Western Media Continue to Defend Washington’s Deadly Venezuela Agenda
by Ricardo Vaz
June 25, 2023
Introduction:
(Common Dreams) Venezuela’s Maduro government has slowly and steadily regained its diplomatic standing in recent years, overcoming U.S. endeavors to turn the country into a pariah state as part of its regime-change efforts.
Nevertheless, Washington remains hell-bent on ousting the democratically elected Venezuelan authorities, and has kept its deadly sanctions program virtually intact. And Western media, which have cheered coup attempts at every step of the way (FAIR.org, 6/13/22, 5/2/22, 6/4/21, 4/15/20, 1/22/20), remain committed to endorsing U.S. policies to the bitter end.
This commitment was on full display recently when President Nicolás Maduro was hosted by Brazilian President Lula da Silva, in a major blow against the campaign to isolate Venezuela. Lula added insult to injury by condemning what he called the “narrative” of authoritarianism and lack of democracy that had been built around Venezuela to justify sanctions and regime change.
The Western media establishment’s initial reaction was straight from the five stages of grief. The New York Times, with its unenviable Venezuela reporting record (FAIR.org, 3/26/19, 5/24/19), was in denial, not reporting on the meeting at all. The Financial Times (6/4/23) had a depressed tone, citing the fading hopes of a return to ”free and fair elections” in the wake of the Brasilia meeting. The Washington Post (5/30/23) flared in anger, claiming that by hosting Maduro, Lula had betrayed his promise to “save democracy.”
The reporting around the latest developments saw corporate pundits showcasing a full array of journalistic con artistry to defend their “narrative,” including dubious sources, inaccurate conclusions, and dishonest context.
Read more here:
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/w ... la-agenda
caltrek’s comment: Following Latin American politics is very much an exercise in who do you trust? Personally, I tend to trust left-leaning media sources such as Common Dreams. Still, I feel compelled to admit that I don’t live in Latin America and that I depend on English language media for coverage of that region. As this report makes clear (see also actual linked article and not just the introduction cited above), that can be very problematic given the biases inherent in such media outlets.
Don't mourn, organize.
-Joe Hill