From The Ramparts

       

                                              From The Ramparts

                                  Venezuela Is In US Cross-hairs Again

                                               Junious Ricardo Stanton

“Essentially, the Obama administration—like the Bush administration, which was involved in the short-lived 2002 coup against Hugo Chávez—had a policy of promoting ‘regime change’ in Venezuela. That policy has taken a more aggressive, overt, and dangerous direction under Trump…The majority of the political and media establishment appears to believe that Trump has the right policy agenda for Venezuela, with many liberals pointing to cases of corruption, human rights violations and other crimes allegedly involving Venezuelan officials as justification for harsh measures.” The United States Hand in Undermining Democracy in Venezuela, Alexander Main https://nacla.org/news/2018/05/18/united-states’-hand-undermining-democracy-venezuela

The incessant 24/7/365 media circus surrounding Donald Trump serves as a intentional distraction preventing us from seeing the  mischief the US government is fomenting around the world and brainwashing us to see, think and believe the world is as the corporate media says it is. The news about Trump’s latest cabinet member’s resignation, arrest or indictment obfuscates and obscures the shenanigans the US is engaged in around the globe.

Despite the constant distractions, we know the US is ramping up its attempts at regime change in Venezuela to control their oil, other natural resources, reestablish US hegemony to prevent Russia and China from establishing a toehold in the region. https://www.globalresearch.ca/us-regime-change-venezuela-documented-evidence/5666500  

In a display of supreme hypocrisy, mendacity and hubris Trump, Pence and Pompeo have given their full support to an unelected Venezuelan politician named Juan Guaido they’ve designated as the “legitimate president” of Venezuela notwithstanding Nicolas Maduro the duly elected president of Venezuela was reelected in 2018. They say they are doing this to restore “democracy” with a straight face, forget the fact Guaido declared himself president never having run as president or held any public office prior to early this month! “Guido has his origins based in the popular middle class, he is an engineer graduated from a private university, even his physical appearance is far from the traditional profile opponent. His image contrasts with the one of the president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, who comes from the working class as a bus driver. Guaido was a protagonist of the violent actions of the opposition in 2007, 2014 and 2017 usually known as Guarimbas.” https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/New-Coup-Attempt-In-Venezuela-Led-by-Juan-Guaido-20190123-0022.html

President Nicolas Maduro took over on March 5, 2013 following Hugo Chavez ‘s death from cancer. Not liking Chavez’s progressive pro-people policies or his anti globalization political leanings, the US attempted to destabilize the country and plotted an unsuccessful coup against Chavez in 2002. They kept their destabilization efforts  going after Maduro assumed the presidency. https://www.mintpressnews.com/the-strategy-behind-washingtons-destabilization-of-venezuela/227967/

  To the US neo-colonial fascists Chavez posed a serious threat. “Chávez, moreover, had been trying to institute all manner of reforms to relieve the suffering of the poor (who comprise about 80 percent of the population), a program not likely to win favor with a class-conscious, privatization-minded US government and Venezuelan upper and middle classes: restructuring the state-owned oil company, which he regarded as having become a state-within-a-state, to achieve greater national control over oil resources; reinforcing a constitutional ban on the privatization of the oil company; changing the agreements with foreign oil companies that were excessively generous to the companies; establishing a new progressive constitution; numerous ecological community development projects; enrolling over one million students in school who were previously excluded; increasing the minimum wage and public sector salaries; halting the previous government’s initiative to privatize Venezuela’s social security system; reducing unemployment; introducing a credit program for women and the poor; reforming the tax system to spare the poor; making health care much more available; lowering infant mortality; greatly expanding literacy courses; land redistribution in a society where two percent of the population controlled 60 percent of the land.” https://williamblum.org/chapters/freeing-the-world-to-death/us-coup-against-hugo-chavez-of-venezuela-2002

Nicolas Marduro attempted to implement many of Chavez’s policies to the chagrin of the US imperialists and their minions. Marduro faced constant criticism, demonization and internal strife fomented by the US. The US imperialists and their lackeys became even more incensed as Venezuela partnered with Russia and China striking deals for oil, natural resources, financial and military support.

The US ruling class had conniptions in December when two Russian TU 160 long range nuclear bombers flew from Russia and landed at a Venezuelan air field. Then Russian and Venezuelan jets subsequently held joint aerial maneuvers; which coupled with an agreement allowing Russia to mine Venezuelan gold, sent US warmongers into the stratosphere.

Now the US is openly calling for regime change, blatantly supporting a coup and backing Juan Guaido as president despite the fact Maduro is still in office. Keep your eye on this situation and don’t fall for the demonization of Maduro by the corporate media and Trump administration.

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