https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/81d2f325-d1e3-4642-a757-c4bed57948e5 In a 2009 interview, then president Hugo Chávez rejected claims that he was “paranoid” about the United States, arguing that US hostility toward Venezuela was driven by oil. He said Venezuela has more than a century of oil reserves while the US is running out, and that Washington has repeatedly sought to install a subordinate government in Caracas to secure control. Chávez described a long record of US and CIA-backed coups and assassinations across Latin America, calling it a dark and destructive period for democracy. He cited Jacobo Árbenz in Guatemala, overthrown after attempting land reform; João Goulart in Brazil, removed with US backing; Salvador Allende in Chile, martyred after a US-backed coup; Juan Bosch in the Dominican Republic, ousted following a US invasion; and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos, whom Chávez said was assassinated by the CIA. Chávez argued these were not isolated cases, but part of a consistent pattern of US intervention to crush independent governments and protect imperial interests. Critics say the list of US-backed interventions is far longer and more extensive across history. The warning remains relevant as the United States carried out a large-scale bombing campaign on Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, forcibly removing them from the country in a direct attack on Venezuela’s sovereignty. Governments around the world have condemned the operation as a violation of international law and a blatant act of imperial control aimed at seizing Venezuela’s oil resources and undermining its political independence. Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at MEELive@middleeasteye.org Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:04:38 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://tankie.tube https://tankie.tube/lazy-static/avatars/3ba3ff73-a8b6-49c9-add8-9653ef090c7f.webp https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/81d2f325-d1e3-4642-a757-c4bed57948e5 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://tankie.tube/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.