprehension.