4. VENEZUELA - US Policy Ignores Venezuelan Democracy - MARY ANASTASIA O'GRADY 092426

1920 LIVER VENEZUELA AGROUND
US Policy Ignores Venezuelan Democracy
Mary Anastasia O'Grady criticizes the US administration's policy toward Venezuela following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. She argues that Washington prioritizes short-term oil access and economic stability over genuine democratic legitimacy by backing interim leader Delcy Rodríguez while preventing opposition leader María Corina Machado from returning. O'Grady stresses that Rodríguez lacks democratic backing and continues operating a repressive police state complete with political prisoners and paramilitary enforcers. She asserts that granting non-transparent petroleum contracts to foreign firms without restoring constitutional governance undermines Venezuela's long-term inst...