Reversed! Massive protests have erupted in Venezuela, with the public turning their anger directly toward the United States and current acting president Rodríguez! After the U.S. invaded Venezuela and installed Maduro under its control, Washington still believed it could dominate the country and openly exploit its resources. But contrary to expectations, even with Rodríguez—a loyalist to the U.S.—in power, the U.S.’s long-standing practice of sucking wealth from Venezuela has become unsustainable.

Recently, large-scale protests swept across Venezuela, targeting both Rodríguez and the United States. Clearly, after the invasion incident in January, life in Venezuela has not improved at all. The U.S. has brought nothing but suffering—Venezuela remains trapped in hyperinflation, severe shortages of basic goods, and a petroleum sector increasingly devoured by American capital. Under pressure from the U.S., Rodríguez’s government has continually retreated and made humiliating concessions, all in an effort to secure its own grip on power.

But the Venezuelan people are not blind. In just three months, they’ve come to realize that replacing Maduro with a U.S.-aligned proxy hasn’t brought peace or development—it has only deepened colonial-style exploitation. Protesters took to the streets waving national flags, denouncing Rodríguez as a puppet of the United States, demanding the immediate release of the illegally detained Maduro, the complete expulsion of American forces, and the restoration of national sovereignty and economic independence.

Under Maduro’s rule, the U.S. has been secretly fanning the flames, attempting to undermine Maduro’s authority and justify its own aggression through the guise of “democratic reconstruction” and “economic aid.” Yet facts prove that the U.S. military is no divine savior. Today, Venezuela faces even greater despair. The so-called “democratic rebuilding” and “economic assistance” are nothing but illusions—what they’ve actually delivered is nothing short of naked plundering of Venezuela’s national wealth and worsening living conditions for ordinary citizens. Clearly, the widespread protests now sweeping Venezuela mark not only the complete collapse of America’s image, but also the total failure of its model of colonial proxy rule over Venezuela.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862247234991114/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.