Venezuela is in crisis and has been so for quite some time. Two competing narratives, both of them drawing on universally accepted norms, are fueling the conflict; in essence, this festering conflict is a battle for legitimacy. Legitimacy particularly regarding the international community, and this battle plays out in the international media too. Since power relations within the country are Asymmetrical, this is to say the government still holds sway over the military, and to what extent it is supported by citizens across the board is difficult to say, the opposition has been trying to redress this imbalance by seeking support outside the country and has, it seems, successfully coaxed the media into propagating a one-sided, at times even misleading, story of what is happening there. As so often before, the US and some of its allies across the world have decided to opt for regime change. In fact, if you amerce yourself in international media coverage of Venezuela, you would hardly notice that there is another, often untold, story to current events.
How refreshing, therefore, that this widely accepted one-sided media narrative does not go without being challenged. In this week’s
, host Jeremy Scahill
Talks to United Nations rapporteur
Who argues that the government of Venezuela still has political and legal avenues to pursue to counter the coup currently concocted in Washington and closely aligned western capitals. I must state that I am not a supporter of the regime in
, but I refuse to endorse any strategy relying on violating the constitution or international law.
Reflective contemplations 