Image by Basma Alghali.

I believe that countries in the Global South are in an abusive relationship with the United States. We don’t want to be in this domineering cycle of abuse but unfortunately the US government will never cease in its ambition to control our lives and resources, which forces us to endlessly resist its aggression.

Through personal experience I’ve come to recognize patterns of manipulation and coercion and how these are reflected in the wider dynamics of imperialism. More importantly, I am acutely aware of the role played by the enablers who contribute to the perpetuation and escalation of these abuses. US foreign policy cannot exist without the mainstream media peddling it.

An abusive relationship often develops through a series of distinct stages, starting with subtle manipulation by lavishing excessive (conditioned) kindness and attention on the victim. A notable example is the way Washington has been grooming Guyana since the discovery of significant oil deposits in the disputed Essequibo region.

However, the initial charms eventually wear off, especially when the victim becomes uncooperative as was the case in Venezuela when Hugo Chávez came to power in 1998, with a sovereign anti-imperialist project that led to oil nationalization a few years later. With this shift, the US initiated the phases of manipulation, interference, isolation, intimidation and violence—experiences that many countries in the Global South know all too well.

Explaining the full scope of the US abusive tactics against Venezuela would require more than a single article, but to provide a broad overview, we can summarize them as follows:

1) The US has lobbied or coerced governments and multinational organizations into adopting hostile positions against Venezuela. This includes accusing the Venezuelan government of human rights abuses and trying to isolate Caracas in multilateral forums. In addition, Washington has threatened secondary sanctions and import tariffs against countries that do business with Venezuela’s oil and gas sector.

2) Abusers often have their loyal minions who carry out some of their dirty work. From Juan Guaidó’s self-proclaimed interim government to mercenary invasion........

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