How the US is using coronavirus to push regime change in Venezuela

[Judi Lynn]

Protesters against US intervention in Venezuela

Peter Bolton
3rd April

Ever since the Trump administration launched a coup attempt against the democratically-elected government of Venezuela in January 2019, the country’s civilian population has been suffering under a brutal sanctions regime. Amidst the coronavirus outbreak, Venezuelans are now at even greater risk given that the government is hamstrung by what has essentially morphed into a full-blown economic blockade.

But having so far failed in its ‘regime change’ effort, the Trump administration has now stooped to a new low by cynically using the global public health crisis as a weapon to oust president Nicolás Maduro.

An offer signed in the blood of Venezuelan civilians
On 31 March, reports emerged that the US is offering to lift the sanctions against Venezuela if its government agrees to hand over power to a “transitional council” that would govern the country until fresh elections are held. In other words, Washington is signalling that Venezuela can either have the government that it favors or continue to suffer from crippling shortages of food, medicines, and other crucial supplies. These shortages have already proven deadly; according to one 2019 report, US sanctions had led to the deaths of around 40,000 people before the coup attempt even began.

Now it appears that the Trump administration is cynically capitalizing on the further suffering caused by the coronavirus outbreak to intensify its coup attempt. And its key regime change personnel aren’t making any secret of this, either. On 31 March, the Guardian reported that US attorney general William Barr said: “It’s good timing, actually… The people in Venezuela are suffering”.

More:
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2020/04/03/how-the-us-is-using-coronavirus-to-push-regime-change-in-venezuela/

My bolding.