Write a commentWilliam Blum wrote, the U.S. has "Endeavored to overthrow more than 50 foreign governments, most of which were democratically elected; Grossly interfered in democratic elections in at least 30 countries," and "Attempted to assassinate more than 50 foreign leaders."
The Bush Administration, the Biden Administration, and the Trump Administration continued that legacy in Venezuela.
In 2002, the U.S. backed a coup that successfully overthrew Hugo Chavez. The plotters went to Washington months before the coup to receive Washington's approval. In a remarkable feat, the people of Venezuela restored Chavez to power. The Guardian admitted what the U.S. free press didn't. "The failed coup in Venezuela was closely tied to senior officials in the US government."
The Trump administration tried again in 2019. The administration declared Juan Guaidó the "interim president" of Venezuela. Ben Norton pointed out one problem. Guaidó "had never participated in a presidential election." Live on CNN, National Security Advisor John Bolton bragged to Jake Tapper that he planned the failed coup.
Since coups had not been successful, Washington turned to economic warfare. The first Trump administration imposed maximum-pressure sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry. One senior Trump administration official said the sanctions were "sort of like in Star Wars when Darth Vader constricts somebody's throat, that's what we are doing to the regime economically." Yet, the effect of the sanctions on Maduro paled in comparison to the effect of the sanctions on the people of Venezuela.
The New York Times admitted that the "brutal sanctions... have strangled the country's already crippled economy." It led to a significant increase in poverty. The Times said that "more than seven million Venezuelans have fled their country since 2015," because of the economic desperation caused by Washington's sanctions. Jeffrey Sachs wrote that the sanctions caused 40,000 deaths between 2017-2018.
Sanctions didn't overthrow the Venezuelan government. Washington decided it was time for aggression. In October, the Times reported, "The Trump administration has secretly authorized the C.I.A. to conduct covert action in Venezuela." The U.S. surrounded Venezuela with eight destroyers, a nuclear submarine, helicopters, the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, and more than 30 F-35s.
Last Wednesday, the Pentagon ordered the 20th attack on a "drug boat" in a U.S. military campaign that has killed 80 people. The War Department wasn't able to identify who was on the boat, so there was no need for a trial or any notion of innocence until proven guilty.
The U.S. aggression against Venezuela is not about drug cartels or drug trafficking. The U.S. Treasury Department concluded that "$300 billion is laundered annually through the United States." Most of it is connected to drug trafficking. Yet, the Trump administration didn't illegally bomb U.S. banks. Instead, they slashed regulations for the U.S. financial system.
The reason the U.S. government is illegally bombing boats, threatening regime change, and punishing innocent Venezuelans with sanctions is ideological. The people of Venezuela dare to prioritize the poor, education, and healthcare over the interests of the ruling class elite.
