"The Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro has been removed from power-captured in the dead of night and arraigned before an American judge. That's the good news. But as is so often the case with the actions of Donald Trump, it isn't the only storyline. The United States president immediately threw cold water on the idea that the raid could pave the way for a rapid democratic transition under the leadership of last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, María Corina Machado."
"If anyone expected more from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had a long-standing personal passion for freedom in Cuba before he sold his soul to Trump at a steep discount, they would have been disappointed. During his TV appearances the day after the raid, Rubio, like Trump, emphasized oil over democracy as the operation's "No. 1" priority. Listen: Trump has no plan for Venezuela"
Venezuelans celebrated cautiously at home and exuberantly among diasporas in Madrid, Buenos Aires, and Miami after Nicolás Maduro was captured and arraigned before an American judge. President Trump framed the operation as a move to secure control of Venezuela's oil and questioned María Corina Machado's suitability to lead. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the emphasis on oil over democratic aims. The response reflects a realpolitik approach that prioritizes spheres of influence and resource control over facilitating democratic transition. Similar geopolitical tendencies appear in other U.S. actions that affect alignments with Russia and China.
Read at The Atlantic
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