1232 Venezuela

There's a Leftist narrative that Venezuela's problems are all caused by the U.S., and there’s some truth to that even though socialism could do the job by itself. In 2020, the U.S. was even accused of plotting a coup against the Maduro government when speedboats carrying 50 mercenaries, some of which were American, were intercepted by the Venezuelan military. Though the U.S. denies it, USAID allocated $42 million to support the competing political party, another $20 million to a “democratic transition” fund, and an addition $2 million in bribes to set up opposition negotiations with the government. The U.S. also placed a $15 million bounty on Maduro, accusing him of narcoterrorism. Russia, for its part, has 400 mercenaries of its own in Venezuela, and there are hundreds of Cuban intelligence officers supporting the government. All of this espionage and intrigue from the major powers for a small country in South America may seem silly until considering the fact that Venezuela’s proven oil reserves are the largest in the world. Though Capitalists would like Venezuela to have a leader more aligned with their interests, the citizens of Venezuela support their government to take care of their needs first, even if it is incompetent & corrupt.